Great stop between LA and Mammoth for kids. There are nearby restaurants and gas stations as well.read more

Beautiful spot to have a picnic. Playground and creek are fun. Also has a gazebo. Plenty of shade…read more Dog park just next to it.

I came out here on a field trip with a class I'm taking this summer. It's 95 degrees, windy and…read morearid. Even as a visitor, I find these conditions to be uncomfortable, so I could not imagine being forced to live out here in subhuman conditions for an indefinite period of time. However, that is what over 120,000 Japanese Americans and Japanese Nationals living in the USA were forced to do during WWII - and 10,000 men, women, children and babies were forced to do just that at Manzanar. The Visitors Center is only open on Friday, Saturday, Sunday & Monday - so we were not able to see it, but we were able to eat our lunches in the Mess Hall. I also explored the barracks, and saw the rest of this historic site by bus and on foot. Don't miss seeing Merritt Park, the Children's Village area, and the Issei Obelisk. This site is a powerful reminder that History repeats itself, and visiting Manzanar is an extremely moving and meaningful experience for everyone. Peace.

I have driven past the turnoff for Manzanar over a dozen times. I have known about it since I was…read morein middle school but never went. My sister and I have been taking my nephew to significant sites of WW11 over the years starting with Pearl Harbor and Auschwitz. Being part Japanese, we felt this was an important stop. The grounds are very well maintained. The educational aspect of it is great. The rangers have taken great care to show an accurate representation of what "camp" life was like. The recreated rooms, shacks and monuments have been meticulously built. The rangers were great about sharing knowledge. The book store has some great books that are not available on Amazon. The parking is a breeze. The entrance is free. When entrance is free to somewhere like this I like to support by donating or buying items that help support the cause. I bought my nephew and I each a book and a couple other little things. I also really like that they participate in the Junior Ranger Program. It was a great way for not just my nephew but myself to learn too. It was a great family activity. I highly recommend visiting. It can be a little emotionally draining but it is an important part of American History that we cannot forget.

Great location right off the 395 to stop and stretch legs and use the park! We definitely want to…read morecome back here and camp on the lake and make a trip out of it. The park has been recently updated and they also have bathrooms.

June 17th was my 60th birthday and the first day of a 5 day road trip to Mammoth Lake. Diaz Lake…read morewas the first campsite of my trip and boy was it hot when I pulled into my campsite. It was 96 degrees! My site was near the lake and had a water spigot. My dog Frankie was hot so I placed her under the spigot and completely doused her with water to cool her off. The site was nice but if I camp here again it will be in the spring or fall. Camping cost me only $21.

Drove by so many times never got there, I didn't know this place exists,…read moreBeautiful, check it out, easy access and lots of parking.

Majestic falls accessible to all. If you're in Lone Pine, just take Whitney Portal Road 'til it…read moreends in a campsite (which is also the trailhead if you plan to hike Mount Whitney) and there's the waterfall to the right. We parked in one of the many available spots and were able to just walk up along the waterfall to get a closer look. It was really beautiful, surrounded by tall evergreens. Just needed a bear fishing, off to the side, to complete the National Geographic cover. Seemed like the trees along the water had cement to resemble bark, which I noticed while trying to steady myself standing on one of the boulders taking pictures. I've seen pictures of the falls frozen over in the winter, so hopefully I can make it up here again before the close off the road near the end of the year.

Yeeeee-haw! Wow! I…read moremade it through in one piece on the June 17 - 21, 2022 Rock Creek Pack Station Spring Horse Drive I cannot say enough complimentary things about the ground crew, staff wranglers, chuckwagon crew and the behind scenes crew that made this event a successful, memorable, lifetime experience. Didn't know I had it in me to complete a Horse Drive. (The tolerable temps made a HUGE difference. Thank you, Mother Nature! ) The veteran guests on the ride provided insightful knowledge of what to expect each leg of this. There were folks that are repeat guests...some for SEVERAL years! That's a statement in itself! Learning herd dynamics, appreciating the scenery, observing and experiencing the comradery amongst and with the staff is all part of the what creates this wonderful environment. The reflection of how the leadership has passed on their spirit of hard work, positivity, and fun of Rock Creek Pack Station to the staff. Thank you, Craig London. This is the real deal! If anyone wishes to live their cowboy / cowgirl fantasy, this comes pretty darned close to it. I didn't roll-out a blanket on the dirt and use a rock for a pillow, but....damn...those showers and tents were heaven sent and appreciated. And the food!!!! The BEST!!!! Thank you to the staff wranglers: Tristan, Tyler #1, Tyler #2, Ethan, Anna, Eddy, Sarah (hope I didn't miss anyone). Master of Horse and Mule: Mark Chuckwagon crew: K.K., Katy, and Alan, Jerri Ground crew: Mike, Wes, Sam, Isaac, Hunter I've likely missed a couple of folks and I apologize and thank you, too! I'm still coming off the Horse Drive cloud.....THANK YOU!!!!!

Amazing experience! Great ride options for all. Beautiful, healthy, and strong stock. Friendly and…read moreinformative team. We booked a day in the Sierra and it did not disappoint. Gaby was our guide and she was amazing. We rode Percy and Howdy. Forever memories!

Great scenery. It gets Cold and Windy in Winter time. I've…read moreheard it's the same in summer time, too. Definitely recommend.

The Alabama Hills area serves as a steady transition from Lone Pine civilization to Whitney…read morewilderness. + Quiet, peaceful scenic area. Pleasant nature ambience. - Minimal shade, water, and restrooms. Dry climate. - Barely anyone around to ask for help or directions. . Tip: I recommend stopping by Nightmare Rock and Mobius Loop trail to see the photogenic Mobius Arch circumscribing Mt Whitney next time you're cruising through Alabama Hills. . Fun fact: many old western movies were filmed among these hills, including Django Unchained.

A fun trail to walk with kids. There's plenty of free parking in the lot. The route to the hike is…read morereally just a dirt road. The trail is about a mile to and back. There are 2-3 porta potties available at the parking lot. There is very little to no shade. It's literally the desert and rocks. I do not recommend this hike during the summer. It's definitely too hot. Remember to bring a hat, sunscreen, and water!

+ Short, beginner-friendly hike. About 1.25 mile, 30 minutes…read more + Fantastic photo ops with vantages of arches circumscribing Mt Whitney. + Free access and parking. . One or two porta-potties. . Moderately crowded. . Minimal shade. - No water.

What an amazing campground. Let's start by introducing you to ranger Bob is amazing! Gave an intro…read morespeech about everything there is to know about the campgrounds. There's zero cell reception up here and even if you use satellite data, it's very spotty. The campground is pretty small, with roughly about 40 sites. Surrounded by tall trees, Mt Whitney, and the creek that falls downstream. Trout is stocked every Thursday, we arrived Monday and we still saw a lot of trout. We managed to catch 2 but these fishes did not bite even when the bait was dangling right in front of their mouth. The is a mama bear that roams the campgrounds especially at night so be careful and lock your car doors! This bear knows how to open car handles and will check every car. There is a bear storage so use it and make sure no food is lying around anywhere. The bear is said to be nice and it will walk away once she grabs what she wants. The elevation is a bit more than 8k. Amazing place, highly recommend. Will definitely come back sooner than later!

Had an amazing time camping at the portal campground. Campsites are very well located a 2-3 minute…read moredrive from the trailhead. Perfect for acclimating at some type of elevation before hitting the trailhead early (especially for single day hikers). Only caution is to bring bug spray or YOU WILL be quickly reminded of why you should have.

Lone Pine Lake is as far as you can hike via the Mt Whitney trail WITHOUT a permit…read more The hike is short. 5 miles roundtrip. Out and back. There isn't to much of an elevation gain. You cross across some rivers by stepping on big logs. And, there are nice views of waterfalls along the way, as well as the lake itself. It is a very fun and easy hike.

I think people are so consumed with summiting Mt. Whitney that they forget there's a beautiful lake…read morejust a short distance from the main trail. It's only 2.5 miles from the trailhead, but because of the high altitude it took us longer than we expected. The lake is at 10, 050 ft. and it is absolutely gorgeous! It was also very tranquil and had we not been pressed for time, we would've liked to sit on one of the tree trunks to just relax and enjoy the scenery more. The lake is also the only place you can hike to without a permit. Don't be stupid and think you can go beyond the lake without a permit! If you get caught by the wilderness police, i.e. Park Ranger, you'll be fined $5000 and a 6 month imprisonment!!

The Mt Whitney Fish Hatchery was a fun stop along the 395 near Lone Pine, mainly Independence…read more However, it is no longer much of a fish hatchery following a flood and fire affecting the factory itself. While fish still live there, it no longer houses the famous "California Golden Trout". The Fish Hatchery now holds an intriguing museum with tons of history, facts, and artifacts of the West's nature. The staff are very nice and thoughtful volunteers, whom are very helpful.

Beautiful stop. I've never been able to go inside, as it's always been closed when I've come by,…read morebut the grounds are well worth the stop on their own. Bring quarters to feed the fish :)