Eastern Sierra Mountains near Bishop CA – August 2020
In August 2020, my husband Lyle, our adorable dog Sophie Mae, and I traveled to the Eastern Sierra near Bishop, CA. Bishop is located in Inyo County off US Route 395 to the east of the Sierra Nevada Mountains. It’s over a six-hour drive from San Diego, CA and about forty-five-minute drive south of Mammoth Lakes, CA. We planned to camp out one night along the way and stay five nights at Parchers Resort.
Alabama Hills, Mt. Whitney Portal, and Manzanar
We exited west at Lone Pine exit off US Route 395 and entered the Alabama Hills National Scenic Area. This area has been managed by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM) since 1969. We enjoyed exploring the weather-metamorphosed volcanic rocks and natural arches. Views of the Seirra Mountain Range to the west were gorgeous!
We had made reservations to camp at the Tuttle Creek Campground close to the Alabama Hills. After checking it out, we felt the site would be too warm for us and our little dog. After a quick call to Recreation.gov, we moved our stay to the Whitney Portal Campground. We were excited to check out the portal!
We had fun exploring the Whitney Portal Campground! It’s in a prime location, just at the base of Mt. Whitney. The mountain is highest peak in the continental U.S. at 14,505 feet. Its west slope borders Sequioa National Park and represents the southern terminus for the John Muir Trail, beginning in Yosemite Valley.
We ate lunch at the Whitney Portal camp store, popular with hikers, and then went to set up camp. After checking out the loop around camp, my husband took hiked for a bit, while I relaxed with Sophie in camp. Later that evening, we grilled dinner and enjoyed tortillas with chocolate and marshmallows – decadent!
We cleaned up after dinner and stored all belongings in the bear proof containers. Regardless, a bear visited our camp and other camps around 10 p.m. Fortunately, we were in our tent, and Sophie was asleep. I activated our car horn with my fob which scared the curious bear away!
After leaving the Mr. Whitney Portal area the next morning, we stopped at the Manzanar War Relocation Center. In 1942, the US government ordered more than 110,000 Japanese citizens and immigrants ineligible for citizenship to leave their homes to live in internment camps during World War II. Manzanar was one of ten such facilities in the county. I’m glad we stopped to learn about this important part of our nation’s history.
Southlake and Biship Pass
After departing Manzanar, we entered Bishop to check out the town and stop at Safeway for groceries. Then, we headed to pet-friendly Parchers Resort southwest of Biship for a five-night stay. The resort is a thirty-minute drive from Bishop on Highway 168 and S. Lake Rd. Parchers offers 20 house-keeping cabins, full RV hook-ups, and boat rentals at nearby South Lake. We felt right as home in two of the cabins, Hiker Cabin 4 for three nights and Paradise Cabin 9 for two nights.
On our first full hiking day, we took the Biship Pass Trail and transitioned on to the Treasure Lakes Trail at the south end of South Lake. We continued on for over an hour to reach the first two of the stunning Treasure Lakes.
On our second full day, we explored the area around Lake Sabrina, which is northwest of South Lake. On our way, and near the lake, we passed the charming village of Aspendell, CA. Lake Sabrina is a delightful lake for fishing (boats can be rented), with numerous hiking trails surrounding it. We decided to take the short road north to North Lake and do the hike to Lamark Lakes, and we weren’t disappointed.
A highlight of the trip came on our third full day, when we hiked the Bishop Pass Trail from South Lake toward Bishop Pass. The trail is just over 11 miles round trip to the pass. We stopped short of summiting, since we were a bit tired and had Sophie in mind back at the cabin. The views on this hike were some of the most exquisite I’ve enjoyed, with few people, perfect weather, and beautiful scenery.
On our way towards the pass, we passed by Long Lake, Saddlerock Lake, and finally Biship Lake. (See photos of Long Lake and of our approach near the pass.) Bishop Pass marks the border into Kings Canyon National Park. I look forward to going back one day and hiking up to and beyond the pass!
On our fourth and last full day, we explored the area around Parchers Resort with Sophie where we admired several privately owned cabins – retreats in the middle of all this natural beauty! In the afternoon, we rented a small motorboat from the South Lake Marina. We traveled around the lake and then docked for a couple hours in a cove near the west side of the lake. It was wonderful to have our own private beach for a little while!
I often think about beautiful South Lake and dream about more fully exploring the magnificent Sierra Mountain Range in California! If you’ve been to the area or may like to plan a visit there, I’d love to hear from you!
