Tehachapi

The Alta Wind Energy Center and the neighboring Tehachapi Pass Wind Farm are two of the largest wind farms in the United States

Tehachapi is a city in Kern County, California in a valley within the Tehachapi Mountains which separate the San Joaquin Valley from the Mojave Desert.

Understand

Tehachapi is unusually windy. Two of the largest wind farms in the United States are located here: the Alta Wind Energy Center, which as of 2013 was the largest wind farm in the United States, and the Tehachapi Pass Wind Farm, which in 2013 was the fifth largest wind farm. Since the California Central Valley is an immense basin surrounded by mountains, the few low passes through the mountains serve as conduits for air going in and out. Tehachapi Pass, just east of town, is the lowest — and hence windiest — pass in the valley's surrounding mountains.

Climate

Tehachapi
Climate chart (explanation)
J F M A M J J A S O N D       2.5     53 32       2.9     54 33       2     57 36       0.8     62 38       0.3     72 46       0.1     80 53       0.2     87 58       0.1     87 56       0.2     81 51       0.5     70 45       1.4     58 37       2.4     51 32 Average max. and min. temperatures in °F Precipitation+Snow totals in inches    Data from NOAA (1981-2010)
Metric conversion J F M A M J J A S O N D       64     12 0       74     12 1       51     14 2       20     17 3       7.6     22 8       2.5     27 12       5.1     31 14       2.5     31 13       5.1     27 11       13     21 7       36     14 3       61     11 0 Average max. and min. temperatures in °C Precipitation+Snow totals in mm

See

• BeeKay Theatre. 

Do

Hiking. There are lots of excellent trails and parks for outdoor activities. The Pacific Crest Trail crosses Highway 58 east of town, with parking at the trailhead. Southwest of town, there is superb hiking in Tehachapi Mountain Park.

• Tehachapi Mountain Park. Great park at the base of Tehachapi Mountain, the highest mountain in the range. A 3-mile trail will take you to the summit, almost 8,000 ft altitude. 

Eat

• 1 Petra, 200 S Green St, ☏ +1 661 822-1900. Mediterranean food. 
• 2 Kohnen's Country Bakery, 125 W Tehachapi Blvd D. 6AM–6PM daily. German bakery. 

Sleep

• Stallion Springs Resort, 28681 Stallion Springs Dr, toll-free: +1-888-828-6745. An out-of-the-city, out-of-the-ordinary, quiet, friendly timeshare environment offering one and two bedroom luxury cottages with swimming and seasonal tennis and golf nearby. 
• Fairfield Inn & Suites, by Marriott, 422 W Tehachapi Blvd, ☏ +1 661 822-4800, fax: +1 661 822-5269. 
• Best Western Country Park Hotel, 420 W Tehachapi Blvd, ☏ +1 661 823-1800, fax: +1 661 823-1600. 
• SureStay by Best Western, 418 W Tehachapi Blvd, ☏ +1 661 822-5591, fax: +1 661 822-6197. 
• Holiday Inn Express Hotel & Suites, 901 Capital Hills Pkwy & Hwy 58, ☏ +1 661 822-9837. 

Go next

• Bakersfield - nicknamed "the country music capital of the West Coast", Bakersfield is the largest city in the southern San Joaquin Valley and is thus the best option for those seeking lodging, transportation, or other services.
• Keene - west on Highway 58, Keene is home to the Cesar E. Chavez National Monument, which contains the headquarters and grave site of the famous labor leader. Another attraction is the Tehachapi Loop, which is located just outside of town and is a favorite of railroad fans around the world since the engineering wonder is one of the few places where a train can be seen passing over itself.
• Mojave - east of Tehachapi on Highway 58, Mojave is a hotbed of aerospace activity, with the Mojave Spaceport the headquarters of Scaled Composites, the first private company to launch a human into space. Edwards Air Force base, a landing site for the space shuttle and a center for the development of experimental aircraft, is located south of town.

Routes through Tehachapi

Bakersfield ← Keene ←

W  E

→ Mojave → Barstow