Outermost Point in the South San Joaquin Valley

The state registered a boundary here, not an event. The title calls this the outermost point in the south San Joaquin Valley visited by Padre Garcés in 1776, which is a claim about the edge of the valley rather than anything he did on the spot, and the bronze in the church courtyard never mentions it at all. The bronze claims two thousand miles of uncharted desert and wilderness and trails that later became highways and railroads. It carries no landmark number and no dedication date.

What the plaque says

Francisco Garces O.F.M. Padre Garces, first recorded white man in this locality, came in April of 1776, seeking a new route from Mexico to California. This epic journey covered more than 2000 miles of uncharted desert and wilderness, opening trails later to become highways and railroads. Sponsored by Kern County Chamber of Commerce Kern County Historical Society Bakersfield El Tejon Parlor No. 239 N.D.G.W. Bakersfield Parlor No. 42 N.S.G.W.

Where it stands

More markers nearby

• Point on the Jedediah Smith Trail — 8.6 mi
• Kern River Slough Station — 9.2 mi
• Sinks of the Tejón — 9.6 mi
• Bealville — 12 mi