California US 395

That’s not really considered a road trip; the 395 is just a morning’s drive to get to Bishop/Mammoth. Or if you’re well trained and well prepared with a permit, it’s the route you drive to get to Mt Whitney to begin the ascent to the highest peak in the continental US.

The beautiful hiking is the Mammoth area and June Lake.

CA law mandates that everyone stop at Schat's Bakery in Bishop. (:

What time of year would you go? There are a few short walks to stretch your legs but you wouldn't want to stop to stay until Lone Pine. The Western History Museum is a fun stop and there's a driving map of film locations in the nearby hills. You could consider side trips to Death Valley and the Bristlecone Forest. I agree with the above poster that the scenery improves after Bishop. There are some wonderful hikes between Bishop and Mammoth.

Manzanar National Historic site, south of Bishop, preserves the WWII internment site for Japanese Americans on the West Coast. It is a haunting site. I recommend it if it would interest you.

I agree that it would be ideal if you could continue north to the Mammoth and June Lakes area. There are many places to stay there.

395 is one of my favorite drives. But IMO the best way to do it is start at Tehachapi and see a train cross over itself at the loop. Then head over to Bakersfield, but turn early and go up to Lake Isabella. Then head to Inyokern, and pick up 395 north. A good hike around this point is up to Kennedy Meadows. When you get to lone Pine you should go up to Whitney Portals. On the way, if you look close you can stop and see the scarp where the 1876 earthquake pushed the Sierras up 25-30 ft in less than a minute.

North of Independence, on the right, you'll start seeing some low hills. Those are lava beds. On the left the foothills and up are part of the Big Horn sheep preserve. You can hike up that way, maybe you'll see something, but probably not once it starts getting warm when they head up.

Over by Fish Springs there's an old mill site. It's been years since I hiked up there and even then there wasn't much left. But the reservoir is a good place to stop and take a break. I always liked Big Pine. It get's really busy when trout season starts, and again for hunting season, but the rest of the year folks just pass through.

North of there you start running into the hot springs. Keough Hot Springs is pretty commercial, but you can buy guide books to some of the really remote ones. Those can be fun. They run all the way up to, at least, June Lake.

From Bishop going North you really start to climb, and going up to Tom's Place or Lake Crowley it's really pretty. This is prime fly fishing country if you're so inclined. Then you have Mammoth, which is busy in the summer as well as ski season, mainly with hikers and mountain bike types. You can take a bike up on the ski lifts and ride down; that's fun. A good hike here is the one to Obsidian Dome, where primitive natives would gather rock that they traded all over the western states for spear and arrowheads, and other tools.

June Lake was always a favorite of mine. One of my old friends from Boy Scouts retired there. June is to snowboards what mammoth is to skis. But the lake is nice in summer too.

Lee Vining is where you pick up 120 and head into Yosemite Valley via Tuolumne Meadows. Beautiful country. Good hiking around Mt Dana. Then you have Mono Lake and the run to Bridgeport. And then another 40-50 miles into Lake Tahoe. You can easy spend a week on 395. I have. Many times.

dacase,
Cindy, Barbara, KGC and KD have all given you good advice. South Lake outside of Bishop is nice also. And definitely Manzanar and the Western History Museum! We have driven 95 all or part way numerous times. It's known as the backbone of California, and rightly so. The drive into Yosemite through Tioga Pass is nearly 10, 000 feet. Depending on when you go there may be snow, sometimes well into June. Make sure it is open. It brings you into Tuolumne Meadows, a beautiful location in the park. There is oh so much along 95! Great road trip!

Oops! 395, not 95!

Thanks for the advice. Roadtrip,will probably be in September. I may ask additional questions as I plan. Thanks again

We used to travel from Tahoe and loved going on 395 to So Cal to avoid the 5/210 highways.

It's a way cool drive. I was looking for the guide we used the last time we did the route, but I found this one instead which is quite good. https://californiathroughmylens.com/highway-395-roadtrip/

For anyone driving 395 I highly recommend a slight detour for a stop at Bodie State Historic Park near Bridgeport. Bodie is a ghost town in an arrested state of decay. A boom town in 1876 after gold was discovered the population went into decline and came to be described as a ghost town around 1915. My great great grandfather had a store there and died there. It is truly a unique place.

Hwy 395 from north of Barstow to the Canadian border is very scenic & historic with lots to see and do. Suggest AAA guides for info and accommodations. Where ever you go along 395 or daytrip nearby, you will enjoy the trip. A slight correction: Mt Whitney (14,404 ft) is the highest peak in the contiguous USA. Alaska's Denali (20,320 ft) is the highest peak in the continental USA, Canada & Mexico. Whitney is a strenuous climb but does not require a major expedition as does Denali.