The Park at River Walk
The Park at River Walk, commonly known as "River Walk Park", is a wonderful Bakersfield, California public park. The park spans 32 acres (130,000 m2). It has two lakes that are linked by a stream. It is also home to the Spectrum Amphitheater which was formerly famous as the Bright House Amphitheater prior to the corporate reorganization of the company that happened in August 2016. It is one of Bakersfield's two huge outdoor theatres. The other is the Outdoor Theater located at Bakersfield College. The park is actually beside the Kern River Bike Trail. It is also close to the Westside Parkway's Calloway Drive interchange.
An odd-shaped lot was formed when the area between the Kern River and the Stockdale Highway was separated for future development. The property was in the shape of an L, with restricted street access. It also offered extensive frontage access to the Kern River Parkway as well as the river. The area was ideal for creating a major public park which is now The Part at the River Walk.
As a consequence, in 1995, the site was donated to the City of Bakersfield. The park is made up of two lakes that also serve as groundwater recharge basins. The upper lake has a 3-acre surface area (12,000 m2). The smaller lake has a surface area of 2 acres (8,100 m2) and has become a popular fishing destination. A creek that runs through the park connects both lakes. Four bridges span the river.
Six covered picnic spots with seating capacity ranging from 16 to 48 persons are also available. There are also a number of individual picnic tables and barbecues around the park, as well as a playground. On the west side, there is also a gazebo.
The park was constructed in the form of mountain recreation zones as a rural getaway. To achieve this purpose, both architectural designs and landscapes were used. The major architectural feature of the structures is river rock walls with brown tile roofs. The footbridges are supported by metal arches and they also feature a wood plank floor.
As a short extension to the bike path, a similar design bridge (concrete rather than wood) crosses the Kern River near the park. The majority of the plants utilized in the park are river natives. However, the park and neighboring neighborhoods make extensive use of blooming plants, which offer a distinct aesthetic making every season beautiful.