Things to Do in Eastern Sierra
HIGHWAY 395 & THE EASTERN SIERRA
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Have you ever experienced the freedom of a road trip? There’s really nothing quite like it and one of my favorite places for such a journey is the long and lonely stretch of California’s Highway 395 through the Eastern Sierra. As you leave the hustle and bustle of the city behind, roll down the windows, turn on the tunes and sit back for you’re about to experience nature at its best as the mountains start coming into view, following you for mile after mile along this scenic drive.
Take a step back in time exploring the historic sites and mining ruins left behind from the days of the California Gold Rush and its boom towns. Grab a kayak and spend the day exploring the hundreds of hidden lakes and secret gems. Grab your fishing pole and launch a boat off the shores of a crystal-clear alpine lake; or just set that ice chest along a rocky beach with a chair and a good book. Get lost in the deafening sound of silence hiking to the top of the peaks of the tallest mountains on a sunny day. Whatever you enjoy doing in your down time, Highway 395 and the Eastern Sierra have something to offer you.
In California, Highway 395 covers a 557-mile stretch (896 km) from I-15 in Hesperia, north to the Oregon state line in Modoc County.
Things to see
The following are a few of my favorite things to see off Highway 395. However, here’s my disclaimer - this list literally doesn’t even scratch the surface. There is just that much to explore.
Mono Lake Tufa State National Reserve
Located off Highway 395, just 13 miles east of Yosemite National Park, near the quaint little all-American town of Lee Vining, stands the unique world-famous tufa towers of Mono Lake, an ancient saline lake over 1 million years old. The lake covers over 65 square miles, surrounded by wetlands and home to trillions of brine shrimp and millions of birds.
Tufas are calcium-carbonate spires formed by the interaction of freshwater springs and alkaline water and are some of the most interesting natural structures I’ve ever seen, each one truly unique. Over the years as the freshwater evaporates, salts and minerals are left behind resulting in Mono Lake being about 2-1/2 times as salty as our oceans.
Do yourself a favor and time your trip at sunset on a cloudy day where the reflection off the water will blow your mind.
For more information on Mono Lake, click here.
Other Lakes of the Eastern Sierras
If you were to ask me to name all of the lakes located in the Eastern Sierra accessible off Highway 395, I guarantee you I could not do it. In fact, the list of lakes I’ve been lucky enough to explore fails in comparison to the list of ones I still want to see (I seriously need more time off work). There are literally hundreds of majestic alpine lakes. The list seems endless and I will admit, I hate to share some of the lesser known ones for fear the internet will overcrowd them.
Below are a couple I will highlight.
Convict Lake
Convict Lake has gone by many names over the years. After miners discovered the area, it was known as Monte Diablo or “Mountain of the Devil.” However, in 1871, it became known as “Convict Lake” after a group of convicts broke out of prison in Carson City, Nevada. A posse caught up with them near the lake and a shootout took place killing two of the posse members including Robert Morrison. After the incident, the lake became known as “Convict Lake” and its biggest peak was named Mount Morrison in his honor. Later, two of the convicts were caught and brought to frontier style justice. Ouch!
Convict Lake is one of the most photographed and famous lakes in California’s Eastern Sierra and it’s quite easy to see why. The oblong alpine lake is relatively small surrounded by massive peaks circling it, some of which are over 7,500 feet high. Because the lake was created naturally, it has beautiful blue crystal-clear waters resembling glass, is an average of 100 feet deep, and is home to some of the best trout fishing around, and Eastern Sierra is known for its fishing! I have read that Native Americans believed the Great Spirit created the lake as a safe haven for magical fish infused with the spirits of children that swam through the surrounding mountain streams.
If you have time during your visit, you can rent a boat at the Convict Lake Resort Marina Rental and cast a pole. Be sure to check out the annual “Round Up at the Lake” fishing derby if you visit in the Spring, or the “Ambush at the Lake” in the Fall.
For lodging visit the Convict Lake Resort.
June Lake Loop
The June Lake Loop is a 16-mile paved loop off Highway 395 along the southern rim of the Mono Basin about 12.5 miles south of Lee Vining. The scenic drive follows a horseshoe shaped canyon with four lakes. The road is surrounded by dramatic mountainous backdrops and rises to an elevation of over 7,500 feet. There are cabins, camping, fishing and boat rentals. So, if you have a few nights to kill, it’s a great place to kick up your feet especially in the Fall when the aspens change color.
For information on where to stay at June Lake, click here.
Some other lakes to consider in the area include Mammoth Lake, Crowley Lake and Shaver Lake. Regardless of what lakes you decide to explore during your Eastern Sierra Adventure, you will not be disappointed! They are ALL magical and you really can’t go wrong.
Bodie State Historic Park
Bodie may just be the most impressive ghost town that exists anywhere in the world. It has been run by the California State Park system since 1962.
I think what I love most about Bodie is that it is quite literally frozen in time, full of rust, weathered buildings and decay. The Park has chosen to leave the buildings in their natural aged state rather than restore them. Yet, it is incredibly well preserved.
Bodie got its origins in 1859 when William (aka Waterman) S. Bodey discovered gold near what is now Bodie Bluff. A mill was established and by 1880, the town had grown from about 20 miners to an estimated 10,000 people. The town went into decline in the subsequent decades and came to be described as a ghost town by 1915. It’s quite amazing what its residents literally left behind.
You can spend hours wandering dusty gravel roads, peering in windows of homes, churches and stores. There is a pool hall complete with an old dusty billiard table, a coroner’s office with old coffins and store front windows full of colorful desert glass in shades of aqua green and purples. The old schoolhouse includes a board with the day’s lessons written in chalk and vintage children’s desks. This was not the original school house in Bodie though. The first one was burnt to the ground by an angry student who got in trouble and thought it would be fun to set the bushes out back on fire! Bodie has 110 structures in total as well as an old gas pump with a broken-down truck and a cemetery full of the town’s long forgotten residents.
As you wander its streets, you can practically picture Bodie in its heyday. Miners coming down from the mills at the end of a long day, heading to loud saloons full of chatter, piano music, whiskey and cards. Brothels with women of the night out front luring them in as they stumble home, hoping they’ll spend the last of their day’s pay for some “company.” Imagine the chaos in a town full of so much gold, guns and alcohol.
If you visit Bodie, plan to spend most of your day there. There’s a LOT to see.
For more information, click here.
Hot Springs & Mining Ruins
All throughout the Eastern Sierra off Highway 395 are remnants of abandoned boom towns once bustling with the prospect of silver and gold, long since abandoned and forgotten almost overnight. There are mining ruins scattered all over its hills. If you’re not afraid of a little dust and dirt roads, do yourself a favor, pick up a good book with maps of the mines and test your navigation skills as you start a literal treasure hunt of ruins. If you are a photographer, you will be in heaven.
At the end of a day exploring, find yourself a hot spring. If you don’t know where any are, get out your phone and Google it or pick up a book at the local Visitor’s Center. There are hundreds of them throughout the area – many of which are hidden gems and clothing optional. I will not list any here since I’m not a huge fan of geo tagging them but trust me, many are very easy to find.
Highway 395 Pros:
Just hours from Los Angeles or Las Vegas.
Something for everyone – rivers, lakes, streams, horse riding, mining ruins, boating, kayaking, fishing, strenuous hikes and easy strolls.
It’s unbelievably beautiful everywhere you turn.
There is an endless list of sites to see and all kinds of literature to help you find them.
You will never get bored and it’s fairly easy to lose the crowds.
Highway 395 Cons:
If you think of any let me know. I guess having to go home is a con.
Read More…
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Travel Stories:
Read about my funny mishaps traveling in the Eastern Sierra
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Looking for California National Parks - View My Complete List of US National Parks
