Tons of dirt roads for SUV travels or mountain biking w/ great views of the Eastern Sierra range. If you want privacy, away from crowds camping options, there are plenty to choose from. The only developed Campground is Grandview & is very popular with astronomers & RVs, especially during a new moon summer weekend. The best fishing & aspen forests are on the
back roads just outside the parks boundaries on the eastern slopes. 4 wheel drive is needed to reach some spots, but there are just many ideal 2WD accessible sites.
Ranger Stations:
Inyo National Forest Headquarters
Bishop, CA
760-873-2400 |
|
Hiking Ancient Bristlecone Pines
| trail |
mi. |
elev. |
veg |
toilet |
water |
contact |
cmpgrnd |
| Self Guided |
5 RT |
10000 |
alpine |
vault |
none |
Visitors Center
760/ 873-2500 |
none
|
|
[Self
Guided]
Hwy. 395 from the town of Big Pine
Westgate Pass Rd. (SR168) & White Mountain Rd. up to Schulman
Grove at an of 10,000' elevation. Open : Daily June
- late October.
Visitors Center: open
mid June - Labor Day weekend |
Grand View Campground: Ancient Bristlecone Pines
| campground |
elev. |
spots |
veg |
toilet |
water |
fee |
| Grand View |
8600' |
26 |
pinyon pine |
vault |
no |
yes |
Primitive
Camping
Get an Inyo Forest Service Map
& explore the dirt roads. 4 wheel drive is required for some
routes. They will lead to a quite different terrain than that
of lunar scapes on the front side. Find aspen lined creeks, lush
meadows & lots of beavers, fishing, seclusion. Some primitive
camp spots are set up along the waters edge on Cottonwood Creek.
Obtain a free fire permit
if you plan on camping back here.
- Cottonwood Creek
- Crooked Creek
- Silver Canyon
If you arrive late, around nightfall to Grand View Campground, head to the back of camp & take the bumpy dirt road that leads down to the abandon mine. There are numerous camp sites along this route. No picnic tables or bathrooms tho.
