The Bakersfield Californian objected to the barren site, and also to the twisting path from town - there were nearer and better camping places. Besides, it wrote, the “hot bend in the river" was no place to spend $20,000 of tax money. The Californian rallied the public to oppose the purchase, but the rival Bakersfield Morning Echo considered the old Barker property a fine place for a public park....

Park visitors were a diverse group. In May 1929, in late night and early morning hours, mixed-sex, nude bathing parties had been observed at the reservoir. Hart was incensed. He had labored to create a beautiful park for everyone, but he was prepared to protect it against criticism. He warned, "You can't quote me too strongly on this matter, I am going to have three deputy sheriffs on the lookout at the Kern River park, and if anyone, man or woman, is caught bathing in the lake at that time of the day or night without a bathing suit, he or she will be arrested. I don't care who these mixed couples are. I have given instructions they will be taken immediately and locked up in the county jail to await the due course of the law."...

One Hundred Years at the Park