The valley of the lower South Fork Kern River was once inhabited by the Tübatulabal and Kawaiisu tribes. Humans have lived along the river for approximately 3,000 years. In 1834, Joseph R. Walker and his company of explorers surveyed along the river trying to find a low pass over the Sierra Nevada mountains. During their journey, they discovered Walker Pass, a mile above sea level, which lies at the headwaters of Canebrake Creek, a major tributary of the South Fork. Walker returned in 1843, leading an early party of emigrants over the Sierra by way of the pass. Gold strikes brought miners to the area in the 1850s and 1860s, and the first permanent settlements along the river were built in 1859. Conflicts ensued between the newcomers and the native inhabitants, and a U.S. Army outfit, Camp Leonard, was established on the river to provide military control over the area.