A few notes for others trying to get to the Patriarch Grove this month. Locals already know this,…read morebut...you're not going to get here with anything but high-clearance 4WD right now. It's already a little slushy near the Schulman Visitor center, but beyond that, it's deeper, messier, and just not possible without an offroading vehicle. And even that might be a little dicey. So you might make it as far as the visitor center until it snows again, but it is now closed for the winter. A few other things to note: the elevation will make you THIRSTY. Bring more water than you normally would. And a hat/sunscreen, because the sun is more intense up here! Lastly, it takes a little *more* than an hour to get as far as the visitor center but is absolutely worth the drive!

The drive to get here from downtown Bishop was an hour! It was looping around the mountains and we…read morehad to drive slowly at the curves. The views were so gorgeous that we did make a few stops. We parked in front of the Visitor Center and went on the Discovery Trail. It took us an hour to complete. We started on the right side of the loop, and I was just gasping for air. We saw the beautiful Bristlecone trees on the trail. As we continued on to the left side of the loop, we had to walk on the big red rocks. That part was not enjoyable at all as we had to be careful not to trip. However, the views were so wonderful. It's a clear trail, so there is no getting lost.

Located in California's beautiful Eastern Sierra, the Inyo National Forest offers clean air,…read morecrystal blue skies, mountain lakes and streams, challenging trails, high mountain peaks, and beautiful views. With over two million acres, the Inyo National Forest is home to many natural wonders, including Mt. Whitney, Mono Lake, Mammoth Lakes Basin, and the Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest, as well as seven Congressionally-designated Wildernesses, comprising over 650,000 acres of land. This is a 3 nights 4days backpacking trip totaling 22.5 miles in the Ansel Adams WIlderness and the setting is amazing. We started at Agnews Meadow to John Muir Trail looping back thru Pacific Crest Trail. John Muir Trail Section: The John Muir Wilderness is massive in length - over 100 miles at its longest point. It covers the central/south portion of the Sierra Nevada range, on both the west and east side. The west side offers access from California's Central Valley and has many small towns and camper facilities. The east side is steep, very steep, and is accessible from the Owens Valley. Named after the father of environmentalism and champion of the national park system, this Wilderness has everything the Sierra Nevada has to offer -- lakes, meadows, streams, mountain peaks, forests and more. The John Muir Trail travels about 53 miles in the John Muir Wilderness. In terms of the John Muir Trail, this Wilderness essentially covers the area between National Parks/Monuments. The mid-point for the Trail lies here. Typically, it is at (or near) Edison or Florence Lakes that the through hiker will take a brief break and re-supply. The John Muir Wilderness also affords the hiker spots to soak their feet in hot springs, grab a warm meal, and "traverse" from "easy" east side access points to west side access points for the trail. As the trail begins a long set of switchbacks, one of the most panoramic views along the entire John Muir Trail is gained. Between the trees one can see the Minarets, Mt. Ritter and Banner Peak. Summer is an excellent time to see wildflowers along the trail. At higher elevations, even in late Summer the wildflowers are blooming due to the late snow melt. The order of the Lakes as we hiked in is as follows: Shadow Lake, Clarice Lake, Garnett Lake, Ruby Lake, Emerald Lake, Badger Lake and Thousand Islands. I can not choose which lake to mention as my favorite. They're all breathtaking. But Garnett Lake and Thousand Island stays in my mind the most. Ruby Lake is mysterious looking and Shadow Lake is rewarding in a sense since this is the first lake you will see after the final push in a difficult steep switchback leading to it. Mosquitoes are abundant during summer here that makes it not my favorite :( but it is beautiful nevertheless. As you ascend to over 9500 feet mosquitoes get lesser and you're back in a cooler condition. There are definitely snow on the trail and in some areas more than others as we started on the JMT above 9600 feet. One section between Ruby Lake and Garnett Lake the whole1000 feet of trail was covered in snow. I would recommend a trekking pole and crampons for faster crossing. You could definitely do it without but the snow will slow you down. Some areas are as deep as 5 feet of soft snow. Clarice Lake at 9600 was about 80% frozen. We took a break here and listened to the frogs complain :) The trail from Clarice Lake to Garnett Lake was covered with snow. I decided to throw my pack down and follow it by sliding down the hill on my behind. It was fun! The majestic beauty of both the Minarets, Banner Peak(12,936 ft) and Mt Ritter (13,143 ft) is the backdrop on most of my pictures of Shadow Lake. Awesome! Lots of wild flowers on the way down thru the PCT. Had a semi encounter with a bear on the trail. We heard him but never got to see him from about 20 feet from us. Hope this review will somehow encourage Yelpers to explore Ansel Adams Wilderness! Enjoy my pictures. I walked uphill to 10,1000 feet and and a total of 22.5 miles to snap them :)!

Voilà, home to the famous Mt Whitney! + Also, lots other…read morecools hikes and sceneries in the area. Oh, so blessed to be living in CA. - Downside is it's prob far away from your home, so prep for a +5hr car trip~ - Desert-y terrain. Almost nothing out there. Everything so far apart. . Stock up well on snacks, drinks, supplies before you head out.

Great location right off 395 at north end of Bishop. Plenty of parking, restrooms nearby. There are…read moretwo sides, one for large dogs and another for small. There are poop bags, garbage cans, water trough, benches. It was super swampy muddy today on small dog side. Good grassy area. Good signs.

Great dog park in Bishop it has a lot of parking, space inside the fence, shade, water, benches to…read moresit on, good views and generally a good group of people. We did have a skirmish there one morning where another dog went after ours. The other dog's owner quickly said "my dog didn't like how your dog approached!" (I thought, "O-kaaay!") We thought nothing further of it til we got home and found a 1-2" gash in her side so did a vet visit to be sure she was OK. What are you going to do - dog parks, right? It is a great dog park stop when traveling in the area.

Amazing experience! Great ride options for all. Beautiful, healthy, and strong stock. Friendly and…read moreinformative team. We booked a day in the Sierra and it did not disappoint. Gaby was our guide and she was amazing. We rode Percy and Howdy. Forever memories!

From the first inquiry to the end of our trip, these folks were high quality. They provided a…read moredunnage drop into the Golden Trout Wilderness, allowed us to dry camp near the stables, allowed us to park near the stables, and were very helpful in making sure we made it to our destination into the Cottonwood Lakes corridor. J.P. and Chris, our wrangler, were absolutely outstanding with their customer service and performance.

Pro tip: Take the shuttle (approximately $15 per person round-trip). You take it from the Main…read moreLodge and they run every 20-30mins from 7amish to 730pmish (as of Aug 2025). You want to get off at Red's Meadow and hike to the falls. It's easy-easy/moderate and is the shortest distance to the falls. Do not take it from Devil's Postpile because it will add 1.5 miles of open sun hike to the falls. Once there, reward yourself with glass of wine and lunch. The water is cool to cold (depending on the time of year) and refreshing. Highly recommended

There's almost a guaranteed rainbow and maybe even a double rainbow if you're lucky at Rainbow…read moreFalls! From the shuttle stop, it's a 1.6 mile exposed hike to the falls, then some stairs to the bottom. We were prepared wearing our swimsuits to take a dip in the frigid water! Totally worth it. So beautiful!

Great park in the heart of Mammoth Village. This public park has obstacles and a very well laid…read moreout park for children to play. We came here after having breakfast at Mammoth Coffee Roasting only 1 minute away. Wonderful place to enjoy especially when the weather is beautiful which is just about 80% of the year in sunny California. 5 stars and two thumbs up!

My kids had fun! Staff were very nice helpful, doesn't give attitude, very friendly. Every single…read moreone of them. From the front desk where you pay to the people that's working on the rides. Price very reasonable and place is very clean! We will be coming back.

Wow!! Just got back from a two night backpacking trip. I stood at lake one and lake two and it…read moredidn't disappoint. This is my third time here and first time as an overnight. I got to explore, fish, swim, relax, and wake up to an amazing view. This hike is hard especially with a 35-40lb backpack. Plenty of tent site if you got a permit.

Stayed couple days in mid-May at the Upper Sage campground and did the hike to the first two lakes…read more Due to snow, it's where most people turned around. It was the perfect distance for a nice day hike, at about 10 miles. Nice reward of picturesque lakes at the end, and you turn around head back. I went down to touch the water, but some people went swimming in the ice cold water! This was a very popular trail and seemed like everyone brought their dogs. Out of maybe 20 parties with dogs, 1 actually had it on a leash. I would recommend starting this hike early so you can grab a parking spot at the trailhead and avoid the heat.

Must added to the list for hiking / beach/ kayak spot…read more No need a big jeep or any special vehicle. You will be fine as it's easy to get down to these stone pillars with 2 mi hike. Very easy flat step - straight road. Actually there's one big deep hold up hill at the beginning and one slightly slippery downhill to the lake. General, worth the hike and time to visit the unique nature made sandstone pillars. A beautiful place with peaceful quiet lake. You can hang around right at the lake or do kayak Tips: - When you are inside - under these columns, never look up. There is always some sand falling from top. - No restroom / trash bin / info center. Make sure bring water and essential items. - Plan to arrive early so you can come back around before noon. And use a lot of sunscreen in summer. No shade at all. Like walk in the middle of dessert! - Parking spots are marked correctly in google map. No actually parking signs. You just find your own the spot closest to the first hill and leave the car there at your own risk for 1hr at least. - follow google map. There's some crosspath and no signage!

From the 395, there's a nice dirt road to Crowley Lake but you can only go so far with a regular…read morecar. A 4x4 off road vehicle is needed to access the stone columns for the last mile or two. There's a hill with really bad ruts. Another way to access the columns is to kayak to them. We saw a kayaker who parked his car at another beach off the lake and kayaked over. There is a steep sandy trail down to the beach where the columns are. The water was high when we were there so fortunately we couldn't access the larger columns that day. It's definitely worth the visit when the water level in the lake is low to see these unique stone columns.

I visit Convict Lake every year because it's just so beautiful! No wonder those escaped prisoners…read moreyears ago stayed here! You cannot resist such a beautiful lake with the mountain backdrop. Okay, the parking is terrible but if you're patient and parking lot pimpin', there will be an open spot for you! The water is freezing here in the summer but that is why I love it so much! I love being the 1 out of 3 people who swims here lol. If you want to fish here, I promise there's no fish here. We can never catch anything here! 10/10 will always visit again.

+ Fun, beautiful place to kayak. We enjoyed the 4-person tandem pedal kayaking with Convict Lake…read moreResort Marina Rental. . Pedal kayaking is done with your feet, like bike riding, instead of with your arms. + CLRMR's 4-person pedal kayak raft is secure, reliable, and good quality. + Pleasant ambience. Aside from 1 or 2 other boats blasting music, it's almost like we had the whole lake to ourselves. . Life vests are under our seats, and optional. . No seat belts. . Lotta fishers here, - so gotta be careful not to pedal close to their lines. - 4 stinky, under-maintained restrooms (37°35'38.8"N 118°51'04.4"W). - Water spigot not working. + Free parking, - but very crowded.

I came out here on a field trip with a class I'm taking this summer. It's 95 degrees, windy and…read morearid. Even as a visitor, I find these conditions to be uncomfortable, so I could not imagine being forced to live out here in subhuman conditions for an indefinite period of time. However, that is what over 120,000 Japanese Americans and Japanese Nationals living in the USA were forced to do during WWII - and 10,000 men, women, children and babies were forced to do just that at Manzanar. The Visitors Center is only open on Friday, Saturday, Sunday & Monday - so we were not able to see it, but we were able to eat our lunches in the Mess Hall. I also explored the barracks, and saw the rest of this historic site by bus and on foot. Don't miss seeing Merritt Park, the Children's Village area, and the Issei Obelisk. This site is a powerful reminder that History repeats itself, and visiting Manzanar is an extremely moving and meaningful experience for everyone. Peace.

I have driven past the turnoff for Manzanar over a dozen times. I have known about it since I was…read morein middle school but never went. My sister and I have been taking my nephew to significant sites of WW11 over the years starting with Pearl Harbor and Auschwitz. Being part Japanese, we felt this was an important stop. The grounds are very well maintained. The educational aspect of it is great. The rangers have taken great care to show an accurate representation of what "camp" life was like. The recreated rooms, shacks and monuments have been meticulously built. The rangers were great about sharing knowledge. The book store has some great books that are not available on Amazon. The parking is a breeze. The entrance is free. When entrance is free to somewhere like this I like to support by donating or buying items that help support the cause. I bought my nephew and I each a book and a couple other little things. I also really like that they participate in the Junior Ranger Program. It was a great way for not just my nephew but myself to learn too. It was a great family activity. I highly recommend visiting. It can be a little emotionally draining but it is an important part of American History that we cannot forget.