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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.

 

Disclaimer:  You will get the same great Amazon price by clicking on the links here compared to buying directly on Amazon, but by buying here you will also be supporting the continuation of this website as we get a small commission from each sale.  These are products and procedures we use for our own Scamp that we selected and developed from our own research and experiences.  However, we do not endorse any specific product and cannot guarantee that the products we use are exemplary and the procedures we use are complete, accurate, detail the correct recommended procedures, or apply to your model small travel trailer.  It’s always best to double check with your manufacturer or operation manuals to ensure you are doing everything right.

How to Play Master Chess on Recreation.Gov

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How to Play Master Chess on Recreation.Gov

If you’ve camped for a little while, you know that Recreation.gov is the U.S. government’s central travel planning website for 14 federal agencies.  This website is the place to go to make campground reservations at national parks, national monuments, USDA federal forest service areas, and other federal lands.  Real time availability, amenities offered, location information and more can be found for each campground on the website.  Some examples of the most popular campgrounds are:

Upper Pines Campground at Yosemite

Kirk Creek Campground in Big Sur

Twin Lakes Campground at Mammoth Lakes

Nevada Beach Campground at Lake Tahoe

Federal public campgrounds like the ones listed above have become increasingly difficult to reserve due to overwhelming demand.  Reserving a campsite even six months in advance (the standard maximum advance reservation time allowed by Recreation.gov for most campgrounds) often isn’t enough to guarantee getting a spot.  And trying to secure campsites at the most popular campgrounds (like the ones listed above) can be like playing the lottery to “win” a reservation.  The Dyrt, a popular RV travel website, ranked the hardest to book campgrounds in the U.S. for 2024 with Nevada Beach Campground at Lake Tahoe ranking #1.

Seeing The Dyrt report on the hardest to book campgrounds presented a challenge too good to resist.  We’ve already used strategies to successfully book three of the top ten campgrounds on the list, but wanted to see if it was possible to not only secure the #1 spot, Nevada Beach Campground, but also get reservations there on Fourth of July weekend!  This is no doubt a popular summertime destination for campers and their families, plus a winning fireworks show on the lake right under your noses!

What’s Special about Nevada Beach Campground?
Campers here can step right out onto the beautiful soft sandy beach and dip their toes into the crystal clear waters of Zephyr Cove while being surrounded by snow-capped mountains.   With multi-million dollar lake front homes here, it’s no wonder why campsites at Nevada Beach Campground at $47/night are so popular.

  1. Scenic Beauty – The campground offers panoramic views of Lake Tahoe with the Sierra Nevada mountains as a backdrop. Sunsets here are particularly spectacular.
  2. Spacious and Serene – Unlike some of the more crowded campgrounds around the lake, Nevada Beach provides a quieter, more relaxed atmosphere.
  3. Beach Access – One of its biggest draws is the wide, sandy beach, perfect for swimming, sunbathing, paddleboarding, and picnicking.
  4. Proximity to South Lake Tahoe – While offering a peaceful retreat, it’s just a short drive from the lively attractions, restaurants, and casinos in South Lake Tahoe.
  5. Hiking and Biking Trails – The campground provides easy access to scenic trails like the Lam Watah Nature Trail, ideal for exploring the local landscape.
  6. Pet-Friendly – Unlike many Tahoe beaches, Nevada Beach has a designated dog-friendly area, making it a great spot for visitors with pets.

Master Chess Strategies to Employ on Recreation.gov

The 6 Month + 14 Day Strategy

Most campsites on Recreation.gov can be reserved 6 months in advance (on a rolling basis).  So, to reserve a campsite on July 4th, the earliest one can make the reservation is at 7 a.m. (PST) on January 4th.  However, at a popular campground, by January 4th, many if not all the campsites may already be reserved for July 4th!  This is because reservations are allowed to break the 6 month advanced reservation rule if the reservation is made for dates preceding the blocked reservation period.  For example, if a reservation was made on January 3rd for July 3rd, then the reservation could be extended up to 13 days beyond July 3rd (14 day maximum stay limit).  At the time of this writing, reservations may be made for up to 14 days and modifications can be made without charge up to four times (adding/removing dates and changing campsites) as long as the new stay dates are not “completely different”.  In turn, to get a big edge on the competition, plan to make a reservation 14 days earlier than the desired end date.

In our case, we wanted to be at Nevada Beach Campground through July 6th.  So, we counted back the days from July 6th so that our reservation would be 14 days (June 22nd) and then attempted to make the reservation for 14 nights starting June 22nd on December 22nd at 7 a.m. PST.  The upside is that you can try again the next day if all the available campsites are taken on reservation day but there are still open opportunities for the next day.  The downside to this strategy is that although you will get all the money back for the days you don’t use when you modify your reservation, you will be initially charged for the entire 14 days (which in our case was $664) and, in the case of Nevada Beach Campground, there is a long freeze period to wait until you are allowed to shorten the reservation dates (“to ensure fairness, reservation arrival or departure dates may not be changed beyond the booking window until 18 days after booking the reservation.”)  This means that you may have to pay the full 14 day reservation amount on your credit card statement initially, but it will eventually be refunded several weeks later after you drop the days you don’t want to use.

The Day Before Plan

Log onto Recreation.gov the day before making reservations to check which campsites are available for your desired dates.  Make a list of your top 5 campsites.  One useful website,  Campsite Photos, provides images of most campsites (and the Pro version puts green stars on their favorite campsites).  Campendium is another useful website where users sometimes list their favorite campsite.

Game Day Plan

Plan to be on Recreation.gov at least 10 minutes before game time (7 a.m. PST).  Sign into the website and open multiple browsers so that at least three are visible on the computer monitor.  Select the desired reservation dates on each window, click on the desired campsites for each, and then position each window close together so that the Add to Cart buttons are close to each other.  Open the official Time website and position it such that the time and seconds are visible along with the campsite windows on the same monitor screen.  Click the Add to Cart buttons sequentially starting at 6:59:59.  Most likely you will get a message saying the system is working on your first request and the other clicks will be put on hold.  So, it’s really a one shot deal (but having multiple clicks allows you to get the second or third reservation request out in case there’s an issue with the first one – e.g. too early).  The system only allows one account to make a single reservation at a given time.  Therefore, if there are more people in your family household, have each open their own account and be prepared the same way to make the reservation.

Post Game Strategies

If you didn’t get a reservation, check back at 7:15 a.m. (Recreation.gov releases incomplete reservations back into inventory after 15 minutes).  Hit F5 on your PC screen (Cmd + R on Apple) to refresh the website right at 7:15 a.m.  Sometimes people no longer finish the reservation for a variety of reasons (e.g. someone else in family booked, reservation at another location, ….) and a campsite might become available (blue A).

Use the Set Availability Alert button – blue button below listed sites.  Input your start date and the number of nights desired.  You will receive an alert via email as soon as a campsite becomes available.  Make sure you have the ability to log into Recreation.gov on your mobile phone and that you carry your credit card with you.  That way you will be able to secure a reservation wherever you are when you get an email alert.

Use Campflare.com – like the alert button on Recreation.gov, Campflare.com is a free service that will notify you via text/email when your desired dates become available.

Be flexible – if you are able, being flexible allows you to keep trying daily until you are successful!

Have an Alternate Game Plan – don’t sweat it if you don’t get a spot at a popular campground.  Even with all the strategies listed above, it still takes a bit of luck to land a site at one of the most popular campgrounds in the U.S.  Fortunately, there are a lot of campgrounds out there and there are many ways to find alternatives.  For example, Recreation.gov has a list of Available alternatives under the list of sites on every campground reservation page.  And, The Dyrt has a free map which shows most of the campgrounds in your desired area.  If you are flexible and open minded about travel locations, there will likely be a campsite available to you.

Lastly, and most importantly, part of the fun of camping is the joy of playing Master Chess on Recreation.gov and winning.  Oh, and stay tuned for our Nevada Beach trip report in July 2025!

 

Disclaimer:  You will get the same great Amazon price by clicking on the links here compared to buying directly on Amazon, but by buying here you will also be supporting the continuation of this website as we get a small commission from each sale.  These are products and procedures we use for our own Scamp that we selected and developed from our own research and experiences.  However, we do not endorse any specific product and cannot guarantee that the products we use are exemplary and the procedures we use are complete, accurate, detail the correct recommended procedures, or apply to your model small travel trailer.  It’s always best to double check with your manufacturer or operation manuals to ensure you are doing everything

Falling for Color in the Eastern Sierra  October 13th – 20th 2024 (7 nights)

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Falling for Color in the Eastern Sierra
October 13th – 20th 2024 (7 nights)

One of the most spectacular places in the country to see the annual fall leaf color change is in the high Sierra.  Leaf peepers from all over the world come to the Sierra to feel the chill in the crisp fall air and observe the vivid colors which pop in yellows, oranges, and reds.  October is usually the month to go, but the actual timing per location varies.  One notable website tracks the color changes by offering onsite reports (the website published two feature articles about our adventure on their website during our trip).   The first article was about our experience at Sabrina Lake — click here to see the article with our photographs.  The second feature was on our visit to Lundy Lake Campground — click here to see this article with our photographs.

In order to get a good chance of seeing some fall color, we scheduled stops at various locations in the Eastern Sierra.  Our leaf peeping locations included two sites in the Aspendell area (above Bishop at around 9,000 feet elevation–at Sabrina Lake Campground and Four Jeffrey Campground), a stop at Lundy Canyon Campground an hour north near Mono Lake (elevation 7,800 feet), and lastly a visit to Convict Lake Campground (7,500 feet) near Mammoth Lakes.

Many of the campgrounds are either closed or closing at the middle to end of October, so it’s very important to research which campgrounds are still open if planning a visit this time of year.  Winter can bring extremely strong storms, including snow, and this area often becomes inaccessible after the first storm or two.  And, it’s not uncommon for a surprise snow storm to hit even in early October when campers are still at the campgrounds so it’s important to pack accordingly (this happened to us at Lundy Canyon Campground)!

Come prepared with your propane tanks full (ideally two tanks) as the weather can get very cold at night.  It was sunny and pleasant during our visit with temps in the high 60’s / low 70’s, but the evenings and mornings were cold (in the high teens and low 20’s)!  We set our furnace to keep us warm at night and early mornings, and were very glad we were sleeping in our 2020 Scamp 13′ instead of a tent!  We set a record on this trip by burning through an entire tank of propane in just six days!

Fuel stop tips:  we discovered a few good low priced gas stations during our drives — 5 Points Petroluem (Adelanto, CA), Fort Independence Travel Plaza (Independence, CA), and Yuhubi Nobi Gas Station (Bishop, CA).  Gas stations in Mammoth Lakes and Lee Vining (which we avoided) were significantly more expensive (around $2 more per gallon) than the service stations listed above.

Food stop tips:  the Alabama Hills Café (can be crowded on weekends) for great American food (Lone Pine) and the Lemon Food Truck for great Mexican food (Independence) make good stops for nourishment and help break up the long drive into the Eastern Sierra.  Glen’s Taqueria Food Truck (Independence) was also recommended to us, but we didn’t get a chance to try it.

Lake Sabrina Campground
This is a first come, first served campground with about 20 campsites.  There is no cell phone service here, but they do have potable water spigots, trash cans, and vault toilets.  Note:  the Cardinal Village Resort down the road offers free Starlink WiFi service (good enough even for phone calls).  We arrived at around 2:45 p.m. on a Sunday afternoon, figuring most people would have left the campground by the end of the weekend.  However, when we arrived, we found only two sites available!  Fortunately, the site we selected (campsite #20, $34/night) was not easy to spot, yet a very good one (we drove right by it on our first pass and the campground host showed us where it was)!  Make sure to bring either cash or a check for the iron ranger box.  The campground is very scenic and is situated along the Middle Fork Bishop Creek.  The abundant aspens in the campground had already starting turning color, with popping yellows.

The trail at the end of the campground off of North Lake Road led us through some spectacular fall foliage in magnificent red, orange, and yellow leaves.  We also drove up North Lake road to North Lake (a small lake popular for fishing) and enjoyed some stunning scenery of the fall color changes.  Sabrina Lake is about a mile and a half up the road.  There’s a trail that goes around the lake as well as a boat rental house.  The high Sierra mountains pose magnificently in the background thousands of feet above the lake.  One of the most popular activities here is fishing for trout, and even in October we saw a number of fishermen and fisherwomen.  But, probably the most popular activity in this area was taking photos in front of the lake and several leaf peeping worthy backdrops.

Another trip highlight included testing out a new tech toy.  We purchased a Starlink Mini for this particular trip and had ample opportunity to try it out at Lake Sabrina Campground.  There is no phone service near here and it was nice to conduct some additional research of the area, stay up to date on the news/weather and emails, and contact friends and families via calls and texts when not hiking or exploring the area.  The Mini is great because it is very compact (about the size of a laptop), the router and power supply are internal, and it uses low power (we can run it for hours on our Jackery 500).  We are able to store it in the small closet cabinet we constructed in our 2020 Scamp 13′ along with our laptop and tablet.  To set it up, just point it north and use the app to make fine adjustments.  We found the speed to be very fast (over 100Mbps download and around 10 Mbps upload).  We chose the roam plan which, at the time of this writing, is $50/month for 50GBs of data (additional GBs of data cost $1/GB).  We only used 11GB of data during our entire eight day trip (including streaming a few news broadcasts from Sling).  The plan can be paused (by the month) when not travelling. The upfront cost of the Starlink Mini hardware is currently $599.

Camp Four Jeffrey
Just about fifteen minutes down the road from Sabrina Lake Campground towards Bishop, Camp Four Jeffrey is off South Lake Road in the direction of South Lake.  Camp Four Jeffrey is a larger campground (with only the first 30 campsites reservable during the time of our visit) and has potable water spigots and an RV dump station (with two dumps) — dumping is free if you are camping here.  There’s no reliable cell phone signal, but signals come and go throughout the day and night in various locations throughout the campground.  For a more reliable cell phone signal, there’s a utility access dirt road across the main road that climbs for about 1/2 mile and overlooks Forks Campground down below.  We’ve found a reliable signal here on this as well as a past visit.  (Link to previous report).  Additionally, there’s a cell phone lot between Camp Four Jeffrey (although we didn’t try it) as well as the free Starlink service at the Cardinal Village Resort.  Or, if you have Starlink yourself, it works great at the campground.

This is one of the most dramatically scenic campgrounds we’ve been to as it’s surrounded by high Sierra mountains (covered in snow most of the year, with very little snow visible this fall).  Also, aspen trees grow throughout the campground, and were presenting full fall yellow popping color.  There’s a creek that runs through the campground and many campers enjoy fishing here.  We chose campsite #45 (not sure why we were able to reserve it since it’s not in the first thirty campsites and no other campsites were able to be reserved in this loop when we made reservations) because it sits high above all the other campsites and has dramatic views.  Some of the water spigots at the entrance are threaded and we used one to fill up our Scamp 13’s fresh water tank on the way into and out of the campground.  There are also unthreaded water spigots through the campground.

We spent a couple of days here and enjoyed hiking through the fall colors in the area as well as at Cardinal Village Resort.  While staying here, we decided to go back up to the Sabrina Lake area (since it is only about 10 minutes away from Camp Four Jeffrey) and drove up North Lake drive to North Lake.  We were rewarded with vibrant fall foliage at the lake.  There were quite a few people wading into and fly fishing in the lake.  After exploring, we enjoyed a satisfying burger lunch at the Cardinal Village Resort (they make pie daily here too).

Lundy Canyon Campground
After a couple of beautiful days at Camp Four Jeffrey, we made our way down the mountain to refuel in Bishop (Yuhubi Nobi Gas Station) and then drove north on Hwy 395 for an hour to Lundy Lake Campground (passing Mammoth Lakes and June Lake) .  We heard the leaves were changing color here too.  The campground is up Lundy Lakes Road just past the town of Lee Vining and Mono Lake.  Cell phone coverage ends shortly after entering the canyon and climbing up towards Lundy Lake (Lundy Lake is about five minutes past the campground, with hiking trails).

Lundy Canyon Campground (7,660′ elevation) is primitive with rough roads and no amenities.  There’s not even a camp host.  Instead, once we found a campsite we liked (#10) at this first come first serve campground (36 campsites along a 0.8 mile long scenic bumpy road), we took our cash ($16/night) for our two night stay and deposited it in the iron ranger box which is located near campsite #20.  Campsite #10 is surrounded by aspen trees that were bright yellow during our visit.  Most of the campsites were empty while we were here midweek in mid-October.  An evening rain storm made many campers leave as we were arriving, including a camper with a Scamp who left early fearing the Tioga Pass could get closed by snow.

After lunch, we drove around with the intention of checking out Lundy Lake, but the storm was fast approaching with fog and drizzle making hiking and taking pictures challenging.  So, instead, we headed down the canyon road to Mono Lake to check out the Tufas!  The Visitor’s Center was closed for the winter, but we briefly surveyed the gift shop which had a lot of books, t-shirts, and other souvenirs available for purchase.  After our store visit, we drove to the South Tufas, which are incredibly otherworldly rock like figures which naturally inhabit the shores and waters of Mono Lake (a must see).  Parking is either $3/person or free with an America the Beautiful Pass (which we displayed in our windshield).

Tufas are formed when calcium flows up from springs under the lake bottom and bonds to carbonates in the lake water, forming calcium carbonate (a type of limestone).  The calcium carbonate builds up on itself over time, gradually forming a tufa tower.  When the lake level drops, the exposed tufa stops growing.  A visit to the South Tufas is a fantastic way to explore the scenery and observe the magnificent and fascinating tufas.  There are paved paths and boardwalks which meander along the shore for at least a quarter of a mile.  There is free dispersed camping in the area near the lake, but the bookstore was unable to provide a detailed camping map.  Certain areas are off limits to camping, including the South Tufas and Navy Beach (where you can kayak), so further research is needed before planning a camping visit near the Tufas.  There are a lot of trails in the area including Panum Crater, so lots to do for a fun few days.  We hiked the rim of Panum Crater (entrance is one mile from the bumpy dirt road and driving speeds are less than 10 miles/hour). It was, however, worth the drive to see the stellar views of Mono Lake below.  The crater was formed by a volcano that blew its top, leaving a ring around a crater and a plug (volcano top) in the middle.

A cold rain storm swept through at night.  It was about 30 degrees around 7 a.m. in the Lundy Canyon Campground and our car was covered with slush.  By 11 am the sky had cleared, it had warmed up to 60F, and we travelled up the road to Lundy Lake and took the Lundy Canyon trail hike.  The road going up to the trail head was in disrepair with large holes and big deep puddles, so we parked right outside the Lundy Lake Resort (closed for the winter) and hiked up to the trailhead.  We spent a couple of hours walking the road and then up the trail to the third lake and back to our car.  The most scenic part of the hike was the lower part just above Lundy Lake Resort — there’s a pond and a fantastic view of a tall newly snow-capped mountain top.

On our last evening at Lundy Canyon Campground, the wind blew and we could only see white looking out our Scamp’s windows.  We enjoyed a good movie with our furnace keeping us toasty inside our Scamp.  The wind howled all night.  The campground and mountains were blanketed with snow the next morning.  The temperature was down to 19 degrees at 7 a.m.

We met a couple of ladies at the campground who encouraged us to drive 30 minutes further north to Bridgeport and walk the charming town with shops and especially the trading post (they had purchased some fine Navaho turquoise jewelry there which they were proudly wearing).  They also recommended taking a soak at the Travertine or Benton Hot Springs in that area as well.  We filed this information away for a future trip as we were just about to leave camp!  Next: Reservations at Convict Lake Campground were awaiting us!

Convict Lake Campground
Convict Lake is beautiful location with dramatic mountains surrounding a pristine lake.  The area has been featured in some commercials including Nature Valley and Delta Airlines as well as a number of movies including Star Trek: Insurrection (1998).

On the way up to Convict Lake, make sure to use the free RV dump station (if necessary).  This RV dump station is not labeled and easy to miss (we drove right by it on the way up to the campground).  The dump station is on the left just past the Convict Lake Resort (on the right side) and is notable for a number of orange metal posts.  There are two dump stations (side by side) along with a separate area for potable fresh water (threaded hose).

Convict Lake Campground has views of dramatic mountains which tower over the lake.  From the campground, it’s easy to walk to the lake and the Convict Lake Resort (which has a fine dining restaurant {$$$$} as well as a bar / lounge for simpler less expensive food).  A number of the campsites here are first come first served which can make the campground look fully booked when trying to reserve a site online even though there may be first come first served spots available.  We found that there were plenty of open campsites on the weekend and we selected campsite #7 ($37/night).  Campsite #7 has good space around it and spectacular views of the mountains (the lake is slightly above the campground, so it’s not visible).  There’s minimal to no cellphone service here (but free WiFi at the resort as well as an open sky for great Starlink).  There are water spigots within the campground as well as bathrooms.

We had a great salad and pizza dinner at the Convict Lake Resort next door (the bar/lounge section).  In the morning, we enjoyed taking the easy 2.5 mile hike around the lake (which took us about an hour).  Convict Lake is about fifteen minutes away from Mammoth Lakes; so, it’s easy to spend time doing other fun things in Mammoth Lakes if one has extra time or wants to try some different eateries, ride bikes and/or do some shopping (see our June trip report for more information on Mammoth Lakes).

Since it’s a long drive back home from Convict Lake (about eight hours with stops), we decided to split the trip in half and spend the night at either Fossil Falls Campground (BLM, $6/night) or Red Rock Canyon State Park Campground.  We first tried Fossil Falls (which we have stayed at in the past) on a late Saturday afternoon, but it was full (there are only a limited number of campsites that suitably accommodate RVs – sites 4, 5, 6, & 8).  The dirt rocky roads at Fossil Falls were in much worse shape than when we previously visited, so we would no longer recommend a stay here. Instead, we continued on about an hour further south to Red Rock Canyon State Park campground.  It’s a beautiful desert campground with towering red rock cliffs.  Many of the campsites are at the base of the cliffs.  The campground was almost full when we arrive late Saturday afternoon, but we did find a nice pull-though spot (#24 / $25/night)!  More information on both of these campgrounds can be found on our previous trip report here.  We are really glad we broke up the trip home as it made the drive much easier.  We left Red Rock Canyon SP early on Sunday morning (5:30 a.m.) and were home for breakfast (9:30 a.m.) and with plenty of time to wash our Scamp 13′, Volvo XC40, and do our laundry!

This trip was remarkable in many ways.  There’s something special about travelling off season in the fall with crisp mountain air and beautiful fall colors.  We were very fortunate in that the leaf color change was peaking at most of the locations we chose.  The fall colors were so dramatic during our visit that it was inspiring.  And, experiencing a surprise snowstorm at night and waking up with snow covering the ground was awesome!  We also learned about new locations which we may explore next July when travelling to Lake Tahoe (these locations include Mono Lake dispersed camping, Bridgeport, the Travertine hot springs, and Bodie Ghost Town).  We expanded our communications options to include satellite (with our new Starlink Mini) and will never look back.  Each of the locations on this trip had very limited or no cellphone reception and we greatly appreciated the ability to connect when off grid for an hour two each day (including the additional safety having communications provides).  Lastly, getting up in the Sierra mountains brings a form of serenity which is hard to achieve anywhere else.  The remote location, natural beauty, and fresh air reinvigorate the soul. John Muir described this feeling well in his quote: “Climb the mountains and get their good tidings.  Nature’s peace will flow into you as sunshine flows into trees.  The winds will blow their own freshness into you and the storms their energy, while cares will drop off like autumn leaves.”

 

Disclaimer:  You will get the same great Amazon price by clicking on the links here compared to buying directly on Amazon, but by buying here you will also be supporting the continuation of this website as we get a small commission from each sale.  These are products and procedures we use for our own Scamp that we selected and developed from our own research and experiences.  However, we do not endorse any specific product and cannot guarantee that the products we use are exemplary and the procedures we use are complete, accurate, detail the correct recommended procedures, or apply to your model small travel trailer.  It’s always best to double check with your manufacturer or operation manuals to ensure you are doing everything

Mammoth Lakes, California: June 8th – 14th, 2024 (6 nights)

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Mammoth Lakes, California
June 8th – 14th, 2024 (6 nights)

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)!

Although we have visited Mammoth Lakes many times, this was our first 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 ($10). We reserved site #76 ($30/night) which is very spacious and is heavily shaded by tall Jeffrey pines.  We received two bars of Verizon mobile phone service (although texting was not consistent – e.g. sometimes text would say downloading but never come through).  There is a water spigot close by site #76 and the spigots are threaded:  so, we were able to use our hoses to pump the water uphill to our trailer, instead of having to use our dolly.  Joining our 25’ and 50’ Zero-G lead free drinking water safe hoses together was still just a few feet too short from being able to fill our 2020 Scamp ’13 directly, so we filled a water jug instead.  Since this was at least the third time where our hoses have been just a bit too short to reach our Scamp 13’s fresh water fill port, we ordered an additional hose for future trips.

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 about two weeks 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.

Our Carlsbad neighbor and friend Rob surprised us with a visit (on his way up to Bend, Oregon for a family gathering).  He spent a couple of nights at New Shady Rest campground in his Honda Odyssey van which he converted into a camper van.  Rob is very familiar with the area as he has spent many years skiing and fly-fishing here.  We were fortunate to have him give us a tour of some of his favorite places, including a hike around beautiful Convict Lake and a viewing of the Minarets (mountain peaks) from Minaret Vista (the highest lookout point in Mammoth Lakes, elevation 9,276 feet).  The vista offers panoramic views of the famous Minarets, the backside of Mammoth Mountain, and the magnificent Sierra landscape.

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 spectacular Panorama Dome, which features spectacular views of the mountains, Twin Lakes, and waterfalls.

Although we only stayed five 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”.

Disclaimer:  You will get the same great Amazon price by clicking on the links here compared to buying directly on Amazon, but by buying here you will also be supporting the continuation of this website as we get a small commission from each sale.  These are products and procedures we use for our own Scamp that we selected and developed from our own research and experiences.  However, we do not endorse any specific product and cannot guarantee that the products we use are exemplary and the procedures we use are complete, accurate, detail the correct recommended procedures, or apply to your model small travel trailer.  It’s always best to double check with your manufacturer or operation manuals to ensure you are doing everything

The Holy Grail Portable Grey Water Tank Solution!

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The Holy Grail Portable Grey Water Tank Solution!
After taking your small travel trailer on a number of trips, you get a feel for the types of places where you like to spend time.  For most people, these locations include State and National parks and many of these campgrounds do not offer Dump stations.  For the first year with our Scamp 13’, it was necessary to plan our adventures so that stays at such places were limited to only several days because that’s the time it usually takes for our twenty one gallon Grey tank to become full.  Our Grey tank was our limiting factor (not the Fresh, nor the Black tank).  Of course, we could elect not to take hot showers every night (brief ones!), but what fun would that be?!!!  It’s nice to feel fresh and clean before going to bed each night!

We learned through experience that the Grey tank is a small travel trailer’s Achilles heel when hookups aren’t available.  For us two people (taking 2 showers each night), our twenty one gallon Grey tank fills up in about three days.  Once the Grey tank is full, water can no longer drain from the shower floor or sink, and water backing up into these areas is highly likely.  The Fresh water tank is much easier to manage because the 12 gallon tank can easily be refilled using a portable water jug and water is usually available at most campgrounds (but not all).  Additionally, water can be stored in portable containers and transported in the tow vehicle.  We’ve found that the 9 gallon Black tank takes much longer to fill than the Grey tank.  Our Black tank usually takes about 6 days (two people) before needing to be dumped.  Lastly, although technically not a tank, we consider our 12V battery to be like a tank as it holds our electrons (about 12.6V when full).  These electrons are vital in keeping our Scamp running (e.g. LED lights, water pumps, furnace pump, fan, etc.).  When our battery is not hooked up, it can drain pretty quickly (within a couple days) if not carefully monitored.  However, we use our solar briefcase and it does a great job of keeping the battery topped off (as long as there’s sun every couple of days).  Our Jackery 500 also helps us keep our Scamp battery reserved for necessary functions.

Our travel strategy thus far has been to carefully arrange stops so that the ones without a Dump are limited to only a few days maximum (or have a Dump station available at a convenient service station).  For example, on our trip to Lake Tahoe last July, we first stopped in Santa Barbara and driveway-camped at our cousin Jon’s house.  Since our next stop was going to be at an olive oil farm in Paso Robles without hookups followed by street camping at my sister’s house in Oakland, we dumped at a 76 station on the way out of Santa Barbara.  We didn’t want to risk having a full Grey tank and not being able to use any water in our Scamp.  We knew we could dump at DL Bliss State Park at Lake Tahoe after our Oakland stay over, so we would be OK as long as we did this interim Dump.  The following month, we took a trip to Observatory Campground (Palomar Mountain) to view the stars.  There are no hookups here (although water spigots are available), so again we needed to carefully consider our time up on Palomar Mountain to ensure our Grey tank was not filled up (we ended up staying only one night).

The trip that really got us thinking about a way to extend our boondocking stays was Mammoth Lakes last August.  Our friends Hugh and Cheryl stay at Silver Lake Resort the same week every year.  They invited us to join them last summer and we were lucky enough to get a reservation.  This private RV park is right on Silver Lake (close to Mammoth Lakes) and is very popular and hard to get reservations at.  The spaces are tight (huge RV motorhomes very close to each other) and pricey (around $49 / night), but provide a great location and scenic views with a mountain backdrop.  Additionally, there are full hookups, a general store, and a nice restaurant (as well as boating and fishing on the lake, horseback riding, and great hiking trails).  We enjoyed our stay there, but couldn’t help but notice a large State campground called Silver Lake Campground right across the street and directly on the lake!  We walked the campground and were impressed with the very wide and private campsites and beautiful lake and mountain views (and a bargain at only $27/night!).  There are water spigots here, but no Dump station.  We knew we really wanted to stay here the following summer, but needed to figure out a way to extend our Grey tank limitation.  We were told the closest public dump station to this area is more than 20 minute’s drive away.

We considered an outdoor shower since our Grey tank is mostly filled by shower water, but ruled that out because of a few reasons.  An outdoor shower is technically considered Grey water dumping and, in turn, may not be permitted (depending on the campground and judgment of the camp host).  If an outdoor shower is permitted, it is likely that all the runoff water generated will need to be contained and disposed of properly (which could be a challenge).  And, there are potential privacy and safety issues since the shower is outside with no security.  Lastly, depending on the weather and environment, the outdoor shower may not be very comfortable.  With all the potential issues of an outdoor shower, we decided it wasn’t a good solution to our Grey water limitation.

A friend of mine showed me his 38 gallon portable grey water tank on wheels that he takes on his RV trips.  With water weighing roughly 8.3 lbs. per gallon, this portable tank can weigh over 315 lbs.!!!  He says it’s nearly impossible to move by bike when full, so he only takes it on trips when he knows he can move it with his vehicle to Dump.  We then looked at smaller portable storage tanks because they are more manageable.  Specifically, the Barker 5 Gallon Tote seemed to be a good option.  It’s only 5 gallons, so weight when full doesn’t exceed much more than 40 lbs.  It’s also small and can be easily transferred by a dolly or car to a Dump station.  The thing I didn’t like about it is that is a bit pricey (almost $50 per tank) and I would need 4 of them to give me the desired 20 gallons storage (so we could almost double our current 21 gallon Grey tank capacity).  Additionally, it isn’t transparent, and I wanted to be able to see the tank filling up so I know when it’s time to close the Grey water dump valve to ready the next tank for filling.

After a lot of thought and searching, I found what I believe is the Holy Grail of Portable Grey Water Tank solutions!  It’s actually a combination of individual items where the whole makes up more than the sum of its parts!  The first critical item to the system is the 5 gallon tank.  I found a perfect one online at Uline that is designed for chemical storage (so it’s beefy) and is also translucent (so the Grey water is visible in the tank as its being filled).  At the time of this writing, if you buy 3 jugs or more they are only $10.90 each!!!  Uline also sells separately a replacement top ($2.10) that has a threaded opening which allows a garden hose to be attached —  a hole just needs to be drilled in it for water to pass.  The next necessary component is a bayonet adapter so they the garden hose may attach directly to the Grey tank on the trailer.  Lastly, a small garden hose (like this one) makes the entire kit small and very transportable.  So, for about $60 in parts, this entire 20 gallon system can easily be assembled and put together with little effort (just a single hole needs to be drilled in the replacement cap used for attaching the garden hose to the 5 gallon tank).

Everything seemed perfect on paper, but until we tested the system, we didn’t really know if we had found the Holy Grail of Portable Grey Water Tanks.  An 8-night trip from our home in Carlsbad, California to Pinnacles National Park in California’s Central Valley and then down the coast to Big Sur, Pismo Beach and Santa Barbara provided the perfect proving grounds for this new and untested portable Grey Water Tank holding system.  Although Pinnacles National Park has a central Dump station, it is far away from Site #69 (the site where we spent a couple of nights).  This was a good opportunity for our first test.  When the Grey water tank was about 50% full on the 2nd day, I hooked up the system.  Note:  I leave both the Valterra cap and water jug cap attached to the short hose, so it’s just a matter of attaching the Valterra cap end to the Scamp’s Grey water pipe (remove existing cover) and the jug cap to the water jug.  After both ends are attached, the Grey water tank valve is opened to release the Grey water.  On the first attempt, the water flowed quickly for a few seconds and then stopped.  I couldn’t open the small air release cap on the jug because it is on the opposite side (close to the ground) to the main jug cap and water would pour out.  The secret is to slightly open the main cap just enough to release air pressure (I could hear a slight breath of air when I did this).  This method works and air pressure is released while water does not escape. The jug fills up fairly quickly.  When it looks like the jug is almost full with water near the top, close the Grey water valve on the trailer, unscrew the cap on the jug, and then screw the cap onto the next empty jug (and repeat until all 4 jugs are full).  Cap the full jugs using the supplied standard cap so no grey water leaks while transporting the jugs to the Dump.  To dump these jugs, just open the main cap and also remove the air release cap, and then pour the Grey water directly into the open Dump hole.  The water comes out quickly and easily.

We had a chance to test the system again at Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park.  Similar to Pinnacles National Park, Pfeiffer Big Sur SP Campground has a central Dump station, but it was far away from the site we stayed at.  It would have been very inconvenient to have to tow the Scamp to the central Dump in the middle of our 3-night stay.  Instead, we put the Holy Grail system to use and it performed wonderfully (just like it did at Pinnacles).  This enabled us to stay set up and Dump at the central Dump on the way out of the park.  The 5 gallon jugs were very manageable for me to lift and pour into the open Dump hole and the 4 containers fit in our SUV tow vehicle really well.

In conclusion, this system does appear to be the Holy Grail Portable Grey Water Tank Solution!  It is highly portable (limiting jug weight to around 40 lbs.) / not too big, relatively inexpensive, simple to set up, jugs are transparent, easy to use, and works really well.  For a trailer like the Scamp, four 5 gallon jugs will almost double the off grid capability of the Grey tank.  And, it certainly is nice not having to limit campground visits to only 2 – 3 days due to Grey water tank size.  For the Scamp’s 21 gallon Grey tank, this system effectively doubles time between dumps from 2 – 3 days to 4 – 6 days (depending on water use).  And, it’s also really great not having to pack everything up and drive to a central Dump in the middle of a trip and then have to drive back to the campsite to set up the trailer all over again (which we had to do in the middle of a 3-night stay at D.L. Bliss State Park at Lake Tahoe).  We have a three night trip to Joshua Tree National Park next month and now we can rest easy knowing we will not have to break camp or stop using water for the time we are at the park!  Finding the Holy Grail is life-changing and you will be transformed too if you set up this system!

Disclaimer:  You will get the same great Amazon price by clicking on the links here compared to buying directly on Amazon, but by buying here you will also be supporting the continuation of this website as we get a small commission from each sale.  These are products and procedures we use for our own Scamp that we selected and developed from our own research and experiences.  However, we do not endorse any specific product and cannot guarantee that the products we use are exemplary and the procedures we use are complete, accurate, detail the correct recommended procedures, or apply to your model small travel trailer.  It’s always best to double check with your manufacturer or operation manuals to ensure you are doing everything correctly. 

Planning Pearls for Your Small Travel Trailer Adventures

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Planning Pearls for Your Small Travel Trailer Adventures

Having a small travel trailer means you are now free to travel the world (or maybe at least your continent)!  Interesting side note — although North and South America are treated as separate continents in the seven-continent model, they may also be viewed as a single continent known as America.  So, for all of us living in America, we have tremendous travel options for exploring with our small travel trailers…if you dare!

The first thing to do once you get your small travel trailer is to figure out what type of travel you want to do.  If you’re like me, you’re probably interested in exploring State and National Parks.  Starting in your home state is a good strategy because you won’t be too far from home if something happens and you need to regroup.  On our first preliminary “shake down” overnight trip to Palm Desert, just a couple hours drive away from our home in San Diego, we discovered we couldn’t get our hot water heater to work!  Fortunately, we were close to home and only had booked one night (which we spent without hot water).  I called Scamp when we returned home and we discovered a hidden on/off switch at the hot water heater on our Scamp 13’ which the factory was supposed to turn on!  In any case, I highly recommend taking your first few trips close to home so you are prepared in case something happens.

To discover which State and National Parks are in your home state, visit your State Parks website and the National Parks website.  The National Parks website has a search function for National Parks by state.  Google maps is a good tool once you find some parks you are interested in to get an idea of where the parks are and the drive time to each park.  It’s also a good idea to check monthly weather for the location to make sure it won’t be too hot or too cold the month you plan on going.  This is especially important for popular parks for which it is generally a good idea to reserve months in advance (5 – 6 months out for National Parks).  For strategies on how to secure a popular campground, see my article “Winning Yosemite’s Campground Reservations Online Lottery”.  On your first visit to a National Park, make sure to purchase the annual “America The Beautiful” National Park Pass.    One of the best values in all of camping, this pass costs only $80 and lets you and your family (not to exceed 4 adults) into the National Parks without paying the entrance fees (typically $35 per car).  You can also share the pass with family and friends (each pass can be signed by two main pass owners)!!!

Regional parks can also be great places to camp and explore.  These are a bit harder to find because they are generally run by cities and counties with a variety of different types of websites and reservations systems, but online searches of different cities can uncover some of these gems.  Additionally, apps like iOverlander, RV Parky, and ParkAdvisor may provide good leads on these campgrounds.  Be prepared to set up online accounts for these regional parks and expect different types of online experiences.  For example, one such park in California is Calico Ghost Town (a genuine old Western ghost town!).  I was able to make reservations for it on the San Bernardino County Regional Parks website.  This place was home to one of the largest silver strikes in California which happened in 1881.  Another interesting regional park in California is Cachuma Lake which can be reserved through the Santa Barbara County Parks website.   Like Calico Ghost Town, this campground requires one to sign up on the specific county website.  So, you’ll find that if you do decide to visit lots of regional park campgrounds (which you should plan on!), then you will end up having numerous park website accounts (all free).  So, it’s a good idea to have a great password manager that can store all these website URLs with your usernames and passwords.

We try to limit driving to no more than 4 hours to reach each campsite so that our trips are enjoyable.  Sometimes we are forced to drive a bit longer, but generally never more than 5 hours (unless there is an unusual circumstance).  One such circumstance was our trip last summer to Mammoth Lakes from our home in San Diego.  We were forced to drive nonstop over 7 hours because stopping halfway in the desert would have meant staying overnight in our trailer (which does not have AC) in unbearably hot conditions.  This is a long trip, but for a stay of a week or longer it was bearable.  But, overall, we choose to follow our 4 hour rule.  Another thing we like to keep in mind when planning our trips is that, for now, we currently need to Dump (main limitation is the Grey water tank) every third day.  With this requirement, we try to schedule trips so that we are staying at a location with hookups or a general Dump station every three days.  If that’s not possible, then we Dump during our ride to the next campsite at a service station which has a Dump station (these can be found within the apps like RV Parky or by an online search).  Note:  I’m currently working on a portable Grey water auxiliary storage system solution which should double our time between Dumps.  Stay tuned for a future article on this system.

With the 4 hour drive time rule in mind, it’s good to have some expanded options for mid trip stay over locations between your starting point and destination.  These options may include family driveways, Harvest Hosts and Boondockers Welcome locations, free BLM public land areas, and private RV campgrounds.  Our favorite midway stays when travelling are either family driveways or Boondockers Welcome locations.  Our first choice is staying with family because it gives us a chance to reconnect and visit without being a burden since we are self-sufficient in our Scamp 13’.  We have stayed in driveways at my cousin’s in Santa Barbara and my sister’s in Oakland many times while in transit from our home in San Diego to destinations in Northern California and Oregon.  We have also had great success in overnights at Boondockers Welcome locations.  Please see my article “Free Stayovers with Boondockers Welcome and Harvest Hosts”.  These services are available via inexpensive annual subscriptions and allow for some unique experiences like overnights at farms and wineries.

In addition to using your small travel trailer for visiting State and National Parks, another idea is to explore other settings or locations in which you have a strong interest.  Of course, these can be fantastic outdoor wilderness locations, such as Lake Tahoe or the Oregon Coast (which we have enjoyed greatly).   But, such trips can also include other locations which interest you such as for rock hounding, museums, amusement parks, star gazing, city touring, etc.  One trip that I would like to do in the future is to stay at Gilbert Ray Campground in Tucson, AZ and visit the Pima Air & Space Museum since I love aviation.  And, because I love star gazing, trips to dark skies parks (like Anza Borrego Desert State Park) are always rewarding.  Another fun trip we had was a stay at Hearst San Simeon State Park which provided a great rock hounding experience (searching for moonstones on the beach in Cambria) as well as observing the elephant seals!

There are so many different ways and purposes for using your small travel trailer.  And, since everyone is different, there will no doubt be a lot of different viewpoints on the best types of trips.  But, however you choose to travel, there is one thing for certain –your small travel trailer will offer you a golden ticket to see the world (or at least your continent  …  if you dare)!

Disclaimer:  You will get the same great Amazon price by clicking on the links here compared to buying directly on Amazon, but by buying here you will also be supporting the continuation of this website as we get a small commission from each sale.  These are products and procedures we use for our own Scamp that we selected and developed from our own research and experiences.  However, we do not endorse any specific product and cannot guarantee that the products we use are exemplary and the procedures we use are complete, accurate, detail the correct recommended procedures, or apply to your model small travel trailer.  It’s always best to double check with your manufacturer or operation manuals to ensure you are doing everything correctly. 

No AC, No Problem!

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No AC, No Problem!

If you are a California camper and/or can be flexible with your travel plans like us, then you might chose to forgo the installation of an air conditioner unit on your small travel trailer.  When ordering our 2020 Scamp 13’ small travel trailer, we strongly considered adding the rooftop AC option.  We thought it would be great to be able to cool the trailer if we ever stayed in hot weather.  And we didn’t like the idea of going to a location reserved months in advance and being surprised by an unexpected heat wave.  Ultimately, though, we ended up not ordering AC because our goal was to store the new Scamp in our home garage and the factory rooftop AC would eliminate that option.

We decided to travel with our new Scamp 13’ without AC for a year and then make a determination if AC was really necessary.  I did some research and found a couple of possible options if we did think we needed AC that could be added on later (e.g. slim rooftop model, small back window removable AC).  Since California has varied geography, including ocean, mountains, and deserts, trip planning to avoid uncomfortably hot weather would focus on these regions based on the seasons.  First, we tried to avoid travel during any type of heat wave since this condition can affect any location.  For summer and warmer conditions, we avoided valley and desert areas since they can be devilishly hot.  This meant planning summer trips along the coast and in the mountains, which are typically cool areas year round.  In the late fall, winter and early spring, the deserts make for great trip locations – often offering warm sunny days and cool nights.

Our first Scamp trip was to Anza-Borrego Desert State Park in late February 2020.  The weather overall at this desert location was perfect – sunny warm days (low 80’s) and cool nights (50’s).  It was a little warm on our first day however, reaching into the mid 80’s, but our powerful rooftop Maxx Fan was enough to keep the air moving and comfortable.  In June, we travelled from San Diego up the coast and onto Lake Tahoe.  We made stops in Santa Barbara, Paso Robles, and Oakland before spending several days at D.L. Bliss State Park in Lake Tahoe.  Once again, the weather was great on most of the stops, with the exception of our overnight stay in Paso Robles (an inland location that we needed to pass through on our way to Oakland).  We arrived at the Harvest Host location (an olive oil farm) in the late afternoon and it was still 95 degrees outside!  Fortunately, we were able to make camp in the shade behind the barn.  We opened all the windows and ran our Maxx Fan.  It was fairly windy outside and, with all the air blowing around, the temperature was tolerable but not comfortable in the Scamp.  Fortunately, the temperature dropped quickly (into the 60’s at night) as soon as the sun set.  Our other Scamp trips in 2020 (Observatory Camp @ Palomar Mountain, Mammoth Lakes, Coos Bay Oregon, Joshua Tree National Park) were also very comfortable experiences, none requiring AC (some were very cold at night, but the Scamp furnace is fantastic and kept things cozy).  So after a year of travel in our Scamp (7 trips, 23 locations, and 33 nights), we could have enjoyed using AC only a couple of days.  Given these experiences, we have decided for now to hold off on installing an aftermarket AC solution.

Although we really didn’t need AC much in the past year, we were still a bit tempted to have a low profile unit installed just in case.  However, after doing some more research we decided the benefit of AC just wasn’t there for us in the way we travel when also considering the disadvantages of having AC installed.  First, a rooftop AC costs a bit of money.  The one that would likely work for us is a Coleman Mach 8 Plus low profile unit which runs about $900 including tax and hundreds of dollars more to install.  And, having an AC likely will mean additional costs down the line for maintenance and eventual replacement.  Additionally, a hole needs to be cut into the roof which can possibly introduce leaks if the AC is not installed correctly.  Side note:  we ordered our Scamp 13’ “AC Ready” (at no extra cost) so all the wiring is there and the roof is supported in case an AC is added later.  There’s also the issue of additional weight (close to a hundred pounds) and drag an AC adds to the trailer which can potentially reduce trailer handling quality and fuel mileage.  Noise can be another complaint people have concerning running an air conditioning unit right above their heads in a small travel trailer.  And, possibly the biggest elephant in the room for us regarding a rooftop AC (beyond not fitting in our garage), is that it cannot be run when dry camping without a generator!

The last point above (ACs require hookup electricity or a generator) turned out to be a big deal breaker for us in considering adding a low profile AC unit for occasional use.  Most of our trips involve a high percentage of non-hookup locations (e.g. State/National/Regional parks and Boondockers Welcome locations).  In turn, we would need to haul around a generator and fuel to use the AC at most of the places we visit.   Scamp recommends the Honda EU2200i which runs around a thousand dollars and weighs almost 50 pounds.  It is recommended never to haul around a generator in your car because the gasoline fumes (even from an empty tank) can overwhelm you.  For those, like us, without a pickup truck, a tongue box is often used at the front of the trailer to house the propane tanks and the generator.  These are often custom built and can be expensive.  There’s also the issue of how to safely haul gasoline without a pickup truck.  Lastly, exhaust fumes (carbon monoxide) from a running generator are deadly and the generator itself can be a potential fire hazard.  Carbon monoxide is a colorless and odorless gas that can cause sudden illness and death.  So, it’s recommended that a generator be downwind of the trailer so the exhaust fumes don’t blow into the trailer and some say to keep it at least 10 feet away from any windows on your travel trailer.  Side note:  a friend of ours got so fed up with dealing with generator issues and hauling fuel that he got rid of it and told us that if the weather ever got hot he would just go to a campground with hookups to run his AC.

Now that we’ve had a year of experiences, and considering the type of travel we like to do (mostly non hookup locations), we are very happy we ordered our Scamp 13’ without an AC unit.  We would have ordered AC had the garage height not been an issue.  It just turns out that this height restriction worked in our favor.  We are still glad we ordered our Scamp 13’ “AC Ready” though, because if our goals change and we decide we would like to take different types of trips, we might possibly add an AC unit in the future.  For example, if we were planning a cross country trip then having an AC would probably be a must.  Or, if we frequently crossed certain “hot zones” like California’s Central Valley on our way to mountain lakes, then the AC also would be very good to have.  So, for many, AC still is very desirable or an absolute must.  But, for people like us, having no AC is no problem!

Update July 2022:  we’ve still found that strategically planning trips has eliminated the need for AC over 95% of the time.  However, when heading to mountain lakes in the summer months, we have either needed to make stops a bit out of our way or drive non-stop to cross the hot parts of California (e.g. Central Valley or Mojave Desert) to beat the heat.  These heat avoidance workarounds have meant taking less efficient longer routes or very long rides straight to our destination.  So, we’ve recently added a temporary window mounted mini AC solution!

Disclaimer:  You will get the same great Amazon price by clicking on the links here compared to buying directly on Amazon, but by buying here you will also be supporting the continuation of this website as we get a small commission from each sale.  These are products and procedures we use for our own Scamp that we selected and developed from our own research and experiences.  However, we do not endorse any specific product and cannot guarantee that the products we use are exemplary and the procedures we use are complete, accurate, detail the correct recommended procedures, or apply to your model small travel trailer.  It’s always best to double check with your manufacturer or operation manuals to ensure you are doing everything correctly. 

Mammoth Lakes

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Mammoth Lakes
August 23rd – 29th, 2020

The drive from San Diego to California’s High Sierra is a long one (over 6 hours) and, following our 4 hour maximum drive time rule, would normally be broken up into a couple of stages. However, due to the intense summer high desert heat that prevails along most of the Highway 395 drive, we were forced to make the trip in one drive.

Our first stop was Silver Lake Resort, an RV park next to Silver Lake (elevation 7,200 feet) (about $49 / night including tax, although we were told later there are some discounts, if you ask, including AAA). The campground is in a stunning location which is surrounded by mountains, featuring a lake in the center. This is a popular spot for those who like to fish and people wanting to stay months at a time. The RV sites are fairly close together and this park is difficult to get a reservation as people tend to visit year after year and they are given priority for reservations. Large trailers and motor homes tend to be the norm here and our trailer was the smallest one in the park (although everyone made us feel very welcome)! We chose this campground because our friends Hugh & Cheryl (who we first met at Anza Borrego campground in February 2020) have been coming here the same week in August for the past 13 years and we wanted to see them again. They said the resort normally provides a lot of activities, but because of Covid things were much more limited this year. There is a general store and a café and great trails that border the property. There are also nice stables alongside that provide full day trail rides up to some of the high lakes ($125 per person for a full day ride including lunch as of 8/2020).

Our friend and neighbor, Dewey, also caravaned up with us in her Lazy Daze motorhome and parked in the spot next to ours. We were in spot D1, which was at the very end of one row, so we didn’t feel squeezed in by other giant motor homes. Dewey’s daughter, Lily, and boyfriend, Bretton, also came up from LA and joined us all. Dewey also brought her dachshunds Sammy and Lu Lu who love to camp! I just purchased a new astrophotography camera and was looking forward to taking images of the stars. It turned out that Bretton is also into astrophotography and we spent one fun late evening snapping images of the Milky Way! After catching the excitement of nighttime photography, we will try to plan future trips around the new moons for darker skies.

The first day at Silver Lake resort was a bit smoky due to fires across northern California, so we had to curtail our morning hike. However, we also brought our inflatable kayak and it was fun taking it out on Silver Lake. Lily and Bretton took turns with us enjoying kayaking on the lake as well. Additionally, there are some beaches on Silver Lake that are nice to walk along to see what the fishermen are catching. Our longest hike was to Lake Agnew and then to Gem Lake. It’s about 6 miles round trip to Gem Lake and took us about 4 hours to hike the steep trail and back. The trail is shared with the horses who take day trippers up to Gem Lake as well, so you need to watch your step. We saw the (utility) Edison’s mountain train along the way which seems to go almost straight up along the incredibly steep slopes, taking men and equipment up to lake Agnew to work on the power generation equipment at the dam. About a mile past Lake Agnew is Gem Lake within the Ansel Adams Wilderness area. Gem Lake is beautiful with striking blue waters.

Our friends Hugh & Cheryl are incredibly generous and insisted we all have dinner with them, social distancing, outside their motorhome every night! Food highlights were the grilled hot dogs and the fresh trout which Hugh and his friend Louie caught on the lake! On our final day, Hugh and Louie served their grilled Silver Lake trout which included 5lb and 7lb rainbow trout (career records)! Cheryl always made sure we had enough ice cream from the general store to follow the meals [including rocky road, turtle tracks (caramel and nuts), and mint chip]!!!

Before leaving Silver Lake, we had a chance to walk across the street to check out the public Silver Lake campground (which borders the lake). The campground is much more spread out than Silver Lake resort [and cheaper at as low as $23 / night (or $12.5/night with Senior Pass 62 or older)], with many of the spots offering extremely private surroundings. The main drawback here is that there are no hookups (and no dump station). There are water spigots spread out within the campground. So, if you plan to stay here you must account for how long you will be able to stay without a dump or electrical hookups. I think if we took outdoor showers we could probably stay about 5 days without needing to dump (black tank). Our solar panels allow us to have enough electricity pretty much indefinitely as long as there is sunshine since the Scamp is very energy efficient and we don’t have AC. Our top site picks after walking the public campground are sites: #18 (lake view, close to water spigot), #20 (lake view, private, water spigot close), #23 (along lake, private), #24 (private, no lake view, water spigot close), #25 (private, close to lake), #26 (private, mountain view), #27 (private, mountain view), #28 (private, mountain view, close to lake), #33 (private, close to water), and #37 (private, mountain view, and close to water).

We tried Birch Benders Pancakes (gluten free) for the first time the morning just before leaving Silver Lake ($4.49 / bag at Sprouts Market). The nice thing about these pancakes is there great taste and all you have to do is add water to the mix and then cook on your propane stove. Highly recommended (especially served with real maple syrup)!

The next few days would be without our solar panels (which I forgot to pack!). So, we weren’t sure if we would last from Thursday morning to Sunday morning (3 days) with just the power in our Scamp battery. We had 12.5V on Thursday morning (after being hooked up the past four days while staying at Silver Lake Resort) and were intent on making the battery last by using power sparingly. There are some essentials that are necessary to make the Scamp work (like the on demand water pump for the sinks, on demand pump for the toilet, and the pump for the shower drain).

Our second stop was the Twin Lakes public campground (30 minutes south of Silver Lake), part of the Mammoth Lakes chain. Dewey and Lily also joined us here (Bretton had to go back to LA early for work). At almost over 8,000 feet (8,563 ft.), this lake is high up there! Some campers told us they felt the altitude and some reported having slight headaches. Fortunately, we acclimated first a little lower at Silver Lake, so we felt ok. You may feel a little winded when exercising at this altitude. It’s important not to push it too hard your first couple of days and respect the elevation. We stayed at the Twin Lakes campground, which is a beautiful public campground adjacent to the lakes (which has a bridge between the two lakes) ($26 / night). There is water available here but no hookups, but the general store offers a dump ($15) and some other services including showers. We had Site #8 right next to the General Store. Our favorite site picks are: 23, 24, 31, 33, 34, 47, 49, 53, 54, 60, 61, 62, 64, 66, 68, 70.

The privately owned General Store here is excellent with some very nice souvenirs (including Mammoth Lakes t-shirts, coasters, and other Mammoth mementos), a lot of camping supplies, and food items. We purchased 2 lighters for our stove (always have a backup lighter!), Hershey bars, 2 High Sierra fisherman t-shirts, and 2 Mammoth coasters.
There is great kayaking and fishing on the lakes here and you can see the Twin Lakes Falls high up above. We hiked two great trails with Lily, one steep one up to the top of the Twin lakes Falls overlook and the other which looks down on the Twin Lakes from another side. We just had one night here at Twin Lakes (due to the lack of available reservations) but really enjoyed it. Dewey and Lily (and Sammy and Lu Lu) had to head back to home to San Diego the next morning. We headed on just a short drive higher to Lake Mary (elevation 8,966 feet), our third stop.

We stayed at Lake Mary Campground which is adjacent to Lake Mary ($26 / night) in sites #33 and #38 (we had to change sites due to availability). Our sites were not right on the lake, but were nice and quiet. Our favorite site picks at Lake Mary campground are: 12 (lake), 15 (lake), 18 (lake), 22 (lake), 23, 33, 37. Most of the campers here were tent campers with some motorhomes and trailers mixed in. There is a paved bike / walking path that runs through Mammoth Lakes and this path crosses through the campground. It provides a nice way to explore the area, including taking the Horseshoe Lake loop walk. It’s an easy walk that winds around Horseshoe Lake (a popular beach lake). You can also walk to Lake George from this campground (which is very close by). Lake George is popular for fishing. There were lots of stand-up paddle boarders and kayakers on Lake Mary. Coldwater Creek Campground is close by and serves as the trail head for the popular Duck Lake hike (long full day hike). We drove up to the campground, but it was so crowded that there was nowhere to park. There was a similar situation at Lake George with lots of auto traffic looking for parking spots. There is a small campground at Lake George, but we were told there are no reservations as it is first come first serve only.

Two must visit spots when staying at Mammoth Lakes are the Devils Postpile National Monuments and Rainbow Falls. They are about a half hour drive along a winding mountain road to get to the ranger’s station. After parking, its about a .4 mile easy walk to the Devils Postpile. It’s a solid wall of rock columns (columnar basalt). From there, it’s about 2 more miles to see Rainbow Falls which plunge 101 feet to the turbulent water below. Rainbows appear in the fall’s mist on sunny summer days. By foot, it’s about an hour each way to see both sights, but well worth it. It’s also possible to hike down to the base of Rainbow Falls, but that makes the trip much longer and more difficult.

In the end, we had a great trip and would highly recommend Mammoth Lakes. There are lots of things to do here with activities to satisfy just about anyone. Fishing, kayaking, hiking, stargazing, camping, biking and horseback riding are some of the top choices. And, as it turns out, that with careful use (only running the fan minimally and the lights and pumps when necessary) we were able to sustain our Scamp battery without solar panels. We ended the trip with 12.2V (minimum recommended voltage is 12V)! And our group of friends all decided to come back again next year!