Eastern Sierra Road Trip

Day 1: LA to Lone Pine

Total drive time for day 1: 3-4 hour

This is a great drive

Morning

Start your morning off with a breakfast burrito and coffee from Groundworks. My favorite location is this one on Rose Ave in Venice, but if you have a different location closer to you, that works too!

Groundwork Coffee Co.

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This spot serves delicious breakfast burritos and coffee.

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Now it’s time to hit the road. You’ll follow the 5 to the 14 until you get to your first stop - Red Rock Canyon State Park.

For the purposes of this trip, hop out at the first parking area, stretch your legs, and take some photos before continuing on your way.

Red Rock Canyon State Park

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This isn’t technically on Hwy 395, but if you’re coming down toward LA, it’s worth a stop. The rock formations are awesome, and the campsites are beautiful if you’re looking for a place to spend the night. They’re all first-come-first-serve, so it’s best to come early, or visit on a weekday.

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Then head up Hwy 14 and merge onto Hwy 395, officially placing you along the Eastern Sierras.

From Red Rock Canyon State Park to Lone Pine is about an hour and a half.

Afternoon

Pick up a sandwich at this local Subway before heading up to the Whitney Portal for your hike.

Subway

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Then head up Whitney Portal Rd. To the Whitney Portal to start your hike to Lone Pine Lake.

Lone Pine Lake

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This lake is located 2 miles up the Mt. Whitney Trail, starting at Whitney Portal. The trail is mostly uphill, but not terribly hard except for the elevation (the lake is at 10,000ft.) It’s a great hike if you’re looking for something that’ll take a couple of hours. Make sure you leave time to enjoy the lake, it’s breathtaking. This hike is a great way to escape the heat of Alabama Hills if you’re camping there in the summer, or an excellent way to stretch your legs if you’re on a long drive day.

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☝️ Tip: Make sure you bring plenty of water!

After the hike, if you have time and are feeling up to it, explore Alabama Hills - if you’re too tired, you can save this for the morning.

Evening

Grab a bite in Lone Pine for dinner. Don’t expect a ton out of the restaurant scene in Lone Pine, but everything tasted better after a hike, right?

Hit the hay

If you want to camp:

Alabama Hills

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This gorgeous area has been used in many a movie, and is home to some of the coolest rock formations you’ll see in California. The whole area is BLM land, so you can camp anywhere you’d like (as long as you’re off the road). Just make sure you leave it better than you found it! Some high points in the area include the Mobius Arch, Movie Road, and Miss Alabama, but the best thing to do in the area is to just explore on your own.

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If you don’t want to camp:

Dow Villa AAA Motel & Historic Hotel

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Like the restaurants, Lone Pine doesn’t have a ton to offer in regards to lodging. This hotel is pretty basic, but it’s clean, and offers glorious views of Mt. Whitney from its porch.

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Day 2: Lone Pine to Mammoth Lakes

Total drive time: about 2 hours

Morning

Wake up early to catch sunrise in Alabama Hills and do some exploring. If you don’t want to get up before the sun, don’t worry, the Hills are still glorious a little bit later in the morning - they’re just extra glorious at sunrise.

If you want to grab a coffee before hand:

Vibras Juice Bar

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Exploring Alabama Hills

Alabama Hills is a giant playground. I mostly recommend driving around and exploring on your own, but here are a couple of high points you can use as reference.

When you’re done exploring Alabama Hills, hop back on the 395 and continue on your way up to Mammoth Lakes. On the way, stop at Erick Schats for some amazing baked goods and food.

Erick Schat's Bakery

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This place is a national treasure. You’ll be mind blown as soon as you walk in. They have every type of baked good you could want, fresh bread, and their sandwiches are to die for - I highly recommend the pastrami.

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Afternoon

Head up the 395 for about another hour. Check out Convict Lake and hike the trail.

Convict Lake

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This Lake is a hidden gem near Mammoth Lakes. There is an easy 2 mile round trip trail that goes around the lake.

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Then head up the 395 even further, bypassing Mammoth Lakes, to explore the June Lake Loop.

June Lake Loop

This drive will most likely take you about an hour, depending on how long you stop at each spot.

Evening

Check in to where you’re staying, or set up camp.

Camping near Mammoth Lakes

If you want to camp:

If you don’t want to camp, Mammoth Lakes has a ton of vacation rentals in the area. Generally, these are better than any of the hotels.

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After you’ve checked into your stay, head to Mammoth Lakes for some dinner.

Dinner in Mammoth Lakes

Mammoth Lakes has a variety of restaurants.

Then head to bed and get excited about tomorrow!

Day 3: Mammoth Lakes to Lake Tahoe

Total drive time: about 3 hours

Morning

☝️Tip: Wake up early to hit Mammoth Hot Springs for a sunrise soak.

I’m recommending this for sunrise because it’s pretty much the only time you can visit them without hitting major crowds. If you don’t want to wake up for sunrise, and they’re too crowded by the time you go, don’t worry, there is another hot spring you can check out later on your drive today.

The Whitmore hot springs area is located about 15 minutes south of Mammoth Lakes. The entire area is considered BLM land. There are a number of hot springs in the area, so feel free to drive around and check out different pools. These are some of my favorites.

For some of them, it’s recommended you have 4x4 or AWD. They tend to get pretty crowded, so I recommend going early for sunrise. Be sure to practice Leave No Trace.

Mammoth Hot Springs

After your soak, I recommend stopping off at the Hot Creek Geological site as well. You can walk down the trail to the site from the parking lot. Make sure you check out the lookout from Bree’s Lookout, just beyond the parking lot.

Hot Creek Geological Site

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You cannot swim in these hot springs because they are scalding hot but they’re super beautiful and worth checking out. The best viewpoint of the hot springs is from Brees Lookout, just beyond the main parking lot.

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After your soak, head back to Mammoth Lakes to change, and then head to breakfast.

The Stove

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This little breakfast spot serves super delicious breakfasts with a Swedish twist. The meals are pretty big and hearty, so it’s the perfect spot to get you started on your day. This place gets pretty busy, so be prepared to wait in line.

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If you are looking for more of a grab and go option for breakfast, check out one of these spots:

Mammoth Lakes Cafes

My favorite grab and go cafes in Mammoth Lakes

Stop 1

Afternoon

Now it’s time to hop back on the 395 and continue on your way up to Lake Tahoe. Check out any and all of these stops along the way…

Stop 1

Mono Lake

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Known for its famous limestone tufa formations, Mono Lake is like no other landscape you’ll see in the area. There is a small fee to get into the area, but if you have a National Parks Pass, that’ll cover it. You can walk up to the lake, or hike around it. Camping is also available.

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Stop 2

Stop 2

Bodie

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Located a little ways off the highway, this historic ghost town is a great little side trip if you’re interested in the history of the area. Bodie was in its peak as a mining town in the late 1800’s when the population was about 10,000 people. It was known for it’s “Wild West” craziness, Reverend F.M. Washington described it as “a sea of sin, lashed by the tempests of lust and passion.” The town isn’t large, but it’s a good idea to carry a physical map while visiting, as you probably won’t have cell service. Tours are offered, or you can feel free to explore on your own.

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Stop 3

Travertine Hot Springs

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Known for its unique limestone rock formations, this hot spring is worth a stop. The pools can get pretty hot, so make sure you test the waters before you get in. You’ll follow a dirt road to the parking area, and from there you can walk to the pools. There are also a set of pools lower on the hill past the main ones that don’t have the limestone formations, but are beautiful all the same.

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Then head up to Tahoe - get checked into your lodging, and enjoy dinner on the Lake!

Riva Grill On the Lake

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Exploring Tahoe

To complete this trip with a few days in Tahoe, check out my Tahoe Itinerary:

A weekend in Tahoe

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