Off Road near Highway 395. Yep, Olancha has some OHV areas near the dunes, but this web site is dedicated to the real deal, scenery, hot springs, great secluded camping & of course, back road exploring. You will need a Inyo National Forest map to discover these back roads. These are minimally traveled routes, unmaintained, sometimes washed out, eroded & creek crossings (without a bridge). A few roads are paved, but most are dirt. Many require high clearance vehicle, or even 4×4. Know your vehicles limitations & be prepared to turn back when the road worsens. Cuz more often than not, it’s a sign of what more difficult terrain is to come.

Watch out for live stock – they are dumber than they look.

Owenyo Rd - Wanna parallel the highway (395) on dirt; Sure, it’s a long bumpy route – from Hwy 136 @ Dolomite to Bend City @ Mazourka Cyn.

Road# 13S05 – Mazourka Canyon Rd – leads up to some old mining camps & way behind Mazourka Peak (9410′) deep into the Inyo mountains. It’s all desert on this side, but these canyons have pinyons & more vegetation than you would imagine. Road# 9S15 & 9S14 circle Andrews Mountain (9460′) then join back up w/ Death Valley Rd (the North Pass into Saline Valley).

Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest has some great dirt roads surrounding it. After you are finished with all the touristy sights & you don’t wanna spend the rest of the day in the visitors center or back at camp, try Cottonwood Canyon is full of aspens, camp sites & fishing, not cottonwood trees. 4×4 is required. Crooked Creek has boulders, boulders & more boulders. Plus some amazing camp sites with open sky views. Silver Canyon is for high clearance only, 2WD okay. This will lead you down to Laws Railroad Museum on Hwy 6, on the back side of Bishop, CA

Benton Crossing Rd (green chruch on Hwy 395)
This wide road leads out to multiple dirt roads that peel off in every direction. Many Eastern Sierra Hot Springs can be found out here on the east side of the highway. No hot spring resorts, no facilities, no clothing & very primitive.

Bishop 4×4 route Coyote Flat
Coyote Wash leads up to Coyote Flat & out to Coyote Lake. This a a spectacular high altitude plateau overlooks the Owens Valley & requires 4 wheel drive just to get up there. Pinyons, junipers, apens, wildflower meadows, old mines, & yes, lakes at 11,000′ elevation. Views of the High Sierra & South Lake.

Buttermilk Road - This dirt road is north turn off of Hwy 168, W of Bishop, CA. It is a popular spot among rock climbers. A great place for indian petroglyphs too!

Road# 9S21 – Glacier Lodge Road - Paved road. Creek exploring & fishing. Plenty Campgrounds. W of Big Pine CA

Horseshoe Meadows Rd – Paved route with great views over Owens dry lake bed; access via Lone Pine CA; A nice day trip to meadows & High Sierra scenery. Picnic & day hike!

McMurray Meadows Rd – south off of Glacier Lodge Rd (9S21) just W of Big Pine CA. You can find ancient cinder cone volcanoes & cave-like lava tubes in between this long dirt road & the highway.

Monache Meadows is a high elevation meadow that takes some time & determination to get to. This area is part of the Inyo National Forest, but can be accessed by either: backpacking thru the high Sierra’s or driving a high clearance vehicle thru Sequoia NF # 22S05 Sherman Pass Road, behind the Black Rock Ranger Station & Troy Meadows Campground. High clearance is needed, 4×4 maybe. Great camping sites near Olancha Peak trailhead. The area is surrounded by Golden Trout Wilderness & South Sierra Wilderness. From Highway 395 to Kennedy Mdws & then Monache is a full day of exploring, so you may as well stay the night up there. But bring warm gear, a campfire permit & a capable vehicle.

Manzanar Routes - Back behind Manzanar Camp there are miles of dirt roads to explore. Many creeks side camp sites can be found even with a passenger car. Small trees & sage brush. Secluded camping (for free) is possible in the Eastern Sierra.

Mono Craters (Rd# 1N11) - the youngest mountain range on the continent. Just south of Mono Lake, this route skirts the pumice cones & climbs over the Aeolian Buttes, before it meets back up with Hwy 395.

Walker Creek Rd – Oaks & creek. South of Olancha CA, look for turn off & follow dirt road up into the tight canyon.

Fish Slough Road (Rd #3V01) – open desert near tablelands. Find Indian Petroglyphs. N of Bishop

Road# 6S16 – Pine Creek Road - Creek exploring & fishing. NW of Bishop behind Rovana

Road# 4S02 – Owens Gorge Road - N of Bishop behind Lake Crowley. Camping w/ boulders & pines

Road# 4S86 – Laurel Lakes Road - Camp in aspens @ Laurel lakes, high elevation; SE of Mammoth

Road# 2S05 – Deadman Creek - Creek fishing in forest. N of Mammoth

Road# 2S07 – Owens River Road - Pine forest, near hot springs; no facilities. N of Mammoth

Parker Lake Road - Aspen & pine forest, near creeks; E of Grant Lake / N of June Lake

Walker Lake Road – Pine forest route to Walker Lake; E of Grant Lake / N of June Lake

Laguna Mountain (off Sunrise Hwy. S-1)
East of San Diego; 40 miles E on Interstate 8

• Pine Creek Road – with plenty of mountain biking trails
• Noble Canyon – popular mountain biking trail
• Kitchen Creek Road

Palomar Mountain (off Hwy. 76)
N of San Diego; 40 miles N on Interstate 15

• No back roads camping is allowed in this forest
• 4×4 trails & camping @ Los Coyotes Indian Reservation

Anza Borrego Desert Camping [near National Forest boundary]
East of San Diego CA

• Oriflamme Canyon (off S-2)
• Culp Valley (off S-22)
• Dispersed camping nearly anywhere in Anza desert (w/ a metal fire bucket)

A winter day out exploring Culp Valley back roads.

Maps Mountains / San Diego Maps

• CLEVELAND NATIONAL FOREST MAP
• AGUA TIBIA Wilderness Map
• ANZA BORREGO DESERT STATE PARK MAP
• SAN DIEGO BACKCOUNTRY MAP (Tom Harrison)
• PCT Trail Map – Southern California
• PINE CREEK /HAUSER Wilderness Map
• CLEVELAND FOREST TOPO ATLAS

Campgrounds inside Stanislaus National Forest

Hwy 4, Stanislaus National Forest Camping

Hwy 120, Groveland Yosemite Camping

Hwy 108, Sonora Pass Camping Stanislaus

nearby towns -

• Arnold CA
• Arnold CA
• Bear Valley CA
• Bridgeport CA
• Dardanelle CA
• Dorrington CA
• Groveland CA
• Jamestown CA
• Kennedy Meadows CA
• Markleeville CA
• Mi Wuk Village
• Murphys CA
• Pine Crest CA
• Sonora CA
• Soulsbyville CA
• Strawberry CA
• Tuolumne CA
• Twain Harte CA

maps of this Sierra Nevada region -

• Stanislaus National Forest Map
• Carson Iceberg Wilderness Map (USDA NFS)
• Emigrant Wilderness Map (USDA NFS)
• Emigrant Wilderness Trail Map (Tom Harrison)
• Sierra Nevada Map

Fish Creek Campground

E of Borrego Springs CA.

Well off Highway 78, past the busy OHV area, quads at Ocotillo Wells, past all the rural homes & the redneck bar, past the Elephant Trees hike – where the road goes from pavement to graded dirt to a wild desert wash, in a few short miles. If you don’t know where you are, then you’re almost there.

This is a large wild desert wash with huge unstable walls, several areas for wind caves and a few historic markers. Lots of 4×4 trails beyonf Split Mountain, to the south. No real water in sight, except maybe the puddle you are standing in as it starts to poor. The soft sand can give way to a few heavy rain drops. May not be a great area to be during a serious storm or flash flood possibility, unless you want to get buried alive. Check the weather forecast in advance.

A ratty, small developed campground of Fish Creek is on the left side, upon the ledge. Fish Creek Campground is picnic tables & a pit toilet – at most. Ya may as well camp out in the open, off road, like the pioneers did. You can do that out here in Anza Borrego. (Just keep it clean & carry a metal fire container.)

Split Mountain, Anza Borrego Desert State Park

This portion of the “mountain” is less than a mile from Fish Creek Campground. Fossils can be found in these walls. Shade is good in summer months, when day temps reach 100+. The rest of the year is ideal weather. This mountain split from water, erosion, mega force. High walls, wind caves, desert washes, great primitive camping & 4×4 routes.

This desert scenic drive will require you to get that SUV dusty. 4 wheel drive not required. No RVs past the campground. All low lying passenger cars are warned, there are uneven areas, soft sand & boulders.

Duh, do not attempt this one when desert flash floods are possible.

ANZA BORREGO STATE PARK

ANZA BORREGO MAP – San Diego Deserts

nearby towns -

SALTON SEA CA

Great desert back road exploring out here. A zillions washes & canyons.

]]> http://www.totalescape.com/outside/sightsee/split-mountain-anza-borrego/feed/ 0 http://www.totalescape.com/outside/sightsee/california-camping-maps/ http://www.totalescape.com/outside/sightsee/california-camping-maps/#comments Wed, 17 Feb 2010 17:29:21 +0000 DanaMite http://www.totalescape.com/outside/?p=569 California Campground Maps

Maps are the key to finding your very own slice of heaven in the Wilderness. Online map sources can barely get you to your city destination correctly, much less the remote waterfall you desire. You will need a real map for your adventure. A topographical map, with all the details, dirt roads & hiking trails. If you are seeking to stay away from the touristy crowds, this is the best possible place you can be…. on this site, searching for ways to make it happen – this weekend.

BACKPACKERS BACKPACKING MAPS -

Mount Whitney & beyond the High Sierra. DanaMite stocks all the California Wilderness maps. Most are printed on waterproof plastic now & are tear-resistant.

• California Wilderness Maps
• Tom Harrison Topo Trail Maps
• California Recreation Maps

CAR CAMPING MAPS -

Planning on camping outside of the developed campgrounds & finding that perfect stream side spot without the reservation & the fees? Then you will need a free fire permit (from a ranger station), plus a good map of the forests & a vehicle capable of handling the rugged the back roads. We even carry regional maps in a set, so you can get the whole area at a discounted price.

• California National Forest Maps
• Map Sets for California
• Recreation Area Maps
• Topographic Map Atlases
  

CALIFORNIA OFF ROAD MAPS -

Wanna take that 4×4 vehicle somewhere really special this season? Camp well beyond the masses, way down that dirt road. We stock OHV maps for SoCal, the deserts & all the National Forest maps too.

• California Desert Maps
• California & Baja Offroad Maps
• California National Forest Maps

CALIFORNIA CAMPGROUND MAPS -

Start your search on the perfect campground or camp site with the destination in mind. Mountains, deserts, coastal. Parks & forests all have their own maps with all nearby camp grounds listed. We stock all the National Forest maps, as well as some State Park & National Park maps

See all California topo, hiking, camping maps

RV camping at it's best in the Sierra; This rig found themselves deep in the alpine lush meadows with towering trees and a view and a very private camp site.

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