A Week-Long Road Trip in the Eastern Sierra
The scenic byway on the back side of the Sierra Nevada Mountains is where the lush forests of California (think Yosemite) smash into the vast desert of Nevada (think Death Valley).
A short 350 mile journey from Reno to Ridgecrest winds through incredible scenery with enough diversity of beauty and weirdness to entertain you for at least a week. Stops include hot springs, a ghost town, a nature-made geological wonder, something called “Fish Rocks” and two starkly different National Parks.
This might just be one of the coolest road trips in the entire USA and we’re including California’s Pacific Coast Highway in the running. Here’s our rough itinerary for how to have an epic journey on this incredible stretch of road.
We try to Include costs where relevant | “Parks Pass” refers to the National Parks Access PasS
An “America the Beautiful” NP pass costs $80 per year and is valid for everyone in the vehicle
Reno
*Note: We’re going north to south and recommend a fall visit for this trip*
If you’re already road tripping or vanlifing in California and want to check out Highway 395 scenic byway, there’s a nice place to stop the night before embarking on this journey. The trailhead at Red Rock Canyon is north of Reno off Hwy 395, right on the California/Nevada border.FREE
We boondocked at Red Rock Canyon Trailhead our first night (free)
If you’re flying in, Reno is a good place to land and rent a car to begin the journey. Reno is a cuter city than we expected and not just a gambling town – though there are plenty of classic casinos here too.
MidTown is a trendy neighborhood with great brunch and vintage shops. We ate brunch at Two Chicks. There’s a bike trail along the Truckee River that takes you through several beautiful parks, through the city and to the outskirts. If you don’t have bikes, you can rent cruisers from WildSierra right on the RiverWalk. Bike rental: $20 for 2 hours
We had a chance to check out the Nevada Museum of Art, which is a great little gallery. Go here to see the current exhibits. Nevada Museum of Art: $15 per person
Reno is cool!
Lake Tahoe
Straddling the CA/NV border, Lake Tahoe is a picturesque natural resource with hiking, swimming, and skiing in the winter. Tahoe isn’t technically on the scenic byway but it’s only an hour from Reno up into the Sierra Nevada mountains. You won’t lose much ground by visiting.
In the fall, the aspens turn yellow and it’s often still warm enough in September to enjoy the water. We did a quick but beautiful hike called Secret Cove Beach to Whale Cove Beach (on AllTrails). FYI: at least one of these coves is clothing optional! Free
From Tahoe, get back to the scenic byway whichever way you want. As long as you reconnect with 395 before Sonora Junction, you won’t miss much. Here’s where we really begin and where the drive starts to get scenic ✨
FYI There’s very little freecamping in Tahoe – mostly street/stealth parking.
Mono Lake
On your way down Highway 395 you’ll pass through a town called Bridgeport. If you’re a hot springs person you should head right to Travertine Hot Springs. This is a great stopping point if you spent the day in Tahoe, because it’s only about 2 hours from South Lake Tahoe.Free
You can freecamp on the road that leads to the springs.
Bodie is a ghost town about an hour north of Lee Vining (the main town at Mono Lake). The old mining town, which housed an estimated 10,000 people in its gold rush heyday, was abandoned over 100 years ago and is now protected and preserved as a California State Historic Park. $8 per person
Mono Lake is a skull shaped inland salt lake in the high desert. If that sounds strange it’s because it’s strange. The unusually high mineral content of the water has formed alien-looking rock spires that appear to grow out of the lake. Besides being a fascinating geological anomaly, it’s also a very important resource for migrating birds.South Tufa fee area: $3 per person | PARKs PASS VALID
There’s free dispersed camping in Inyo Nat’l Forest on the south side of Mono Lake.
Yosemite
This was a surprise for us: from Lee Vining/Mono Lake you can easily access the back side of Yosemite National Park. It’s a longish drive but we went all the way to the valley one day to poke around. This is California’s most visited park – just think of it as a scenic byway off the scenic byway.$35 per vehicle, rez required In Peak Season | Parks Pass Valid
From Lee Vining all the way to Yosemite Valley is 2 hours without stops, but you get to experience the entire scenic drive through the quieter backcountry of Yosemite. The Valley is a much more developed [touristy] experience than other National Parks but the vistas – especially at Tunnel View – are spectacular and unrivaled.
If you don’t feel like doing the whole Yosemite thing, check out Saddlebag Lake for extraordinary hiking without the National Parks crowds. This area is also dog-friendly whereas dogs cannot hike in Yosemite.
There’s tons of camping on this side of Yosemite, both in the park and just outside. Outside the park, look for campsites on the way to Saddlebag Lake for $14-$19
Mammoth
Back to 395: 15 minutes south of Mono Lake is June Lake, an adorable vacation hideout with wood cabins, several swimming spots and aspen trees. You’re basically on the backside of Yosemite here so it’s beautiful, especially in autumn as the leaves are turning yellow. The downtown area is tiny but perfect.
30 minutes further south on the scenic byway is Mammoth (Mammoth Lakes), a swank mountain town well known for its ski resort. It’s also a picturesque escape from the Southern California summer with the prices to match. But that also means there’s some great food and really gorgeous scenery.
If you head into town and past Mammoth Mountain you get to Devils Postpile National Monument, yet another geological oddity on this incredible road trip. The rock formations at Devils Postpile remind me of Devils Tower in Wyoming with its strange hexagonal-shaped rock columns. HIGH SEASON: SHUTTLE BUS REQUIRED $15 PER PERSON. OFF-SEASON: FREE
There’s a great hike in the park which brings you to a viewing area of Devils Postpile and then on to Rainbow Falls, which you can view from above or take the steep stairs down to the base of the falls. If you want the slightly longer out and back, this AllTrails route continues to Lower Rainbow Falls which is nice for swimming.
Scenic Byway Oddities
The stark change from lush green mountains straight into California’s high desert is almost jarring along this stretch of the scenic byway. Highway 395 acts as the dividing line between these two improbable neighbors with dense forests to your right and sand to your left.
Across the highway from the foresty experience of Mammoth are the desert hot springs of Hot Creek. There are many different pools in the area (both free and paid) including Crab Cooker and Hilltop Hot Springs. Free
There’s ample freecamping in the area around the Hot Creek springs.
Immediately south of Hot Creek is Crowley Lake and one of the most incredible natural places we’ve ever seen. The temple-looking formation with white unicorn horn columns is a bit of a geological mystery. It’s a magical place and a must see on this scenic byway tour. The trek is only ~2 miles but it’s very exposed. Free
The town of Bishop, despite being middle-of-nowhere-ish, is cooler than you’d think. There’s an awesome Bavarian style bakery called Schat’s with stacks of fresh-baked bread in dozens of flavors. We grabbed a quick breakfast sandwich at Great Basin Bakery for the road. This is also where you’ll find the only reasonably priced gas since Nevada.
History buffs need to make a stop 50 miles south of Bishop at Manzanar National Historic Site. In 1942 this abandoned town was rebuilt and turned into an internment camp that held over 10,000 Japanese immigrants and U.S. citizens of Japanese ancestry in one of the darkest periods in US history. Here’s information on Manzanar from NPS. Free
Alabama Hills
Continuing south on Highway 395 is another cute town called Lone Pine, and the entrance to Alabama Hills. This whole area (including Lone Pine and Bishop) is the gateway to the Eastern Sierra with the hospitality and tourism industry that comes along. It’s great!
Importantly, Lone Pine is the main access point to Mt Whitney, the highest peak in the continental US. Which means that you’re looking out at both Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks. Seriously. How amazing is this road trip??
Fun note: Over 400 films and TV episodes have been shot in this part of the Eastern Sierra. In celebration, the Lone Pine Film Festival takes place in early October each year and features a handful of movies and tours of the filming locations. Info on the film festival is here.
One of the more popular recreation areas along the scenic byway is California’s Alabama Hills (not in Alabama). It was a famous freecamping area for years but recent changes have limited the camping to designated spots due to mistreatment by campers. Quick reminder to brush up on your LNT! Free
There’s some good, easy hiking though the giant boulders in Alabama Hills including Lathe Arch, Gunga Din Temple and Mobius Arch Loop Trail. Don’t forget to stop at Nightmare Rock on your way out.
There is designated freecamping in Alabama Hills but spots are fcfs and very popular. If you don’t snag one, try Tuttle Creek Campground, $10 per night.
Ridgecrest
The largest of the Eastern Sierra towns is Ridgecrest/Inyokern but it’s still small (though it does have a regional airport). Our California scenic byway tour technically ends here but if you continue on Highway 395 you’ll drop right into L.A. There are major airports in Los Angeles (3 hrs from Ridgecrest) and Las Vegas (4 hrs from Ridgecrest). If you choose LV you get to continue the road trip through Death Valley.
But before you reach Ridgecrest there’s a great little park called Fossil Falls where you can wander around the black volcanic rocks of a craggy canyon. In the spring, the desert globemallow flowers bloom in a salmon colored frenzy. In the fall the shrubs turn lemon yellow – pretty magical against the charcoal colored rock. Fossil Falls wikipedia explainer here.Free
There’s a very small fcfs campground at Fossil Falls: $6 per night
Directly across Highway 395 from Ridgecrest are several beautiful desert canyons. Short Canyon is a sandy drive, but no 4×4 needed. At the parking area is a quick hike up a hill with great views and wildflowers if you happen to be there in the spring.Free
Indian Wells Canyon is a long, much rougher road that goes by the gorgeous Five Fingers Mountain and though a bunch of joshua trees. This area is all Owens Peak Wilderness and we happened to visit during the 2023 superbloom when the flowers were going crazy. Free
Scenic Byway Bonus Trip
From Ridgecrest California we’re veering off the scenic byway and heading over to Death Valley National Park. Note that there is an entrance to DV north of Ridgecrest but there’s one more little spot off Highway 178 that we would hate for you to miss.
Trona Pinnacles is five miles off the highway down a bumpy dirt road and it’s one of our favorite places ever. We love that this spectacular natural place is lesser-known and off the beaten tourist track. You can roam around the spires and we almost always get a great sunset. BLM info on Trona Pinnacles is here.Free
You can freecamp at Trona Pinnacles, either in the parking lot or on the loop road.
And how could you possible forget to visit Fish Rocks? Free
Death Valley
From Trona Pinnacles, you’ll go through the lime and soda ash mining town of Trona on to Panamint Valley (one valley over from the big one). If you explore any of the dirt roads in this area, look out for the wild burros. A notable stop in this stretch before the park is Ballarat, a funny little ghost town. Free
Finally we head into Death Valley National Park. My favorite factoid about DV is that from Dante’s View, you can see both the lowest point in the US (Badwater Basin – 282′ below sea level) and the highest point in the lower 48 (My Whitney – 14,505′ above sea level) and these two points are only 85 miles apart.$30 per vehicle | Park Pass Valid
Death Valley is huge, and you could spend days exploring. But if you’re driving through you definitely can’t miss Artists Palette Drive, with its iconic rainbow hills, and a stop at Zabriskie Point overlooking the valley from the east plateau.
There’s tons of camping inside DV for various prices and it’s almost never full. Freecamping is available in Panamint Valley outside the west entrance of DV and an abandoned RV park called The Pads outside the east entrance off 190.
If this is the end of the road for you (pun intended) then I really hope you enjoyed our tour of California’s most incredible scenic byway – Highway 395. If you’re headed to Las Vegas airport, it’s about 100 miles away and if you have extra time, scroll to the bottom for our comprehensive list of NPS sites nearby.
California 395 Scenic Byway Itinerary
A week is a great amount of time to explore this magical part of the world. Here’s a suggested itinerary for how to tackle our California Scenic Byway road trip. If you have more or less time, adjust as necessary!
- Day 1: Explore Reno: brunch in MidTown, check out the Riverwalk, Nevada Museum of Art,
- Day 2: Drive up to Lake Tahoe, do a hike or two on the east or south sides, camp overnight at Travertine Hot Springs.
- Day 3: Drive down to Bodie Ghost Town, enjoy South Tufa at Mono Lake, freecamp overnight in Inyo National Forest.
- Day 4: Head into Yosemite Nat’l Park or spend the day at Saddlebag Lake.
- Day 5: June Lake and/or Mammoth Lakes, Crowley Lake in the afternoon when the light is ideal and then camp/soak at the Hot Creek springs.
- Day 6: Bishop for breakfast, Alabama Hills, Fossil Falls and over to Trona Pinnacles
- Day 7: Drive to Death Valley, do a short hike or two, drive Artist’s Palette, then head over to Las Vegas for a flight out.
National Park Geeks Read This
If you’re on a US National Parks bucket list tour, here are all the parks and NPS managed sites along our California Scenic Byway road trip. In case you’re able to extend your trip a couple hundred miles in either direction, I’m also including the NPS sites just north and just south of this route.
*These sites are ordered north to south
- Lava Beds National Monument – 200 miles north of Reno
- Tule Lake National Monument – (across from Lava Beds) 200 miles north of Reno
- Lassen Volcanic National Park – 164 miles northwest of Reno
- Yosemite National Park – backcountry accessible from Eastern Sierra, scenic drive to the Valley takes ~2 hours from Lee Vining/Mono Lake
- Devils Postpile National Monument – accessible through Mammoth Lakes
- Manzanar National Historic Site – between Big Pine and Lone Pine on Hwy 395
- Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks – accessible from Lone Pine but would require a lot of hiking and elevation change, no driving route available
- Death Valley National Park – take either Hwy 190 east or Hwy 178 east through Ridgecrest
- Mojave National Preserve – from the east side of Death Valley, take Hwy 127 south towards Baker
- Castle Mountains National Monument – from Baker head east on Interstate 15 (which leads to Las Vegas)
- Joshua Tree National Park – 140 miles south of Baker, or 230 miles from Las Vegas, or 130 from Los Angeles (depending on which airport you’re using)
This amazing National Park Service webpage is a great resource: All of the NPS managed site in California