I'll be heading to the Sierra's for a week's worth of camping this summer (mid July). I'm looking for places to boondock, aka dispersed camping between Bishop and Mono City.
I'm particularly interested in camping near the hot springs, which are north east of Mammoth airport.
There is lots of good boondocking on the Volcanic Tablelands. There's also the Glass Creek camp area, which gets crowded and is right by the highway.
I don't personally know of any camping near the hot springs. The folks at the visitor center have been very helpful to me in terms of suggesting good boondocking areas and telling me where camping is not allowed. You should contact them. Be sure to let them know what you are driving; size is often an issue.
Also ask about the windstorm damage. Thousands of trees were blown down in a big storm at the end of November. Many campgrounds were damaged; clearing and repairs are or will soon (when snow melts) be underway. Boondocking area tree clearance is probably pretty far down their priority list. Last year when in the Volcanic Tablelands before that storm I saw many wind-damaged trees. Scary.
Mammoth Ranger Station and Welcome Center
760-924-5500
P.O. Box 148
Mammoth Lakes, CA 93546
Hours: 8:00 am to 5:00
Open all year, 7 days a week. Limited Services Noon to 1 p.m.
Lots of great boondocking near Deadman Creek/Obsidian Dome -- not too near the hot springs, though. On the other hand, do you really want to be by the springs? They tend to attract rowdy late night parties, and there is not as much shade on the east side of 395.
Also, be aware that there is a lot of ATV activity in that whole area. If you are an ATVer, that is a good thing. Those of us who aren't may find it a little noisy at times.
2012 Fun Finder X-139 "Boondock Style" (axle-flipped and extra insulation)
2013 Toyota Tacoma Off-Road (semi-beefy tires and components) Our trips -- pix and text About our trailer
May sound counter to give the Inyo NF's 4 Jeffery campground, although Grandview cg is pretty fabulous. My personal favorite is Onion Valley cg for its hiking.
Did you know that hysterical episode of I Love Lucy were they take a travel trailer vacation was film on the route to Cottonwood Lakes/Golden Trout cg in the Inyo NF?
Not much shade on the east side of 395, but truly spectacular sunsets over the sierras. Just to the south of the airport the road leads to a broad expanse of open boondocking, where the DWP land ends just past the animal hospital.
And I'll second the question: Do you really want to be near the hot springs? On second thought, I suppose anyone who asks about them has already heard about them and decided that kind of "festive" gathering is just what they're looking for. Good luck and be careful!
I'm not much of a "Lucy" fan, but I'm a big fan of the road to Cottonwood Lakes, so I'm guessing the "Lucy" episode involved a trailer hanging off of a cliff?
Lot’s of great mostly undeveloped places in the eastern Sierra. A couple favorites:
Pleasant Valley Reservoir – a couple miles north of Bishop. You can camp right on the lower Owens river. Walking distance from good fly fishing. It’s “down” in the valley. Great in spring/fall, too hot in summer.
Mammoth Lakes – it’s not really boondocking (a developed forest service campground), but you can camp right on a lake at ~9,000 ft. Twin Lakes or Lake Mary, both great places for scenery, fishing, and a 15 min drive to Mammoth if you want civilizaztion.
Big Springs – a free, undeveloped forest service campground, on the head waters of the Owens River. This is off of 395, about 5 – 6 miles north of the Mammoth Lakes turn off (203). Turn right on Owens River Rd. It’s somewhat forested, with a stream near by. Lots of mile dirt trails in the area (good for motorcycles, ATV’s, 4x4’s.
It's not so much that I wanted to camp at the hot springs, as I just wanted to swim in a few, and stay nearby for one night, before heading out. I think I'll stay at Convict Lake/French Camp after a day at the hot springs.
Then head up to Silver Lake Resort for a few nights.
Then down to Devil's Postpile, and camp at Minaret Falls.
Then back into Mammoth Lakes for a day to check out the city, eat at the brewery, dump my holding tanks at the community water district, then stay overnight at Shady Rest campground, before heading back home.
Then back into Mammoth Lakes for a day to check out the city, eat at the brewery, dump my holding tanks at the community water district, then stay overnight at Shady Rest campground, before heading back home.
Where do they hide the water district dump station? I used Google maps, my Garmin GPS, and plain slow drivin', but I still couldn't find the community water district. Every address I found put me in front of some apartments. I finally gave up and emptied the tanks at Convict Lake.
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