California State Parks is taking reservations for the fall tour season at Tomo-Kahni State Historic Park in Tehachapi beginning Saturdays, on Sept. 27 through Oct. 11. The tour begins at 8:30 a.m and ends at 12:30 p.m. in Tehachapi lasts approximately 4 hours, including travel time to and from the park. Transportation is not provided.

Tomo-Kahni State Historic Park is located at 310 S Green St., Tehachapi, CA 93561.

Although no structures remain on this Kawaiisu California Indian village site, the area’s rich history comes alive through the trained volunteer tour guides and the clues that the inhabitants left behind.

Tomo Kahni means “winter home” in Kawaiisu, and rock rings mark the locations of many of the kahni, or homes, that were built of juniper boughs. Mortar holes in the park tell of a very active past. The tour also passes by Nettle Springs, a small rock shelter known as Medicine Cave, rock art and a cave with pictographs, a sacred place of the Kawaiisu. Due to the extremely sensitive nature of the site, visitation is only permitted on a guided tour, which involves a moderately strenuous 3-hour hike.

As Tomo-Kahni State Historic Park is at an elevation of over 4,000 feet, the weather is variable, so layered clothing is recommended. Water, good walking shoes and sun protection are also necessary. Each participant should also bring a snack or sack lunch to eat during the snack break.

Tour fee is $20 per person, age five and under are free, but not recommended on tours. Tours are limited to 15 people and fill up fast, so reservations are required. Reservations are available through the Reserve California website at https://www.reservecalifornia.com/. Click on the activities tab, use the drop-down menu to select Tomo-Kahni State Historic Park as the place, guided tours as the category and select an available date. Click on the show availability button to go to the sign-up page. You can also sign up for a guided tour by phoning Reserve California at 1 (800) 444-7275, Monday through Friday.

For more information, please call the Fort Tejon State Historic Park office at (661) 248-6692 for tour information or visit https://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=610.

As a unit of the California State Park System, Tomo-Kahni State Historic Park is a protected area. When you participate in a guided tour, please remember not to pick up objects. Take only pictures and leave only footprints.