Eastern Sierra

Food & drink

• Mammoth Coffee Roasting Co: Coffee shop in Mammoth Lakes. reel

Sights & activities

• Highway 395: Scenic highway corridor connecting multiple regions (Letter A to C); connects all Eastern Sierra stops in a scenic route. reel reel
• Alabama Hills: Desert landscape near Inyo County. Camp overnight on BLM land or in Lone Pine; movie road for sunrise; hike to Mobius Arch; drive Whitney Portal road. reel reel
• Lone Pine: Camping option near Alabama Hills. reel
• Bishop: Rent a boat on Lake Sabrina; visit ancient bristlecone pine forest; stroll through downtown; drive scenic roads. reel
• Lake Sabrina: Boat rentals available. reel
• Convict Lake: Hike the loop trail; fly fish for trout; rent jet boat or pontoon; paddleboard on the lake. reel
• Mammoth / Mammoth Lakes: Mountain town and resort area. Hike Devils Postpile; visit Hot Creek geological site; visit hot springs (Wild Willys and the rock tub recommended); explore Twin Lakes and Lake George. reel reel
• Devils Postpile: Hiking destination near Mammoth Lakes. reel
• Hot Creek: Geological site and hot springs near Mammoth Lakes. reel
• Wild Willys: Hot springs location; poster’s favorite. reel
• The Rock Tub: Hot springs location; poster’s favorite. reel
• Twin Lakes: Lake near Mammoth Lakes. reel
• Lake George: Lake near Mammoth Lakes. reel
• Yosemite / Yosemite National Park: National Park in Sierra Nevada mountains. Explore Tuolumne Meadows; camp at Upper Pines Campground; hike Mist Trail; Glacier Point for sunset; Tunnel View for sunrise. reel reel
• Tuolumne Meadows: Area within Yosemite to explore. reel
• Mist Trail: Hiking trail in Yosemite. reel
• Glacier Point: Sunset viewing location in Yosemite. reel
• Tunnel View: Sunrise viewing location in Yosemite. reel
• Lake Tahoe: Alpine lake in the Sierra Nevada. Stay in South Lake Tahoe; visit Hidden Beach; paddleboard at Sand Harbor (rent from Clearly Tahoe); swim at Secret Cove. reel reel
• South Lake Tahoe: Main base for Lake Tahoe stop. reel
• Hidden Beach: Beach at Lake Tahoe. reel
• Sand Harbor: Paddleboarding location at Lake Tahoe; rent from Clearly Tahoe. reel
• Clearly Tahoe: Paddleboard rental at Sand Harbor. reel
• Secret Cove: Swimming location at Lake Tahoe. reel
• Sequoia: National Park featuring giant sequoia trees. reel
• Shasta: Northeast Adventure region (Letter C to E). reel
• Lassen: National Park in northeast California. reel
• Siskiyou: Northern region with mountains and scenic views. reel
• Butte: Butte County area. reel
• Redwoods: Ancient redwood forests on Northern Coast (Letter F to G). reel
• Mendocino: Coastal town on Northern Coast. reel
• Sonoma: Wine country region on Northern Coast. reel
• Humboldt: County on Northern Coast. reel
• Del Norte: County on Northern Coast. reel
• Big Sur: Iconic coastal scenic drive on Central Coast (Letter G to H). reel
• Monterey: Coastal city on Central Coast. reel
• Carmel: Charming coastal town on Central Coast. reel
• Cambria: Coastal village on Central Coast. reel
• San Simeon: Coastal area with historic castle on Central Coast. reel
• Santa Cruz: Beach town on Central Coast. reel
• Santa Maria: Valley town on Southern Coast (Letter H to blue circle). reel
• Pismo Beach: Beach town on Southern Coast. reel
• Santa Barbara: Coastal city on Southern Coast. reel
• Ventura: Coastal city on Southern Coast. reel
• Solvang: Danish village on Southern Coast. reel
• Morro Bay: Coastal town on Southern Coast. reel
• San Luis Obispo: College town on Southern Coast. reel
• Death Valley: National Park in desert region (before Letter A). reel
• Joshua Tree: National Park in desert region. reel
• Anzo-Borrego: Desert park near San Diego region. reel
• Rancho Mirage: Desert town. reel
• Palm Springs: Desert resort city. reel

Stay

• Upper Pines Campground: Camping in Yosemite National Park. reel

Practical tips

• Road trip is organized by 6 regions: Desert (before A), Highway 395 (A-C), Northeast Adventure (C-E), Northern Coast (F-G), Central Coast (G-H), and Southern Coast (H-blue circle). reel
• Route spans from San Francisco in the north through San Jose, Los Angeles, and ends at San Diego in the south. reel
• Mix of national parks, coastal towns, mountain scenery, and desert landscapes accommodates diverse interests. reel
• Highway 395 corridor is particularly scenic for mountains and natural attractions. reel
• Central and Southern Coast sections offer some of California’s most iconic ocean views. reel
• Trip can be done as a complete loop or broken into regional segments. reel
• Best for varied terrain: mountains, waterfalls, beaches, rock formations, and desert landscapes all included. reel
• Best time to visit the Highway 395 corridor is early summer for optimal weather and driving conditions. reel
• Camp overnight on BLM land near Alabama Hills or stay in Lone Pine. reel
• Bring gear for water activities (paddleboarding, boating, fishing). reel
• Hot springs are free to access at Mammoth Lakes (Wild Willys and the rock tub). reel
• Book accommodations in advance, especially for Yosemite campgrounds. reel
• Rent boats and water equipment locally at Bishop (Lake Sabrina) and Convict Lake. reel
• Allow time for sunrise/sunset viewing at scenic points. reel