Bishop - Inyo National Forest

This National Forest, extending along the U.S. 395 and U.S. 6 as far as Nevada, covers an area of 1,900,000 acres/763,000 hectares, and is divided into several wilderness regions, John Muir, Golden Trout, Anselm Adams and Hoover. Within the whole area there are hundreds of lakes and rivers, as well as Mount Whitney (14,500ft/4,418m), the highest mountain in the United States apart from Alaska.

Must-see attractions nearby:

Bishop Creek Recreation Area

Laws Railroad Museum and Historical Site

Owens Valley Paiute-Shoshone Indian Cultural Center (closed for renovations)

Moreover, it is only some 75mi/120km as the crow flies from the lowest point, Badwater in Death Valley, which lies 280ft/86m below sea level. The Palisade Glacier on the border of Inyo National Forest and Kings Canyon National Park is the most southerly glacier in the United States.

Walks

For all walks in the forest region during the period from June 1st to September you must obtain permits, either in Lone Pine (tel. (760-876-6200), Mammoth Lakes (tel. (619) 934-2505), Bishop (tel. (619) 873-4207) or in Lee Vining (tel. (619) 647-6525).

The National Forest is barred to visitors during the remaining months of the year. There is a visitors' center for Inyo National Forest to be found south of Lone Pine, at the junction of the U.S. 395 and CA 136 roads. Open: daily in summer 8 a.m. - 6 p.m., and during the rest of the year Mon.- Thur. 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.; tel. (619) 876-4252.

Address: Inyo National Forest, 351 Pacu Lane, Suite 200, Bishop, CA 93514-2429, United States
Phone: 1 (760) 873-2400, Fax: 1 (760) 873-2458

Hours:

Always closed on: New Year's Day (January 1), Thanksgiving - USA (4th Thursday, November ), Christmas - Christian (December 25)

Related Attractions

Read More Lee Vining, California

(Near Bishop)

Lee Vining is a great base from which to visit Yosemite National Park, Mono Lake, Bodie and Mammoth Lake.

Address: Mono Lake Committee Information Center, Highway 395 Corner of 3rd, Box 29, Lee Vining, CA 93541-0029, United States
Phone: 1 (760) 647-6595, Fax: 1 (760) 647-6377

Mono Basin National Forest Scenic Area

(Inyo National Forest)

Lake Mono, situated close to the CA 395, is about 14mi/23km southeast of the eastern entrance to Yosemite National Park and about the same distance south of Bodie. This salt-water lake, 6,240ft/1,900m above sea level, is 13mi/21km wide and 8mi/13km long. Although several rivers flow into Lake Mono, it has no outlets, and is one of the oldest lakes in the world, having been formed perhaps 700,000 years ago. In the water, which has a higher salt content than most lakes, only a few life forms can exist, mainly single-cell algae; these provide food for the salt-water flies and brine shrimp, which in turn are eaten by 70 kinds of migratory birds which reside on Lake Mono in spring and summer. These are mainly phalaropes (wading birds), grebes and Californian gulls. It is estimated that each year a million of these three species migrate through Lake Mono at various times. About 90% of all Californian born gulls are hatched on Lake Mono - especially on its volcanic island of Paoha and Negit Island.

Limestone turrets / Tufa Towers

Phenomena of a special kind are the limestone turrets known as tufa towers, most of which are to be found on the south bank. They are formed when the chalky spring water from the bed of the lake mixes with the very alkaline lake water. This forms limestone, and over the course of centuries curiously shaped turrets are formed where the springs enter the salt-water. This chemical process takes place only in the lake itself; when the water level falls and the turrets poke out of the water they cease to grow. Limestone turrets can be seen high above the present bank, and their age has been estimated at up to 13,000 years.

Fall in water-level

In the last 50 years the water-level of the lake has fallen by over 40ft/12m since Los Angeles began to tap four of the seven rivers which flow into Lake Mono. At the same time the salt content has doubled. In order to put a stop to any further danger of emptying the lake and completely changing the ecological system, legal steps have been taken after the city of Los Angeles had refused to listen to all compromise proposals. The effects of the struggle for water here in California can be seen at first hand.

The Visitor Center of the committee which is active in preserving the lake is in the neighboring town of Lee Vining.

Hours:

April 15 to September 7: 8am-5:30pm

Tips: The scenic area is open 24 hours per day. Operating hours refer to the visitor center 1 mile north of Lee Vining.

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