HWY 395 Road Trip

So the girlfriend and I are decided on an impromptu trip up the 395 for a few weeks. See the sights, run a few trails, maybe camp etc. We are leaving a week from Friday.

Wanted to see if any Norcal folks have any suggestions on things to see, places to camp, light wheeling etc?

At the moment Laurel lakes in Mammoth is on the list, Mono Lake and maybe Death Valley (if we can stand the heat).

Thanks in advance!

 

As it'll soon be September, you should definitely consider Death Valley. The mountains away from the valley floor will definitely be tolerable by that time of year. Maybe hit it on your return trip.

4x4 right? Visit Bodie, but get there via the back roads on BLM land, rather than the main tourist gravel road.

 

Yea I have been to DV a few times. Amazing place. I havent been to Bodie though, heard good things. Isnt there a ghost town or something there?

 

Actually curious about the BLM roads going to and away from Bodie, as I was going to take my brother down there in a few weeks for an overnight camping trip and see the town. Going to be coming from the north end by the way. is it the roads that start up by Bridgeport?

 

Bodie is the best-preserved ghost town in California. Unfortunately, it doesn't really have a "ghost" feel to it because it's visited by so many people.

Get the BLM map of the area (I forget exactly which one it is) and that'll show you the various routes.

 

Lots to see, take your pick:
Manzanar
Devil's Postpile NM (near Mammoth)
Erick Schat's Bakery (in Bishop)

 

I hear rainbow falls by Devils post pile is pretty cool as well.

 

All the places in Rick's list. Plus the Shat's in Mammoth to piss off Eric

Add Bodie, Mono Lake, June Lake, Convict Lake, Masonic, places to the left, places to the right. 395 is a plethora of really great places. You can find a lot of them in this book.

 

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads...el-lakes-mono-lake-bodie-coyote-flats.444125/

 

Anything in bishop, Alabama hills, Whitney portal, Mammoth...

There is a bishop/395 thread somewhere here in tw land.

 

Hit up the hot springs too!

 

Bodie is always a great place to check out and visit. A lot of history in that town. There's a couple of back ways into Bodie from the Bridgeport area. One road is called Aurora Canyon Road off of the 182. Take it east for about 7miles and it will "T" into Bodie/Masonic road. At the "T" stay right and it will take you straight into Bodie. Another way in is the LONG way but still fun. It's further up the 182 at the north end of Bridgeport Lake. It's Masonic Road that turns into Bodie/Masonic Road NF-169. That will take into Bodie as well.

The back side of mammoth is cool to camp at. We camp at a campground called Pumice Flats every year by Red's Meadows. It's first come first served. But they have flush toilets not pit toilets. Pumice Flats campground is right on the middle fork of the San Joaquin River. It's like 20 ft from some of the camp sites. Great fishing and hiking all through the valley down there. In the valley you can hike to Devils Post Pile, Rainbow Falls, Minaret Falls and some others. There's a tram also that's free to ride if your camping down in the valley that will take you to all the stops and back to camp.

Schat's Bakery is a MUST stop. Extra sour, sour dough bread is the best along with the Chili cheese bread and many more.

 

I didn't see it mentioned and it's a bit out of the way but Kings canyon/Sequoia NP are awesome, plus 178 through the Kern river valley is a great drive.

 

Manzanar, Mt Whitney/Lone Pine, June Lake, Bodie....not much on 395 between SoCal and Lone Pine.

How far north are you planning to go?

 

Wow, amazing pictures. Thanks for share dude

 

395 is an epic drive!i worked in lone pine for a few months last summer so i got to know the area pretty well. As mentioned above Alabama hills and Mt whitney portal are pretty awesome. but check out a few of these spots.

Almost directly across from manzanar is Reward road. Follow reward rd for a few miles back into the hills. Theres a mine that is big enough to drive a side by side into. Very cool spot.



Near kessler (SE of lone pine) another dirt road that leads you to Serro Gordo. It was a old trade hub/mining town. Still has the hotel, tons of mining equipment, General store, and 6 or 7 other buildings up there. i believe you can even rent a cabin they have up there. Bring the care taker a 6 pack and he gives a very awesome tour.

At the start of the dirt road is this foundry. the town is maybe 5 or 6 miles back into the mountains.


My phone died pretty much 5 minutes after we got up there so i only have a few pictures. One of the general store.


If you find yourself on the Lake bed i built a bunch of stuff out there. My favorite:

Bad ass spot for the high school kids to go party at haha.

 

That place is awesome, you can fit a taco in there!

 

hahah awesome! Did you go all the way to the end of the main tunnel? pretty crazy feeling all the way back there. found a total chaos sticker back there lol.


This gem is hidding just to the left of the mine

 

I got sketched out at the first turnaround, and went back from there. Got out of the truck to light a match to check for airflow, and there was none... Got spooked about carbon monoxide

 

Plan on going all the way up into Mindin, then shooting over the South Lake Tahoe for a few days (used to live there) then down the 5 coast, back to SOCAL.

Thanks for all of the suggestions gents.

Another request: Campsites? Any good camping local suggestions? I will be traveling with my RTT so I need to be able to access via some kind of road.

Thanks in advance!