This area is a chunk of National Forest land located between 2 very popular National Parks. This paved road leads to some great camping, a perfect option for NOT camping inside the crowed National Parks. Turn onto well signed Big Meadow Rd. (off of Sequoia Hwy. 198). There is primitive camping all over this area & a few developed campgrounds along this route.

SEE CAMPING PHOTOS

In the first few miles, the dispersed camp sites on the right side have great views & some situated on fairly flat granite slabs, perfect for astronomer campers or adventurous RVs. To the left side of the road is more primitive style campsites in wooded areas. The whole area is also a very popular cross country ski & snowmobiling spot for winter recreation. Hunters also like these camps during hunting season (in September).

There is a large Horse Camp on the left side of the road, near the biggest meadow, for equestrian campers.

Buck Rock Campground (7600′ elevation, 5 spots) & Big Meadows Campground (7600′ elevation, 25 spots) are both family style camps, perfect for those who want picnic tables, plus bathroom nearby. Sorry no flush toilets out here, only pit toilets.

Buck Rock Fire Lookout Tower @ 8500′ elevation – is located to the north on Forest Rd # 14S02. It’s a great spot for some impressive views – if you aren’t afraid of heights. To reach the tower you must climb several flights of steel steps. This place is worth a stop if planning a sightseeing day.

Big Meadows Road is long & narrow – 12+ miles. RVs are not recommended beyond the Big Meadow Campground, as the road is one lane in some spots & it skirts a cliff edge. The views are incredible the farther you go & many creeks feed the region.
The long paved road eventually forks off into several smaller dirt roads back near Horse Corral Meadow. Way back here, the dirt roads lead out to trail heads for backpacking, horse packing or hiking in Jennie Lakes & Monarch Wilderness. Backcountry access to either Sequoia or Kings Canyon National Park! Have a good map if you plan to venture out this far. Pay attention & don’t get lost. GPS would be helpful. Some dirt roads are not even on the NFS maps.

Sequoia National Forest

Sequoia National Forest MAP

Nearby services include:

• HUME LAKE
• KINGS CANYON NATIONAL PARK
• SEQUOIA NATIONAL PARK

Cottonwood Lakes / Horse Camps

Cottonwood Pass – 11,200′

Cottonwood Lakes Campground, Golden Trout Campground & Horseshoe Meadows Campground… all next to Mount Whitney. This is a prime side option for Whitney & Southern High Sierra packing. Perfect for equestrian travelers, backpackers & day hikers.

Sitting at Tuttle Creek Campground at night, just outside of Lone Pine , in the Eastern Sierra – you may have wondered what the hell those lights were. Way off in the distance – to the south. Way up high. There must be another road that also heads up into the Sierra’s. Yep! Go find this special valley. It’s well worth the drive, even for just a day trip. A winding drive up from Hwy. 395, in Lone Pine CA – take Whitney Portal Rd up to Tuttle Creek Campground, see the road called Horseshoe Meadows Road on the left. Take it, all the way up, you will be glad you did. Allow hours for the drive, views, hike, & the picnic. It’s bear country so be concerned about your food. Use bear lockers, even for day trips.

Cottonwood Campground is located in the Inyo National Forest , this area is just south of Mt. Whitney, is by far much quieter than the masses at the Portal. Although camping is limited to a ‘one nights stay’, the terrain is spectacular with ample parking for backpackers, sightseers & horse trailers alike. The paved switchback road is steep & long, to say the least. RV are not recommended on this Eastern Sierra Horse Shoe Meadows Road.

• High Sierra Fishing on Cottonwood Creek
• Cottonwood Lakes Trailhead
• Horse pack trip heaven
• High Sierra Backpacking
• PCT Access
• Mount Whitney Trails
• Cottonwood Pass (11,200′) leads N to Whitney (14,494′)
• Day hike to Cottonwood Lakes
• Inyo National Forest Maps
• Golden Trout Wilderness is next door

This area is definitely geared towards Sierra backpackers & equestrian trips. The parking lots are pretty roomy, plus there is a one night stay limit on the campgrounds: Golden Trout, Cottonwood Lakes, Horseshoe Meadow. New Army Pass & the Golden Trout Wilderness are both accessed from these high Sierra trail heads. Meadows up here are large & lined with pines. They can range from lush wildflowers to golden dry. Granite, horses & high elevations!

These campgrounds up here are large with walk in access only. A common parking area is shared, along with the community fire rings & steel bear boxes. Wide open areas with tons of room for star gazing. The camp areas are not considered secluded. Very open & spacious tho. They are designed for overnighters preparing for their backpacking ventures into the nearby Sierra wilderness. This high altitude mountainous area closes for winter snows (anytime between October-May) & the campgrounds/trail heads will not be accessible. If road is open in early Spring, I imagine the cross country skiing & snow shoeing would be incredible in those huge meadows. Sierra wildflowers are abundant on certain years.

From Hwy 395 & Lone Pine CA, take Whitney Portal Rd. up to Horseshoe Meadow Rd & turn left. Follow this long & steep road due south hugging the mountain’s edge. This steep winding entrance will take you to some spectacular views over the dry desert Owens Lake & Lone Pine. Then turns sharply west headed straight into the pine filled Southern Sierras. This region is so high in elevation that you can actually see ‘tree line’. At 10,000′ alpine glory, this is prime backpackers country. Exposed granite mountain peaks loom above the tall ponderosa pines.

INYO National Forest: Cottonwood Lakes Campground

LONE PINE CA; Lone Pine Camping
Inyo National Forest
Mt. Whitney Ranger District
760-876-6200

Mount Pinos Recreation Area

The Mt Pinos Recreation Area is located on the border of Southern and Central California, inside Los Padres National Forest. After passing Frazier Park, the winding, paved, mountain road starts atop Cuddy Valley and is approximately 12 miles from Interstate 5 @ Tejon Pass. The 8831′ peak is the tallest in Kern County and is a popular spot for both summer and winter recreation: cross country skiing, snow shoeing, backpacking, hiking, mountain biking. The snow gates often close during heavy snow.

Mount Pinos Road starts atop Cuddy Valley Rd, at the “Y” – where it intersects with Mil Potrero Highway, which heads out to Pine Mountain Club, California. One mile up the Mount Pinos route, you will find McGill trailhead on the right side (it is popular w/ mountain bikers) and then the first snow gate at Burbank Rd. Another 4 miles up hill, you come to the only set of dirt roads accessible on this range. A left turn will take you winding thru pine forest to the valley below. 4×4 is not required, but a National Forest map is very handy. Unfortunately all the private properties at the bottom have locked gates & no thru access to Cuddy Valley is allowed, but it is an awesome drive to just go exploring in the woods.

Back on the main route, shortly after the dirt roads is McGill Campground on the right side & another snow gate. In another mile and a half you will reach Mt Pinos Campground on the left side; the entrance is easy to miss. From here you are less than 2 miles from the end of the main road.

Mountain Bike, Hike, Backpack, Camp, XC Ski, Snow Sled

Darkest Skies for Stargazing in Southern California

The huge paved parking lot is the dead end (2 miles from the peak of Pinos) – very popular with astronomers, mountain bikers, plus the families and snow sledders in winter (if the gates are open). A National Ski Patrol’s Nordic Base, the only building you will see up this way. At 8300′ elevation, the large parking area is perfect overnight spot for amateur astronomers, so be considerate when visiting night. New moon (no moon) weekends APR-OCT are optimal viewing months. In busy summer months you can often find motorhome campers all set up with expensive equipment tracking the heavens all night long. Please be respectful of their hobby & eyes; Turn off headlights when you approach the parking area at night.

There is also a hike-in, freebie camp ground called Chula Vista; an easy quarter mile walk from the parking lot to 12 camp sites & a pit toilet. Mountain bikes dig this area too. A large meadow here blooms with wild irises in summer, only sometimes.

Trail 21W03 Mt Pinos
Originally uploaded by danamight

ROAD CONDITIONS to Mount Pinos
call the ranger station 661-245-3731

Peak to Peak Hike

The trailhead for Pinos Summit starts at this parking lot. It is a 2 mile moderate, but steep hike on an old fire road. The neighboring peak to the west is called Mount Abel @ 8286′ elevation (aka Cerro Noroeste). The infamous peak to peak hike along the ridge line from Mt Pinos to Mt Abel is 6.5 miles one way – and very popular in summer months. This hike requires 4-6 hours & a car shuttle should be arranged in advance. The Chumash Wilderness sits between Mount Pinos and the tiny community of Pine Mountain, which can be seen below on many places along the hike.

There are 3 developed camp sites in the Mount Pinos area:

• McGill Campground
• Mount Pinos Campground
• Chula Vista Campground (walk-in)

Only one camp accepts online reservations and all are closed during winter months. (Oct-April)

RESERVE CAMPGROUND: McGill Campground

DARK NIGHT SKIES: Amateur Astronomers Info

MAPS: Los Padres National Forest Map

WEB CAM: Mt Pinos North Face

NEAREST TOWNS:

• Frazier Park, CA
  
• Pine Mountain Club

Mt Abel trailhead looking East to Pinos range

Mount Charleston Las Vegas NV

Mount Charleston Resort

Mt Charleston cabin rentals, vacation homes and 2 mountain lodges are located near the Spring Mountain Recreation Area, just outside of the Sin City limits. The tall alpine mountains behind RedRock SP, NW of Las Vegas, Nevada are virtually unknown by many non-locals. Great hiking, mountain biking, camping and waterfalls, plus a small seasonal ski and snowboard resort are some of the highlights. Imagine snowboarding Vegas!

Las Vegas Forest
Vegas means “the meadows”, but it sure seems more like desert these days. The forest is just up the hill, past the red rock and tract homes, well past the Joshua Trees. Conifer forests, snow and high elevation, less than an hours drive from the Vegas strip. Toiyabe – Humboldt NF is this public land managed by the US National Forest system. Get the NV map here

all NEVADA forest MAPS

Camping Vegas

Due to extreme dry conditions and wildfire danger no open camp fires are allowed from mid-April to mid-November in the Mount Charleston region. Several developed campgrounds, plus a primitive (dirt road) camp area off Lee Canyon. Cabin rentals are located at the Charleston Lodge.

• Vegas trails
• Hiking in Vegas
• Mount Charleston skiing
• Mt Charleston hikes

lake, hike, mountain bike, off-road, ski, snowmobile

Tahoe Trail Maps / Tahoe National Forest

Wanna find every waterfall or every creek to fish? This is the place that will help you find them. Easily, with good old fashion printed maps. Hard copies, some waterproof & tear resistant, most with topographical data and all roads, trails, campgrounds and parks. Whether or not you water ski or cross country ski, these maps will save your ass – when you are way back there in the boonies. Tahoe Rubicon Trail connects the gold country to the lake via granite wilderness sky ways above 7000′ elevation, but a real 4×4 and overnights are required. The back roads and trails are endless in these parts of the Central Sierra Nevada mountains.

• Tahoe Rim Trail Map
• Lake Tahoe Basin Map
• Lake Tahoe Topo Atlas
• Tahoe National Forest Map