Pine Grove Campground

There are single tracks and dirt roads here, offering something for bikers of all levels. The easy trails include a 1.2 mile loop around Horseshoe Lake, and 5 mile Shady Rest trail, while the harder ones are tough climbs up to the Mammoth Ski Area so you can fly downhill. Check them out on Gorp and also see this shorter list on DiscoverMammoth.

Sabrina Lake has a boat launch, rentals, marina and tackle shop, and there are no fees! Ideal for summertime fishing. There are a whole lot of lakes here, but Sabrina Lake is the only one which allows motorized boating. However, the majority of the lakes allow non-motorized boating, which means kayakers and paddlers can enjoy being out on the water!

Did we mention there are over 400 lakes and 1,000 miles of rivers and streams in Inyo? Well, you can imagine how great the fishing is…there are tons of rainbow, cutthroats, brook, brown, and golden trout. You can fish near camp on Rock Creek or up the road at Rock Creek Lake.

Continue past this campground on Rock Creek Road for trailheads that lead into the John Muir Wilderness and Little Lakes Valley. There are myriad options for day hikes and overnight backpacking trips.

There are a good number of horse campgrounds to stay at, as well as pack stations that will give you all of the info you need, such as Rainbow Pack Outfitters, and Rock Creek Pack Station.

You can launch your kayak, canoe, or SUP in Rock Creek Lake just 1.5 miles from Lone Pine Campground. Be warned—the stunning deep blue water of this alpine lake can be ice cold, even during summer. Other great paddling locations include Twin Lakes, June Lake, and Mono Lake.

There’s an expansive network of routes for off-road vehicles to explore: spanning 2,000 miles, you can drive up into the mountains for incredible views, see the historic mines, and stop at lakes for water play. Most of the routes are double track and there are 50 miles of single track and ATV trails. We recommend Poleta Canyon! Make sure you have a Forest Service spark arrestor.

You’ll find trad, sport, and boulder climbing sites along Rock Creek Road. For knowledgeable climbing guides and outfitters in this area, head to Mammoth Lakes or Bishop.

Thanks to the abundant snowfall, cross country skiers have plenty to explore, especially in the Mammoth Lakes area. Gorp offers descriptions of trails that you should look through to get a feel for the forest. You can also ski in the White Mountain Ranger District, home to the incredible Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest as well as Bishop and Rock Creek Canyons. You can also mush/skijor, ski/snowboard, sled/tube, snowmobile, and snowshoe. June Mountain and Mammoth Mountain have ski areas with lifts and gondolas, and you can also go out into the backcountry!

June Lake has a swimming beach to suit all your swimming needs, and there is a solid number of campgrounds that offer swimming access as well: Convict Lake (don’t ask us where the name came from!), Diaz Lake, Lake Mary, Silver Lake and South Lake are all great places for water activities.

The Inyo forest is home to black bears, mountain lions, mule deer, pine marten, pika, coyotes, raccoons, bobcats, martens, foxes, skunks and weasels; rodents and other small mammals; and reptiles that are common in the Central and Southern Sierra. Fish species include the Rainbow, German Brown, Little Kern Golden and Golden Trout (California’s state fish), the western sucker and squawfish. You’ll probably see great horned owls, bald eagles (winter), water dippers, the abundant cliff swallows, the California condor, and various waterfowl by the creeks. There are also endemic species such as the California bighorn sheep and the rare black toad.