Trip Prep
Timing Your Trip
Peak Seasons
High Sierras Activities: Mid May - Mid October
Hiking/Climbing Down in the Valley: Early April - Early November
Skiing/Snowboarding: Late November - Late April
Mountain Biking: Mid June - Mid October
Incredible Night Skies
On a moonless night, the protected eastern side of the Sierra Nevadas provides one of the most vivid and jaw-dropping night skies in the state of California. You can thank the mountain range for blocking out light pollution from California's big cities in the west.
Resources:
TimeAndDate.com - Moon Phases for Mammoth, CA
American Meteor Society - Annual Meteor Shower Calendar
PhotoPills - A Guide to the Best Meteor Showers in 2018: When, Where and How to Shoot Them
Trip Research & Wilderness Permits
Where & When are Permits Required?
Any overnight backpacking trip in the Inyo National Forest, Ansel Adams Wilderness and John Muir Wilderness areas. Car camping at designated campgrounds and day hiking in these areas do not require permits
Overnight Wilderness Permits - Inyo National Forest
As you'll see on the Eastern Sierras Wilderness Permit Boundaries map below, the John Muir Wilderness area is divided straight down the middle. Inyo National Forest contains the eastern halves of this territories where Hwy 395 runs, and Sierra National Forest / Kings Canyon National Park holds everything west of Inyo.
Even if you're doing a thru hike that takes you westward into Kings Canyon, you'll probably be applying for overnight wilderness permits through the Inyo National Forest system (at least to start out with).
Wilderness Camping
Any form of wilderness camping outside of a designated campground (basically backpacking) in Inyo National Forest requires an overnight permit. See instructions below:
USForestService - For Information on Inyo National Forest Wilderness Permits
Reservation.gov - Apply Here for for Inyo National Forest Wilderness Permits
Reserving your Permits through Reservation.gov
On the landing page for Inyo National Forest Wilderness Permits, select your desired trailhead or starting point, either on the Permit Area Map or the Trail List. You'll see a long list of options to select from, so if you're confused on which location to pick, you may need to do a quick Google search of your hike to confirm.
Select your desired permit type and trip date while referring to the legend at the bottom of the page to find open permits (dates marked with an "A" are available). Reservations are on a first-come-first-serve basis up to six months (168 days) in advance of any given trip date.
Remember that your online reservation is not the permit itself. You still need to pick up the physical permit in-person at the nearest ranger station on the day of (or day prior to) your trip.
Note: If your desired location is not listed, it most likely has a separate permit application process.
Sierra Nevada Trip Planning Resources
National Park Service (nps.gov) - Your best resource hub & information center for all national parks and monuments in the Sierra Nevada mountains, including Yosemite, Sequioa & Kings Canyon, Devil's Postpile and Death Valley. Use this as a starting point for wilderness permits, maps and updated safety alerts. Some reservations for campsites and permits are handled directly through this website; other times it will send you to Reservation.gov.
USDA Forest Service: Inyo National Forest - Your best resource hub & information center for all non national park wilderness areas in the Sierra Nevada mountains, including the surrounding areas of Lone Pine, Big Pine, Ansel Adams, etc. Use this as a starting point for wilderness permits, maps and updated safety alerts.
Reservation.gov - Reservation website for campgrounds and wilderness permits in the Sierra Nevada area. Generally (but not in all cases), National Park and Forest Service websites will direct you here to select and book your campsite.
SierraWild.gov - General information on trip planning, specifically geared for the Sierras.
Inyo National Forest Ranger Districts
Click to Expand. | Big Pine, Bishop and Surrounding Wilderness Permit Areas.
Courtesy via the USDA Forest Service
Eastern Sierras Wilderness Permit Boundaries
Click to Expand. | Big Pine, Bishop and Surrounding Wilderness Permit Areas.
Courtesy via SierraWild.gov
Eastern Sierras Overnight Wilderness Permit Locations
Reservable Overnight Wilderness Permit Locations in Inyo National Forest. Click to Expand. | Courtesy via Reservation.gov
Maps
Hiking - Big Pine
Recreation.gov - Big Pine Lakes Area Map
ModernHiker - Fantastic Day Hike! Big Pine Lakes via the North Fork Trail
Bishop Climbing
MountainProject - Happy Boulders Climbing Area
MountainProject - Buttermilk Main Bouldering Area
Camping
Bureau of Land Management - Maps for Every BLM Territory in the US
Budgets
Itemized activities
Baseline Essentials
Food
$30 per day
Gas
Calculation: (total miles round trip / vehicle MPG) * price of gas
Example trip from Los Angeles: (640 / 25) * $3.60 = $92.16
Firewood
$36 per day
Example Budget for a Recent trip to BISHOP
Trip Parameters
Budget is based on 2.5 days of adventure including travel time. The trip starts from Los Angeles (640 miles), using one car with three people. Departure time starts Friday afternoon (Day 0) through Sunday night (Day 2).
Baseline Expenses
Individual Expenses: Food & Alcohol - 2.5 days = $120 (we splurged)
Group Expenses: Gas ($3.70 per gallon: $85) / 3 people = $28.33 per person
Group Expenses: Lodging ($60 per person - group rate) * 2 nights = $120 per person
Total: $268.33 per person
Day 1: Climbing at The Happy/Sad Boulders, Mammoth (Long Valley) Hot Springs
$0 - Whew!
Day 2: Climbing at The Buttermilks
$30 - All on baked goods from Schat’s Bakery (gotta stock up!)
Trip Total
$298.33
