Four Jeffery Campground, Eastern Sierra
September 18th – 22nd, 2023 (4 nights)
While looking for somewhere cool to go (as California was experiencing very warm weather), I did a Google search for towns in California with the highest elevations (figuring higher altitudes would mean lower summer temperatures). Jumping out at number 3 on the list (8,500 ft. elevation), the small town of Aspendell (pop. 100) stood out as a great place to go. It’s easy to get to (only a 25 minute drive up into the mountains from Bishop) and has stunning scenery, excellent campgrounds, magnificent hikes with beautiful lakes, trout fishing, boating, horseback riding, and some great places to eat. We had never heard of this location before, but it turned out to be one of our all-time favorite places we have ever visited! We chose to stay at Four Jeffrey Campground.
The drive from our home in Carlsbad, California to Four Jeffrey Campground is about six hours straight. However, we chose to break it up by spending the weekend in Los Angeles with family. It took us about four and a half hours to drive to the campground from Los Angeles. The drive goes up Highway 14 through Mojave and surrounding desert communities and then up Highway 395 past Lone Pine, Independence, Big Pine, and finally to Bishop. We stopped in Lone Pine on the way up to eat lunch at the Alabama Hills Café (the burgers are great as are their homemade pies). https://www.alabamahillscafe.com/ Note: we spent a week camping up in the Alabama Hills on a previous trip which we really enjoyed. We stopped in Bishop for gas and an RV dump (free if you fill up there, otherwise a monetary donation is requested) at Speedway Bishop. From Bishop, it’s about a twenty five minute drive up into the mountains on Highway 168. There are many campgrounds in the area, but the biggest is Four Jeffrey Campground which has water spigots, an RV dump (free if staying at the campground, otherwise $10) as well as flush toilets.
Four Jeffrey Campground is spectacular, featuring stunning views across the Eastern Sierra. There was snow in the mountains even in late September due to the high elevation (Four Jeffrey Campground is at 8,300 feet elevation). We stayed in two campsites alongside Bishop Creek ($30/night, note: America the Beautiful Senior Passes (age 62 or older) are accepted for half priced camping @$15/night) – we were at campsite #10 the first night and then moved over to campsite #8 the next couple of nights. When talking to regulars, we learned campsite #8 is a favorite. There are a couple of campsites right across from campsite #8 which can accommodate large trailers. There’s almost no internet service here (we encountered 1 bar on Verizon in certain areas when walking around the campground). However, there is a short 10 minute hike up a utility service access road across the street from the campground which leads to a spectacular view over the valley and has about 4 bars on Verizon.
We felt like we were in the mountains of Switzerland while camping at Four Jeffrey Campground. The air was crisp and cool (60’s during the day and 30’s/40’s at night). The campground is in a valley surround by high mountains. The evenings were filled with dark skies and brilliant stars (although we were also gifted a dramatic thunder and lightning show one night!). We had fun spending one night outdoors photographing the stars and Milky Way (best seen in dark sky locations during the summer). The South Fork of Bishop Creek runs through the campground and many of the campers brought their fishing rods and reeled in a lot of trout. Everyone seemed very happy here. The campground was not crowded during our stay, but perhaps that was because it was mid-week and the end of the tourist season in the Sierra. It was cold at night and we ran our propane furnace to keep the Scamp warm inside. We had a great hike from the Bishop Pass Trailhead past South Lake up to Long Lake. The trail is clearly marked but somewhat difficult due to rocky and steep terrain. There are many connected lakes and some people tent camp outdoors overnight when hiking to farther areas. It took us a few hours round trip from South Lake to Long Lake and the hike was one of the most scenic hikes we have ever done. The scenery of the lakes and mountains is stunning – seemingly untouched and unknown. After our hike, we went to the Cardinal Café, in the small town of Aspendell, and had a tasty meal. We also had a chance to take a horse / mule ride up to South Lake using the services of Rainbow Pack Outfitters ($100 per person for 2 hour ride at the time of this article). The horses / mules are friendly and the guide was very good at getting us up on the animals and leading us along the trail (even beginners are welcome). Rainbow offers longer trips as well as overnight trips into the backcountry. We had such a great time up in this area of the Sierra, we didn’t want to leave. There are enough activities that one could easily stay a week or longer. And, for those without a travel trailer, Parcher Resort (adjacent to Rainbow Pack Outfitters) has cabins which can be rented.
Instead of driving straight back to San Diego, we stayed overnight at Red Rock Canyon State Park (about halfway to home). We had camped here before and really enjoyed the area. This campground is first come, first serve, but was easy for us to get a choice spot during the week when arriving around noon. We chose site #29 ($25/night), which is one of the best campsites at the base of the bluffs. There is plenty of room between campsites too. There is a water spigot across from site #29. The only cellphone service we found was at the visitor’s center, along with free WiFi, which is about a ¾ mile walk from site #29. There is also a private RV dump across from the visitor’s center ($20). The visitor’s center is stocked with some great souvenir values (we purchased a Red Rocks t-shirt and sweatshirt).
Red Rock Canyon State Park is true to its name, featuring brilliant red bluffs which are especially vibrant at sunrise. There are trails that go up the bluffs, offering spectacular views of the surrounding desert. It was around 85 degrees when we arrived, so we waited until sundown to hike. The wind kicked up in the early evening, but didn’t exceed 30 mph and the gusts were minimal. As we were getting ready to leave the next morning, we were treated to a beautiful sunrise (and the sounds and sights of two large owls perched on the bluffs directly above our Scamp 13’ hooting a friendly hello to start the day)!
We enjoyed this trip so much; we definitely plan to go back. There is an area of free dispersed camping on BLM (Bureau of Land Management) land, called the Buttermilks (between Bishop and Aspendell), which we were told are similar in their unusual rock formations to the Alabama Hills. The Buttermilks access road was closed during our visit so we couldn’t check them out, but we plan to on a future trip! The area acquired its “Buttermilks” name in the 1970’s when a dairy operated here, but the rock formations also look like piles of curdled buttermilk so the name stuck.
In a crown of jewels (camping areas of special parks offered in California), Four Jeffrey Campground and surrounding areas in the Eastern Sierra are hidden gems — few talk about and even fewer experience the magic of this place. Highly recommended for the trip of a lifetime!
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