McKittrick

McKittrick is a tiny settlement mostly known for being the only place to eat on the 70 miles (112 km) of CA-33 between Avenal and Taft. The town sits in the middle of a massive oil field and many of the oil workers will stop here to get food.

CA-33 bisects the town. CA-58 also runs through town.

• 🌍 McKittrick Brea Pit, SW corner of intersection of State Hwy 33 and State Hwy 58. 24 hours. The Brea Pit is the site of a huge fossil find of pre-historic creatures trapped in tar (brea is Spanish for pitch or tar). The site is a California Historic Landmark and is marked by a plaque. Free. 

• 33 & E, Hwy 33 and E St, ☏ +1 661 762-7404. This convenience store serves a wide array of food items that get rave reviews from those who stop in. 
• McKittrick Hotel, 23273 California 33, ☏ +1 661 762-7676. Despite the name, McKittrick Hotel is an eatery. The biggest draw to this establishment is the bar that is completely covered floor to ceiling in pennies. 

• Buttonwillow - Located northeast of McKittrick on Highway 58, this town offers additional lodging options and services and is home to the Buttonwillow Tree, a state landmark that gave the town its name.
• Carrizo Plain National Monument. Take CA-58 west for 18 miles, turn left on San Diego Creek Rd/Soda Lake Rd. This remote national monument is home to the largest remaining native grassland in California. During wet years it boasts spectacular wildflowers in the spring, and Soda Lake is an important wintering area for waterfowl when precipitation is sufficient to flood the seasonal lakebed. The park is also home to Painted Rock, a Native American site that has been adorned with pictographs over thousands of years. Services are extremely limited, with just a small visitor center, two primitive campgrounds, and a handful of marked trails available.
• Taft - Located southeast of McKittrick on Highway 33, Taft is an oil town that offers food, gas, and lodging services. Taft is also home to the West Kern Oil Museum and a replica of Sutter's fort that was built in 1940 as a Depression-era project.