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Gull Lake Campground

Washoe Lake State Park September 19th – September 30th, 2026 (12 nights)

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Washoe Lake State Park
September 19th – September 30th, 2026 (12 nights)

Washoe Lake State Park lies just over the Carson mountain range east of Lake Tahoe in the scenic Washoe Valley (about 45 minutes drive from Nevada Beach Campground at Lake Tahoe).  Nestled between Carson City and Reno, Washoe Valley State Park offers spectactular expansive views of the Carson and Virgina Mountain ranges and features wild mustangs as well as lenticular cloud formations.  We were initially intrigued to visit primarily for the wild horses, but found so many other interesting and fun things to do that we can easily recommend this place as a top travel destination.  If possible, stop ovenright at one or two locations along the way if travelling form Southern California to break up the trip.

Lone Pine Campground (5,900’ elevation)
Lone Pine is about the halfway point between Carlsbad and Reno (located about 4.5 – 5 hours beween the two cities).  Because it was still warm in the area during our visit in late summer, we chose to stay at Lone Pine Campground, which is a couple thousand feet higher in elevation than Lone Pine and, in turn, cooler. Before heading to the campground (easy drive), we stopped in town and had lunch at the Alabama Hills Cafe.  Their crispy chicken wrap is delicious!

Lone Pine Campground is small with only 44 total campsites (odd number sites are first come, first served, thus not seen on the government reservations website).  It’s only about a 12 minute drive up Whitney Portal Road to the campground from the town of Lone Pine below.  There are bathrooms and water spigots (some with threads).  There is no mobile phone service or RV dump station in the campground (the closest dump station is at the Tuttle Creek Campground closer to town).  A phone signal can be had, though, by walking to the top of the campground and out toward the exit road.  We stayed in site #12 ($34/night), a comfortable campsite shaded by an old oak tree across from the host campsite at the upper part of the campground.  Lone Pine Creek runs through this campground, providing relaxing sounds and a cool place to sit or fish.  Looking out at the panoramic views of the Eastern Sierra and jagged peaks, it may feel like you are in Switzerland.  The sights are so amazing here that they are worth the trip even if you do nothing else but sit back in a relaxing chair and take in the scenery.

Note — we swapped out our incandescent bulb tail lights on our Scamp 13′ with LEDs for this trip because they have a longer life and may be brighter.  However, our 2020 Volvo XC40 could not recognize that our our trailer was attached to the tow vehicle when we replaced the incandescent bulbs with LEDs due to the much lower electronic load with LEDs, so many Volvo safety features (such as automatic tail light checks and safety anti-sway functions) no longer worked!  We read that it’s possible to use the LED tail lights in this manner, but load circuits need to be added to make it work properly.  We decided to switch back to our old reliable incandescent bulbs!

Next stop — June Lake Campground — a two hour drive north on the US Route 395.

June Lake Campground (7,600’ elevation)
Located in the small town of June Lake, this campground is the closest public campground to town (an easy 5 minute walk).  There are 28 campsites here and each has a bear locker (there’s no RV dumpstation here, but there is good Verizon mobile phone coverage).  The campground lacks proper site location signs, so it may take a little while to find your campsite.  We had campsite #18 ($32/night) which sits close to a threaded water spigot and is a nice spacious campsite.  We walked into town and had great homemade, small batch ice cream at Local Scoop (which also has stores in Mammoth Lakes and Bishop).  Note — in retrospect, we preferred staying at nearby Gull Lake Campground right on Gull Lake as it has a nicer feel than this campground, in our opinion).

Our friend Rob told us about an interesting place to eat attached to a Mobile Gas Station, called the Whoa Nelly Deli in Lee Vining (on the way to our next campground, Washoe Lake State Park Campground).  It’s only about a 15 minute drive north from June Lake.  At first we thought he was joking as we typically don’t associate good food with gas stations.  However, it has become a famous restaurant (started in 1996 by the owners of the Tioga Gas Mart) offering a more elevated food experience to travellers.  It’s located at the bottom of the Tioga Pass (intersection of the 395 and Tioga Road).  Make a left on Tioga Road coming from June Lake on the 395 North (in the direction of Tuolumne Meadows) and it’s off to the left about a block up Tioga Road.  There’s plenty of parking, even for  RVs.  We ordered their signature dish “World Famous Fish Tacos” ($20), in addition to crispy fries and carrot cake:  we really enjoyed the meal!  One taco dish was plenty for two people.  They offer indoor and outdoor seating, but their outside park-like setting with picnic tables has a spectacular view of Mono Lake and is a great place to enjoy lunch.

Washoe Lake State Park Campground, Nevada (5,053′ elevation)
The drive from June Lake to Washoe Lake State Park takes about three hours. We used the free dump station at the entrance before setting up at our campsite #17 ($30/night for non Nevada residents) in the A loop.  The A loop has water and electricity hookups at each campsite.  The B loop is dry with water spigots distributed throughout the campground ($20/night for non Nevada residents).  All the campsites are very spacious and have picnic tables with private ramadas.  Site #17 has a direct lake view.  There is good 5G Verizon mobile phone coverage here.

The late September weather during our stay was incredible — pleasant, mostly sunny, windy days and cool nights.  The park is framed by the Sierra Nevada, Carson, and Virginia mountain ranges.  These ranges provide a spectacular backdrop for the campground which sits in the Washoe Valley along the shores of the natural Washoe Lake.  The scenic beauty of the landscape is perhaps the most impactful part of the experience of staying in the campground.  Brilliant sunrises and sunsets burst with oranges and other warm hues as the sun rises and sets behind the mountain ranges on each side.  The Washoe Zephyr winds are powerful and predictable afternoon winds that sweep through the valley, sometimes lasting into the night and providing a soundtrack with which to fall asleep.  The Washoe Valley is also one of the best places in the world to view lenticular clouds, due to the Sierra Nevada mountains, which create the strong wave-like wind patterns necessary to make smooth saucer like disks that frequently mimic the appearance of flying saucers due to their round cylindrical edges.

One of the main reasons for our week long trip to Washoe Lake State Park Campground (maximum stay is 7 nights) was to see the wild mustangs.  The Virginia Range is famous for its population of free-roaming wild horses.  They often come down from the mountains into the state park to graze in the wetlands and meadows and to drink from the fresh lake.  On our first day here, we saw a heard of seven wild mustangs and one of them ran right up to us and stopped just short to say “hello” and “do you have any treats?”  People must be at times feeding the horses since they seem quite accustomed to people.  There are notices not to feed the mustangs as they can get sick if they eat anything other than their local diet of grass and sage brush.  Also, the windy air here at Washoe Lake State Park is filled with smell of sage, since it seems as if 99% of the vegetation is in the sage family.  We greatly enjoyed observing the mustangs and they didn’t mind our presence or having their photo taken or did they ever behave aggressively toward us.  We were lucky to have seen a heard almost everyday during our visit.

There are a lot of other fun activities at Washoe Lake State Park Campground.  There’s an 18 hold disc golf course along the lake, known as “The Maze” as well as a variety of scenic trails along the scrublands, lake, and hills surrounding the lake.  One popular climb is “Dead Mans Creek Trail” — providing a panoramic view over Washoe Lake.  There is kite surfing on the lake as well as kayaking and fishing.  The lake is stocked with a variety of fish.  And paragliders sometimes fly over Slide Mountain to land near the lake.

If spending a number of days at the campground like we did, it’s also fun to visit the nearby cities of Carson City and Reno.  Carson City is the state capitol of Nevada and it’s only a fifteen minute drive from the campground.  We had nice lunches at Eve’s Eatery (American) and The Basil (Thai) and enjoyed taking a walking city tour on our own.  We walked by the Governor’s Mansion and also enjoyed great ice cream at Scoups Ice Cream.  We were able to get inside the Nevada state capitol and viewed several rooms, including the Nevada Supreme Court, as well as the capitol government museum.  Reno is a much bigger city with lots of restaurants as well as casinos and airport and is about thirty minutes away from the campground.

We had to the opportunity to go to the well-run Carson City Farmers Market on its last Saturday of the season (September 26th).  The market runs seasonally from the end of May until the end of September (check their website for details).  The market is open on Saturdays from 8:30 a.m. – 1 p.m. at Mills Park, with plenty of parking.  Vendors sell all sorts of fresh produce and farm products, such as fruits, vegetables, flowers, eggs, and honey as well as locally crafted items (e.g. wood cutting boards, owl/bee/bat boxes, etc.).  We purchased a dozen organic pasture-raised eggs ($10) and a pound of local raw honey ($13).  There are also food vendors at the market.  We shared a delicious chicken tikki masala pie ($14) and a slice of fresh apple caramel pie ($6) from Silver State Pie Company.  The longest lines were seen at the bakery/pastry booths, as people waited patiently sipping their hot drinks from the coffee/tea vendor. If you are in town during at the right season, we highly recommend visiting the Carson City Farmers Market: it won’t disappoint!

Lower Twin Lake Campground, Bridgeport (7,000′ elevation)
The drive from Washoe Lake State Park to Lower Twin Lake Campground (outside of Bridgeport, CA) takes about two hours down Highway 395. We used the free dump station at the entrance before departing Washoe Lake State Park Campground.  We made sure to fill up for gas at the last gas stop in Nevada (the Chevron station at Topaz Lake) to receive highly discounted gas prices compared to California.

The route to Lower Twin Lake Campground is a short drive through farm fields filled with cows and up a gentle mountain grade.  The campground is first come first served at this time of year and there are only 14 campsites (with choice sites along the creek, #1-5).  When we arrived early Monday afternoon there were only a couple of campsites available.  Fortunately, one of the choice creek campsites (#5) was open for us (our 2020 Scamp 13′ with Volvo XC 40 just fit into the campsite, as this campsite is a short one!).  Campsites here are currently $34/night or $17/night if you have an America the Beautiful senior pass, since we’re on National Forest land.  There is no mobile phone service or RV dump station, but there are scattered water spigots.  The creek runs directly behind the campsites.  The Lower Twin Lake is a short walk up the road and is a beautiful place to relax, fish, or have a picnic.  We spoke to the host and she said that this campground is extremely difficult to make reservations during the summer season as it is very popular and there are not many campsites.  Fortunately, there’s another campground directly across the street called Crags Campground (split into the Sawtooth Loop and the Matterhorn Loop).  This campground is larger and the sites are spread out over a big open area with dramatic scenic mountain views (sites are $30/night or $15/night with a pass).  There are also 2x (fits 2 trailers / $50/night) and 3x (fits 3 trailers / $65/night) sites for those who want to share a campsite with friends.

There is plenty to do at the campground, including fishing, boating, swimming, and hiking.  And, if you want some variety, it’s a short 10 minute drive down into the cute old-fashioned town of Bridgeport where there’s unique shopping as well as eateries.  We enjoyed a great hamburger at the Burger Barn and had a delicious piece of cherry pie a la mode at the historic Bridgeport Inn dining  room.  The Brideport Inn, established in 1877, is reportedly haunted by the White Lady Ghost, in room 16.  We did not see her during our visit, nor had our restaurant server who has worked at the inn for the past ten years ever seen her.  We toured the town on foot and walked through the old 1800’s jail and viewed the court house.  Make sure to check out the High Sierra Bakery when in town, famous for their apple fritters (Note: their hours fluctuate and they close earlier on Mondays, when we had stopped by).

Tuttle Creek Campground, Lone Pine (5,000′ elevation)
The drive from Lower Twin Lake Campground to Tuttle Creek Campground takes about three hours down Highway 395.  The weather turned cooler toward the end of our trip in late September and as we drove toward Lone Pine we could see there were recent snow storms at higher elevations with mountain peaks now blanketed in snow.  We checked the report on our way down from Bridgeport and were happy to hear it was only around 80 degrees in Lone Pine.  This meant we could try out Tuttle Creek Campground which is lower in elevation than the campgrounds in which we usually stay around Lone Pine.

Tuttle Creek Campground is first come first served, and is a very large, sprawling area with 83 RV and tent sites.  So, we weren’t too concerned about being able to get a spot.  As it turned out, we were successfull at getting one of our top picks, campsite #8, which backs up against the creek.  There’s not much shade at Tuttle Creek and it can get very windy (as it was during our visit) — but, if the weather isn’t too hot, then it’s reallly nice to open up the front door and all the windows and allow the breezes to blow through the camper!  There’s a newly installed electronic payment machine at the entrance to the campground (which is only a short drive up Whitney Portal Road from town).  Select your campsite and park first, then come down to the kiosk and enter the campsite number and pay.  The machine prints out a parking pass to display in your car window.  Campsites here are $12/night or $6/night with an America the Beautiful Senior Pass, as this area in on BLM land.  There is an RV dumpstation (currently $12) as well as water spigots (both closed during the winter, but the campground stays open).

Some nice things about this campground are stunning panoramic views of Mt. Whitney and the surrounding Sierra Nevada mountains, close proximity to town for shopping and eating, and good Verizon mobile phone coverage.  Hiking and rock climbing are close by in the Alabama Hills.  Or, if you don’t want to leave your campsite, take in the dramatic mountain views and stargaze at night as the sky is very dark.

Final Thoughts
We generally spend only a few nights or less at each of our campsground stops.  We usually feel like we get a good impression of each area after a couple days and, since there’s so much to see, we like to keep moving.  However, on this trip, we made it a point to spend 7 nights (the maximum stay allowed) at Washoe Lake State Park Campground in northern Nevada to ensure we could fully appreciate the environment.  This strategy really paid off on this trip as each day brought new wonders and surprises that we wouldn’t have experienced in a two night stay.

We saw a stormy bright red cloudy sunset sky on our first night.  We encountered the famous wild Virginia range mustangs on multiple days at different times of day and in different locations.  And, on one early morning at sunrise, two exceptional lenticular cloud formations appeared above our Scamp 13′ — a meteor hurtling straight down on us and a UFO hovering above (see report images).  [We learned that the Washoe Valley is one of the best places on Earth to witness lenticular cloud formations!]  And, since we had a number of days to explore, we were able to visit both Reno (30 minutes drive from the campground) and Carson City (15 minutes drive).  Some highlights were attending the last Carson City farmer’s market of the season, touring old Carson City on foot (and even viewing inside the Nevada State Capitol building) and walking in front of the Governor’s Mansion.

On the last days of our trip, the feeling of summer was over.  Fall had settled in and the colors of changing leaves were on full display.  And driving through the freshly snow capped mountains felt like fall may be short lived making way for some early big winter storms in the Eastern Sierra.  It was time for us to go home.

We highly recommend a visit to Washoe Lake State Park campground and also taking time for interesting stops along the way.  And, as we learned, sometimes it’s ok to stay for a while and appreciate the beauty of the present moment.  As legendary golfer Walter Hagen once said, “You’re only here for a short visit.  Don’t hurry.  Don’t worry.  And be sure to smell the flowers along the way.”

 

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High Altitude Spring Expedition 

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High Altitude Spring Expedition
May 31st – June 18th, 2026 (17 nights)

Almost a year has gone by since our fantastic Fourth of July Lake Tahoe trip last summer and, it was so great, we thought it was worth repeating.  This time we planned it to be even bigger and better, although not during the 4th of July weekend.  We’ve introduced some new locations and new campgrounds and extended our stay time at Lake Tahoe.   Additionally, we shortened some of the drive time by taking Highway 395 (which we typically avoid during the summer due to high temperatures in parts) and strategically chose a couple of campgrounds which are known to be beautiful and typically “not too hot” during spring and summer.

Whitney Portal Campground (8,300’ elevation)
This campground is only about twenty minutes up Whitney Portal Road from the quaint town of Lone Pine.  But, to get here, one must drive the treacherous steep mountain road which climbs over five thousand feet from Lone Pine to the base of Mt. Whitney.  It serves as the base camp for climbers hiking Mt. Whitney (the highest mountain in the continental US at a height of over 14,000 feet).  Due to the campground’s elevation (at around 8,300 feet), it is usually about 20 to 30 degrees cooler than campgrounds surrounding Lone Pine (at about 3,000 feet elevation).  On this trip, it was in the upper 80’s when we arrived in Lone Pine and enjoyed lunch at the popular Alabama Hills Cafe, but only in the 60’s when we arrived at our campsite at Whitney Portal Campground.  This makes summer camping possible in the high desert Lone Pine area in the warmer months.  Note:  we greatly enjoyed staying in the famous Alabama Hills (free dispersed camping right outside the town of Lone Pine) on a past trip, but it’s too hot there this time of year.

The Whitney Portal area is absolutely stunning with magnificent sheer granite cliffs standing thousands of feet in all directions above the campground.  The area feels very similar to Yosemite, which is about 155 miles away by road.  The Jon Muir Trail connects the two areas via a 211 mile trail.

Whitney Portal Campground is a small USDA Forest Service campground with 43 campsites.  Lone Pine Creek runs right through the middle of the campground, which makes it nice to fall asleep to the soothing sounds of rushing water.  Most of the campsites ($34/night or $17/night with a Lifetime Senior Pass) are small, so it’s important to check the pad length when making reservations on recreation.gov. (although even on the reservation website it may be hard to tell the exact length).  We walked the campground and our favorite site (which we think will fit our Scamp 13′  and Volvo XC40 tow vehicle) is campsite #28 due to partial shade / partial sun and magnificent views of the granite mountains which loom thousands of feet above the campground.  We had campsite #17 on this trip, which is a nice shaded campsite within the pines (pad length about 28′).  There is a water spigot close by this campsite and, with the host’s permission, we connected our three water hoses to connect this spigot to the Scamp.  There are no dump stations or electrical hookups.  Verizon mobile service is poor here — we were able to get one bar (enough for texts without images).  We were able to use our Starlink Mini dish, but even this wasn’t optimal as the campground is heavily forested with pine trees.  Even still, the Starlink speeds were fast when positioned flat looking straight up.

This campground is an active bear area, so all food and scented items should be stored in the metal bear box at each campsite.  We were told it was probably ok to keep toothpaste and shampoo in our Scamp as well as items in the refrigerator.  The host told us he’s been working at this campground for the past six years and has seen car windows smashed, car doors opened, and other bear vandalism (but never a bear attacking a person).  He said the black bears here are like racoons and generally avoid direct confrontations with campers.  He did also say the bears are opportunistic and will swoop in when people aren’t watching and grab food or a backpack.  The first night we were here we were told a bear stole a climber’s backpack in the middle of the night.  The host told us the bears only come out at night here.  Currently there is a mama black bear and two cubs that like to frequent this campground during the middle of the night.  The host told us that sometimes a bear might stand on their hind legs and put its paws on the side of a camper and shake it.

Plan to take it easy on the first day or two as the campground is at high elevation (around 8,300 feet) and altitude sickness may be possible (this sickness has no correlation with fitness levels).  The campground is beautiful, nestled within the pines, and a river rushing through it:  a great place to set up chairs and/or hammocks to laze away the afternoons.

There are lots of hiking opportunities right from the campground, even if one isn’t hiking Mt. Whitney.  One of the popular hikes is the Meyson Lake Trail, with the first lake being about 5 steep miles up from the campground.  It’s a highly demanding 11.5 mile out-and-back “acclimation” hike used to prep for hiking Mt. Whitney.  The trail climbs over 4,000 feet of elevation to a stunning alpine lake, offering gorgeous Eastern Sierra views.  Campers can also take the campground hike to the Whitney Portal Store & Grill, yum!  The trail to the store/grill is steep with plenty of obstacles, so a good alternative is to walk the main road or drive up to the Whitney Portal Store & Grill (which is located right next to the Mt. Whitney trailhead).  We enjoyed a couple of meals here — 1) a breakfast which included their “World Famous” giant pancake (cake-like delicious and about 14″ in diameter), easily feeding four people, and 2)  great burgers for lunch.

Gull Lake Campground (7,600’ elevation)
We had several things to do and stops to make before checking in at the Gull Lake Campground (right on the shores of beautiful Gull Lake, near the quaint town of June Lake).  We filled our Scamp’s fresh tank before leaving Whitney Portal Campground, stopped for gas at Fort Impendence, and shopped at the well-stocked Manor Market in Bishop for more essentials.  Lastly, we stopped at the “hard-to-find but free” dump station at Convict Lake (on the left side when climbing the hill towards the campground and right before the campground starts).

Gull Lake Campground (USDA Forest Service, elevation 7,600 feet) sits next to small picturesque Gull Lake within walking distance to the little town of June Lake.  This area is aptly named “The Switzerland of California” for it’s beautiful alpine lakes, meadows and snowcapped granite peaks.  Seagulls can regularly be seen flying along the shores, thus its name.  There are 11 campsites ($32/night or $16/night with a Lifetime Senior Pass)  and a number of them are directly on the lake (our lake front favorites – #7, #9, #10, and #11) .  There are no hookups or central dump stations.  There are water spigots (painted blue).  Verizon mobile phone service was good during our stay.  We had campsite #10 which even has it’s own small boat launch!  Note — because there are only a small number of campsites here, it’s difficult to get a good one.  We were only able to reserve one adjacent to the main road, but we saw a “See Host’ sign on a great river adjacent site (#10) and we asked the host and she switched us!

There are lots of fun activities to do at the campground including hiking, paddleboarding, fishing, and boating.  There are a couple of trails here — one goes around the lake (about an hour walk) and the other trail heads into town (5 – 20 minutes).  The Gull Lake Loop is an easy, mostly flat nature trail with spectacular alpine and mountain views.  If walking into town, make sure to try some of the delicious gourmet meat and fruit pies at Pinos Pies.  Kayaks, paddleboards, and pontoon boats can be rented at the marina (47 E. Granite Avenue — short walk from the campground).

Fallen Leaf Lake Campground (6,342’ elevation)
We  stayed at this beloved “bear country” campground last year and came back to visit our friends Kat & Dave, who we met last summer at Nevada Beach Campground (and attempt to see a bear this time).  Our friends have incredible knowledge of life on the road with a travel trailer as they spend most of the year in their Airstream at campgrounds.  On this trip we were able to get a campsite (#80, $47/night or 1/2 off with a Lifetime Senior Pass) right next to theirs.  There’s a central RV dump (currently $10).  There was little to no Verizon mobile phone service at our campsite but we used our Starlink mini satellite dish (pointing straight up as trees surround our campsite) for fast internet and phone calls.  There are water spigots throughout the campground.

Fallen Leaf Lake is a beautiful small lake adjacent to South Lake Tahoe.  Our campsite is within an easy walk to the lake.  Campers can swim (cold water), stand up paddle board, kayak, and fish on Fallen Leaf Lake.  There’s a nature center close by and bald eagles are sometimes seen.  There are many bike paths that wind along Lake Tahoe’s beaches.  Having a bike is a fun way to wander through the campground and along the lake. There’s a large private campground next door, called Camp Richardson, which has a very popular ice cream shop.  Last summer a bear broke into this shop and was found behind the counter eating all of the strawberry ice cream.

Camping at Fallen Leaf Lake has at some campsites become synonymous with “almost for sure” bear encounters.  It’s common to hear campers banging pots and pans and blowing air horns to scare bears away during mealtimes.  Food is required to be in the bear box at each campsite.  We had a close encounter of the bear-kind while staying here on this trip!  The female black bear was very large and walked toward us while grazing on shrubs and berries on the outer perimeter of the campground.  We kept some distance, making sure not to startle her.  The bear looked at us calmy and continued foraging.  Currently there are no grizzly bears (AKA brown bears) in California.  However, a California senator currently wants to reintroduce them because the grizzly is on the state flag, but this would make bear encounters and camping much more dangerous, as grizzly bears are regarded as much more aggressive than black bears (and they can be much larger).  Note:  Bear types can’t be accurately identified by color, as black bears can be many colors (including brown or cinnamon like the one we saw).  The way to identify the difference between a brown and black bear is by anatomy (grizzlies have smaller ears, wider faces, and large humps on their backs).

Sugar Pine Point State Park Campground (6,229’ elevation)
About 30 minutes north of Fallen Leaf Lake, Sugar Pine Point State Park Campground is the largest state park campground in the Tahoe area.  The park has about 2 miles of coastline on Lake Tahoe’s west shore and spans 2,339 acres with a primeval forest, sandy beaches, and the historic Hellman-Ehrman Mansion.  It is located about 10 miles south of Tahoe City.  The area (then owned by the Ehrman family) hosted the cross-country ski and biathlon events for the 1960 Winter Olympics.  The legacy continues at the park as the biathlon and cross-country courses were built within the current campground area.  About 15 kilometers (about 25%) of the original 1960 Olympic Nordic trails have been restored for hiking, biking, and cross-country skiing.  The campground is one of the only California state parks in the Sierra Nevada to allow winter camping.

This is now one of our all-time favorite campgrounds.  We love it because the campground is positioned in a pristine forest on Lake Tahoe’s beautiful West Shore within easy reach to many area highlights by bike (accessible by taking the West Shore Bike Trail).  One can even ride the bike trail to Tahoe City (about 10 miles north).  There are a myriad of enjoyable hiking trails within the campground’s forest and beautiful beaches within walking distance.  There’s a free RV dump station when driving into the park.  The Verizon mobile phone reception during our visit was adequate (about 2 bars).  We had campsite #131 ($35/night) which is a good one and the park is very spread out so it doesn’t feel crowded (despite its 175 campsites).  There are water spigots throughout the campground.  We found this campground much more accessible (e.g. easier to make reservations) compared to some area local area favorites, like Nevada Beach Campground (which was recently rated by the popular RV camping website, The Dyrt, as the most difficult campground to get reservations at in the entire country!).

We took a drive north to Tahoe City (about 20 minutes by car) and spent the day checking out shops, museums, and restaurants.  Tahoe City feels like a very nice upscale village which sits right above the water.  There are a couple of malls (Cobblestone Center and Boatworks at Lake Tahoe) which have boutique shops and restaurants which are worth a visit (including a chocolate shop specializing in home made chocolates).  We had a fantastic lunch at Mountain Slice Pizzeria and Creamery, which included a crunchy thin crust pizza featuring truffles and onions, and for dessert homemade mud pie and banana chocolate chip cream.

On our last day at the campground, we toured the historic Hellman-Ehrman Mansion ($15/person at the time of our visit).  It was sold to the park by the Hellman-Ehrman family in 1965.  The family completed the building of the estate (also known as Pine Lodge) in 1903.  The Mansion is over 11,000 square feet and sits on a hill looking down on Lake Tahoe’s west shore.  This historic summer home features Craftsman architecture, extensive use of local pine, and a massive two story fireplace as well as modern indoor plumbing and electric lights.  The tour takes about 50 minutes and is very historically interesting (how American elite families vacationed in the early 1900s).

Nevada Beach Campground (6,100’ elevation)
Nevada Beach Campground was named in 2024 by the popular online camping website The Dyrt as the hardest campground at which to get a reservation in the entire country!  To learn more about how we secured a reservation, click here.

We stayed at campsite #11 ($47/night, 50% off with a Lifetime Senior Pass) for five nights.  It’s a prime campsite with a lake view and a short walk to the lake.  There is good Verizon mobile internet as well as water within the campground (threaded water spigot near the bathroom). There’s no RV dump station here, but there is one a few minutes down the road at Zephyr Cove Resort ($10).  We did notice many people using outdoor showers within the campground so as not to fill up their grey tanks.  A ranger I asked said this is OK as long as biodegradable soap / shampoo is used (since the shower water falls directly onto the ground).

This is one of the most beautiful campgrounds we’ve ever been too – the combination of striking views of Lake Tahoe with dramatic snowcapped mountains in the background and awe-inspiring trails through meadows and pine filled forests is amazing.  And, the beach is very beautiful.  Dogs are even welcome on part of the beach!  With only 54 campsites the campground never feels crowded.  Definitely bring your bike (our new rack worked out really well) as there are fantastic paved paths through wonderful pines to enjoy. Walking is fine too if you don’t ride.  You can even ride your bike or drive into town and do some shopping at The Shops at Heavenly Village.

Looking across the lake, one can usually spot the snow high up on a peak in the shape of a “T” on the mountain (Mt. Tallac).  The “T” on Mt. Tallac is a cross shaped snow formation visible in spring and summer associated with interesting folklore, particularly among the Washoe people.  The Washoe people considered Mt. Tallac sacred.  One legend says that if the snow melts out of the cross completely then a harsh winter will be coming to Lake Tahoe.  This natural phenomenon is particularly famous because it was used as the backdrop for the opening sequence of the classic TV show Bonanza (aired 1959 – 1973); the specific location where the opening sequence was filmed was Nevada Beach!

Mammoth Lakes (7,800’ elevation)
Mammoth Lakes, located seven hours north of San Diego by car, is an outdoors playground high up in the Eastern Sierra (almost 8,000 feet above sea level).  During the winter and spring, there is fantastic skiing/snowboarding at the world famous Mammoth Mountain ski area as well as opportunities for cross country skiing, snowmobiling, snowshoeing and sledding nearby.  Spring, summer, and fall allow for camping, hiking, mountain biking, fishing, horseback riding, canoeing, paddle boarding, as well as many more activities (such as leaf peeping when the leaves change colors to vibrant yellows and oranges in the fall)!  Click here to see our fall leaf peeping adventure!).

This was our second stay in town at New Shady Rest Campground (note – there is also Old Shady Rest Campground right next store).  New and Old Shady Rest campgrounds are run by the Inyo National Forest service.  The campground is right in the middle of all the great things Mammoth Lakes as to offer, so it makes for an excellent location for exploring.  There are no hookups at this campground, but there are water spigots and central dump station ($12). We reserved site #158 ($32/night, half price with a Lifetime Senior Pass) which is very spacious and at the top of a hill.  We received two bars of Verizon mobile phone service.  There is a water spigot close by and the spigots are threaded:  so, we were able to use our hoses to pump the water to our trailer, instead of having to use our dolly.

New Shady Rest Campground is within the town center of Mammoth Lakes and the 7.8 mile paved Town Loop bike path is right at the campground as well.  The Mammoth Lakes Welcome Center is walking distance and offers a lot of information on things to do (including trolley maps) as well a nice tourist shop.  We brought our mountain bikes (hitched to the back of our Scamp 13’) and enjoyed riding from the campground through town as well as on the paved Town Loop bike path.  The path leads high up above town and offers spectacular views of the Eastern Sierra (still snowcapped in mid-June).  We road our bikes to the Warming Hut restaurant one day for lunch and enjoyed some great meals!  There’s also a nice mostly flat paved trail that goes from the campground through a Jeffrey Pine forest to Shady Rest Park (about 1 mile each way).  We enjoyed walking this path every day during our stay.  The smells of the pines are wonderful.  Although we were warned about bears, we never saw any.  The last bear seen in the campground was a day before our arrival.  The black bears are mostly regarded as a nuisance in the campground by foraging for food, but are rarely aggressive towards people.

Mammoth Lakes has an excellent free trolley system which traverses all over town as well as to the lakes.  Some of the trolleys even look like the old fashioned bright red trolleys with open sides!  Each trolley route is designated with a color, so it’s important to get a map at the Mammoth Lakes Welcome Center (or view online) to determine which colored route is the right one for your destination.  Some of the trolleys even have bike racks, so you can bring your bike with you.  The trolley stop right up the street from the campground is designated #12.  We found most of the trolleys, regardless of colored route, go to The Village, where one can catch the Lake Basins trolley to the lakes.  The Village is designed like a posh European alps village and has various stores and eateries.  We had fun taking the trolley up to the lakes and hiking the Panorama Dome, which features spectacular views of the mountains, Twin Lakes, and waterfalls.  We also took the trolley to the last stop and enjoyed a picnic lunch on beautiful Horseshoe Lake.

Although we only stayed three days in Mammoth Lakes, there are so many fun things to do, that one could easily spend a couple of weeks here and not get bored.  In the late spring, there is great biking, fishing, hiking, boating, shopping, restaurants … to try.  Don’t forget about taking the shuttle to the Devils Postpile National Monument and hiking to Rainbow Falls.  And, Yosemite is less than an hour’s drive away!  We also found it very relaxing sitting in a comfortable chair at the campsite and watch the puffy white clouds pass high above the tall Jeffrey pines.  Whatever, you choose to do, make sure to get outdoors, inhale the fresh air, and wonder at the beautiful natural surrounds.  The sign at the entrance of town has it right as it says, “The mountains are calling, … John Muir”.

Big Pine Creek Campground (7,700’ elevation)
The last stop on our way home was Big Pine Creek Campground, which is accessed via a steep high mountain road with plenty of switchbacks, climbing around four thousand feet from the town of Big Pine, which sits on the desert floor of the Owens Valley.   It was 96 degrees in Big Pine when we started our ascent up the windy mountain road to the campground.  When we reached the campground the weather was in the upper 70’s and much more comfortable.

There are many similarities with this campground and Whitney Portal Campground.  Both campgrounds are located high up a mountain above towns which sit along the desert floor.  And both campgrounds are surrounded by stunning snow-topped granite mountains which are perched thousands of feet above them. Additionally, both campgrounds are small, limited space USDA Forest Service campgrounds with roaring creeks running through them.

Big Pine Creek Campground only has 30 campsites ($26/night or half off with a Lifetime Senior Pass), which are nestled along Big Pine Creek.  Like all the other campgrounds we stayed at on this trip, all food must be stored at the bear box at your campsite.  Although this is listed as an active bear area, we didn’t see any bears.  During our visit in mid-June, the creek was moderately full, flowing rapidly, with the sound of rushing water creating a relaxing atmosphere.  We had campsite #25 which is nicely shaded but very difficult to pull into (very narrow campground road and obstacles like rocks and trees on each side of the road and campsite).  Our favorite sites are #21, #22, and #24 which are situated along the creek and would all likely be able to accommodate our Scamp 13′ and Volvo XC40 tow vehicle.  Campsite #30 isn’t right next to the creek but is close and scenic.

Because there are few amenities here (only trash receptacles), make sure to bring plenty of water and dump your trailer before arriving.  Bring solar panels if your “travel trailer house batteries” don’t have plenty of capacity for a couple of days (e.g. lead acid batteries).  The water spigots at the campground are not functioning.  We made sure our Scamp 13′ had a full fresh tank before leaving Mammoth Lakes (and we also filled two 6-gallon jugs) and we dumped at Convict Lake dump station before arriving.  Bring your Starlink Mini if you want internet and mobile communications (there is no mobile carrier service here up in the mountains).  We received fast Starlink speeds at our campsite by pointing our dish straight up (in the North direction).

Next door to the campground is the private Glacier Lodge, which is a tiny store with a sometimes operating small grill and also rents cabins.  We asked about a meal during our visit and were told they ran out of food over the weekend.  They said they sometimes also have outside BBQs on the weekends.  The Glacier Lodge Trailer Park is an RV area on terraced dirt pads ($55/night) next to the lodge which have water and electricity.  Unless you need these hookups, the Big Pine Creek Campground next door is much greener with well-spaced campsites by the river (at less than half the price).

Campers here come to enjoy 1) fishing for trout from the North Fork of Big Pine Creek, which runs through the campground, 2) hiking spectacular mountain trails, and 3) relaxing by the creek on its private beaches.  We saw many families with children who seemed to also enjoy fishing at the The Trout Pond next to Glacier Lodge.  The hiking here is phenomenal as the area is a launching point for the John Muir Wilderness, which is tucked into a massive alpine bowl directly below a wall of majestic 14,000 foot snow capped peaks.  The Palisade Glacier which sets the backdrop for the campground is the largest glacier in the Sierra Nevada and the southernmost perennial glacier (the farthest south a block of land ice can exist while surviving the summer without completely melting) in North America.

The hiking route of most interest here, the North Fork Big Pine Creek Trail, is the one that goes up to Lakes 1 through 7.  These alpine lakes are collectively known as the Big Pine Lakes.  It’s an out-and-back trail which is about 14 miles round trip.  It’s rated as a challenging hike, with altitude gain of about 4,000 feet of elevation.  The lakes are famous for the turquoise blue-green waters and the trail features spectacuar alpine scenery.  Lakes 1 and 3 are directly fed by the melting waters of the Palisade Glacier.  As the glacier grinds down the mountain, it creates super-fine rock powder called “glacial flour” or “rock flour”.  This flour stays suspended in the water and scatters sunlight, producing a stunning, milky turquoise color (most intense during late summer and early fall).  Since Lake 7 receives mostly normal snowmelt and fresh rainwater it looks like a classic, clear Sierra lake (dark blue, emerald, or deep forest green depending on the sky and surrounding trees).  Allow a full day for a hike up to Lakes 1 – 3 (13 miles round trip, about 7 to 9 hours).  We didn’t have time to complete the full hike on this trip, but we plan to come back to reach the lakes!

Final Thoughts
This trip was definitely filled with unusual travel adventures and exciting times.  Being prepared through extensive planning and having the right gear made our travels flow smoothly.  Although weather can be hard to predict, scheduling this adventure in early June and picking campsite locations strategically resulted in optimum conditions (not too hot or cold).  We were able to make a direct path up Hwy 395 through the high desert, choosing high altitude locations along the way for lower temperatures (e.g. Whitney Portal Campground above Lone Pine and Big Pine Creek Campground above Big Pine).  This strategy allowed us to traverse the hot Owens Valley while staying cool (and still being in beautiful locations!).

Careful equipment choices also made things easy on this journey.  1)  The new epoxy coated magnets we substituted for the old steel ones work much better by preventing corrosion in the shower (used for holding down the shower curtains in the Scamp 13’s wet bath).  2)  Having two propane tanks allowed us to stay warm at night throughout the trip where average nightime temperatures were in the 40’s and the Scamp 13’s furnace and hot water heater kept us comfortable.  Two tanks allowed us to refill one at Lake Tahoe when it was empty while the other was in use.  And the new propane regulator we recently installed automatically switches between tanks when one runs out.  We ended up using over two full tanks of propane on this trip, which is a record for us.  3)  Although we packed rain gear (e.g. water proof rain pant shells, waterproof jackets), we never needed it (although it’s always good to be prepared; it snowed in Lake Tahoe the week before our trip started!).  4)  Having the Starlink Mini allowed us to stay connected with friends and family while also not wondering what was happening in the world news while we were in remote areas.  We maintained a balance of only using it at select times during the day so it wouldn’t distract from the adventures.   5)  Having a 100Ah lithium battery and DC-DC charger is a game changer — we can spend almost 10 days without electric hookups or solar panels and can charge the battery while driving at 30% per hour (while running our 12V refrigerator!).  This allows us to easily stay at state campgrounds (which often don’t have hookups) witihout the trouble of placing solar panels on the ground.

Being flexible allows one to make adjustments when necessary to keep the adventure going strong.  Because of some last minute scheduling changes in Lake Tahoe with our friend Bruce, who we were visiting at Nevada Beach Campground, we decided to leave after five nights (leaving us three nights to schedule somewhere else).  Having the recreation.gov app on our phone made the process easy.  There was no charge to reduce the number of days from 8 to 5 nights at Nevada Beach Campground and we got a full refund back on our credit card for the unused nights.  Using the same app, we decided to reserve a few nights in Mammoth Lakes since it was almost four hours south in the direction home and we enjoy the town.  This made the drive home easier, reducing the number of driving hours in one day.

So, everything we did in preparation for this trip made it a lot smoother and more fun.  A famous ancient philosopher (Sun Tzu) once said, “Plan for what is difficult while it is easy.”  We find this advice to be very true.

 

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