Bishop Things to Do Tips by mtncorg

Outdoor activities are what brings most people to the Bishop area - whether it is hiking in the Sierra - or Whites - or fishing in the Sierran lakes and streams.

Two main wilderness portals lie about 17 miles west of Bishop at the end of California route 168: North Lake and South Lake. From South Lake, starts the Bishop Pass trail, one of the busiest portals to some of the highest areas in the Sierra. From here, many like to start backpacking ventures to as far away as Mt Whitney, many miles a more than one week to the south. The hike up the pass covers about 5 miles, going from 9760 feet high to almost 11900 feet. You pass several gleaming lakes that invite you to stop. Atop the pass lies the barren Dusy Basin and the backside of the towering peaks of the Palisades.

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Address: South Lake off CA 168
Directions: Take CA 168 west from Bishop up alluvial slopes. A few miles before the road ends, a signed junction takes you left to South Lake to a parking lot by the trailhead near the South Lake dam.

Just before the end of CA route 168 out of Bishop, you will see a sign for North Lake. There is a campground at the end of the road and a trailhead. This trail heads over Piute Pass in about 5 miles going from 9369 feet to over 11400 feet. There are several lakes in the upper reaches of the canyon for fishermen. Backcountry enthusiasts will find Piute Pass to be a doorway to wide-open barren landscapes of Desolation Basin and the adventurous off-trail route looping back to the roadend via the Keyhole (or Alpine Col) - Darwin Canyon and the Lamarck Col.

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Address: North Lake
Directions: A mile before CA 168 ends, there is a signed right to North Lake.

This basin lies to the north of Piute Pass. It is above timberline and is a morass of rock with a mulitude of small little canyons in which to either lose yourself or get lost. Mt Humphreys towers on the eastern edge. Several lakes and tarns can be found throughout the basin with the largest being Desolation Lake.

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Address: Desolation Basin
Directions: Wander crosscountry north from Piute Pass -take a map and know how to use it!

The trailheads for both North and South Lakes -on appropriately, the North and South Forks of Bishop Creek - are trailheads for major Sierran trails which go serve for going over the Sierran crest. Each of those trails sport several very pretty lakes. But for the best lakes in the area, go to the trailhead which begins at the end of CA 168 at Lake Sabrina. This trail goes up the watershed of the Middle Fork and unlike the other two trails, it deadends on the eastern side of the Sierran crest. From the roadend, 9080 feet, you come to the first lake after about 3 miles, Blue Lake, 10420 feet. The Thompson Ridge raise high on the SE edge of the lake. It has wonderful campsites and a sidetrail will take you to Donkey and Baboon Lakes, but the main trail goes right and in a couple more miles it reaches the heart of the lake basin - Dingleberry, Midnight, Topsy Turvy, Moonlight Lakes. Mt Darwin, Mt Haeckel and their fellows rise high above. Just ahead lies the lake with the great moniker of Drunken Sailor Lake - see the picture from the Bishop introduction.

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Address: Lake Sabrina trailhead
Directions: End of CA 168 form Bishop

A little over 6 miles from the Lake Sabrina trailhead, lies Hungry Packer Lake. The trail ends here beside this glorious alpine lake, mounatins surrounding. A crosscountry route does go on but the pass crossing is difficult and most will be happy to absorb the scenery from the lake here, 11100 feet high.

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Address: Hungry Packer Lake
Directions: End of the trail from the Lake Sabrina trailhead. Which in tur is at the roadend of CA 168.