3 Not-So-Well-Known California Camping Destinations

If you have not traveled the lesser-known US Hwy-395 on the eastern side of the Sierra Nevada Mountain range in California, you should put it on your bucket list. There are several destinations well worth your time to seek out, some of these known only to the locals.  Traveling south along this route, first we lingered overnight in Coleman, California at the Coleville/Walker KOA aptly named for a cliff that rises dramatically at the rear of the campground. High atop the cliff an American flag flies, replaced each year on the 4^th of July by the owner of the campground who spends an entire day scaling the cliff to continue a tradition started in 1876!

Further down the highway is Mono Vista RV Park overlooking Mono Lake-a large, shallow, saline soda lake formed over 760,000 years ago in the town of Lee Vining.  Now the lake is an oasis in the arid Great Basin serving as a vital habitat for millions of migratory and nesting birds. While one can access the well-known Yosemite National Park by following Hwy 120 at the south end of town, we were intrigued instead with Mono Lake’s beautiful dawn and dusk views. According to local rumor, the best ice cream in California can be found at the Mono Cone Ice Cream shop, which we happily felt obliged to confirm.

Continuing south, take a short detour up Hwy 203 to Mammoth Lakes and spend a night at the Mammoth Mountain RV Park with its indoor, heated pool. This quaint mountain town at the highest elevation along your route is a year round destination for campers and skiers. The public library has excellent Wi-Fi for those also missing their electronic connections. A Jazz Festival occurs here in July with musical venues throughout town. Then take a short drive south to Owens River Road. A great route for dramatic views of the Sierra Nevada Mountains, this road is also popular with those peddling bikes. If you are more adventurous, consider boon docking at Brown’s Owens River Campground-sought out by the fishermen who come here to park right at the river’s edge and cast out their lines.

Heading south again on US Hwy-395, stop in Bishop and checkout Keogh’s Hot Springs, an attraction since the 1920s. Here you can use a day pass or camp overnight to try the naturally heated hot spring pools and choose your pleasure of either the 86-degree or the 104-degree pool. Bishop and the surrounding area are also popular trout fishing destinations.

Last we come to Lone Pine. This is the site of Mt. Whitney-the highest peak in the continental United States. The mountain can be seen from Boulder Creek RV Resort where we stayed. Drive up Whitney Portal Road to the trailhead of Mt. Whitney through foothills called the Alabama Hills created in just one day during an earthquake in 1872 that devastated Lone Pine. Here we shared a great pancake breakfast at a café not to be missed with a young man who just hiked 225 miles from Yosemite in only ten days along the John Muir Trail.

Don’t rush on this trip. Plan a couple of weeks for your journey and you will be rewarded with awesome views and experiences along the entire route.