22 Outdoors - Other to Explore in Inyo County
Checkout places to visit in Inyo County
Inyo CountyAlmost one-half of Inyo Country is within Death Valley National Park. With a population density of 1.8 people per square mile, it also has the second-lowest population density in California, after Alpine County.
Popular Activities And Trips in Inyo County
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Outdoors - Other to Explore in Inyo County
Artists DriveArtists Drive is a scenic viewpoint in Inyo County. It crosses a sloping mountainside composed of vibrant soil colored by rich metals. The drive passes an area dubbed the Artist’s Palette, which is among the unique landmarks in Death Valley National Park that must be seen to believe. Artist’s Drive is a one-way road traveling from south to north. For those coming from Badwater Basin, this is an ideal side trek en route to Furnace Creek.
Big Pine Creek North Fork TrailThe Big Pine Creek North Fork Trail will lead you to one of Southern California's most colorful gems - the glacier fed, turquoise colored Big Pine Lakes. This is a very popular area for backpacking, camping, and fishing, so you'll likely encounter other people while exploring. There are 7 Big Pine Lakes, numbered sequentially. For this hike, we only visited the first three, as snow and ice were blocking the trail for lakes 4-7.
Bishop Pass TrailheadThis Trailhead offers fantastic views nearly all the way, six lakes together with many ponds, streams and floral meadows, and ending by traversing a rocky slope above the final lake and climbing steeply to a saddle along the Sierra Crest at 11,972 feet. The hike begins at South Lake, reached by a paved road off Hwy 168, so the easy access, the relatively gentle elevation gain and the route to the Kings Canyon backcountry with the incredible scenery make the route often relatively busy.
Devils Golf CourseDevils Golf Course is a scenic viewpoint in Inyo County. It is a large salt pan on the floor of the Death Valley, located in the Mojave Desert, within the Death Valley National Park in eastern California. Although its exact boundaries are poorly defined, it extends from the vicinity of the Ashford Mill site to the Salt Creek Hills, covering a distance of about 40 miles.
Eastern Sierra Visitor CenterThis unique facility is operated by federal, state and local governmental agencies. It provides a regional orientation and information program to visitors from around the globe traveling to the Eastern Sierra Nevada, and Northern Mojave Desert. A wealth of world-class visitor destinations, are ready and waiting for exploration. At this location, one can view the highest peak in the “lower 48 states” - Mt Whitney - or plan a trip to the largest national park in the “lower 48 states.
Eureka ValleyA beautiful valley located in the eastern California in the southwestern United States. It is a graben, like most other lower-lying areas of the Basin and Range Province. The valley has two distinguishing features. Its shape alters the wind in such a way as to collect sand near its southern end, leading to the unique Eureka Dunes. Just to the east of the dunes, the Last Chance Range climbs over 3500 feet (1070 m) as near-vertical cliffs, displaying colorful rock strata.
Gower GulchGower Gulch is a small gulch on the eastern side of Death Valley in Inyo County, California. It is located in the Black Mountains. Gower Gulch is visible from Zabriskie Point and is about one and a half miles long.The gulch contained mines, camps, and roads during the late 19th century and early 20th century.
Horseshoe Meadows RoadHorseshoe Meadow is a vast 10,000 foot high meadow, surrounded by lodgepole pine forest. Getting there is an adventure in itself. Located at about 10,000 feet altitude it is a central hub for many day- and back-backing trips. A network of trails leads into the Golden Trout Wilderness or north into the John Muir Wilderness. Its easy access by the Horseshoe Meadow Road from Owens Valley contributes to the popularity of this area.
Keane Wonder MineThe Keane Wonder Mine and mill is an abandoned mining facility located within Death Valley National Park in Inyo County, California. It is located in the Funeral Mountains east of Death Valley and Furnace Creek, California. It was among the most successful gold mines in the valley and followed the course of a rich vein of ore. The miners attempted to remove as much of the ore as possible, and as a result dug out large areas, with only a few pillars to keep the mine from collapsing.
Little Lakes Valley TrailThe Little Lakes Valley is a spectacular, glacier-carved canyon bursting with lakes and wildflowers. What makes it even more special is that the Mosquito Flat trailhead lies at 10,300 feet, giving easy access to the rarified High Sierra. So your car does the bulk of the climbing, instead of your feet.This is a very popular area for camping, fishing, and hiking, so you'll likely encounter other people while exploring.
Mosaic Canyon TrailMosaic Canyon is a 4 mile hike in Death Valley with short sections of rock scrambling.The trailhead begins at the end of Mosaic Canyon Road, a 2.3 mile dirt road that begins just across the street from Stovepipe Wells Campground. The road is usually passable for most passenger cars, but you may want to check with the rangers if there’s been rain recently. Although there are some nice, shady sections of the trail here.
Mount TomMt. Tom is the immense, good-looking peak just west-northwest of Bishop. It is situated right on the eastern edge of the Sierra crest, allowing for a very large vertical relief. It is a popular back-country ski descent in the Spring years when there is enough snow. Elderberry canyon is the most popular ski descent. It is 7000 vertical feet of skiing and is steeper towards to summit.
North Lake campingNorth Lake Campground is situated among the trees and adjacent to the north fork of Bishop Creek. It is a lovely campground - all 11 campsites have shade among the tall Jeffery and Lodgepole pines. Three of the sites are very short walk-in's. The remainder have small parking spots at the sites. The road to North Lke is partially paved and partially gravel and is narrow and winding.
Panamint ValleyThe Panamint Valley is a north-south, 65 mile long and 10 mile wide basin formed between the Argus and Slate ranges along the west, and the Panamint Range on the eastern side. The valley is approximately 65 miles in length, and is more than 10 miles wide in the Hall Canyon area.
Racetrack PlayaThe Racetrack is a place of stunning beauty and mystery. The Racetrack is a playa--a dry lakebed--best known for its strange moving rocks. It was nestled in a remote valley between the Cottonwood and Last Chance Ranges. Racetrack is dry for almost the entire year and has no vegetation. When dry, its surface is covered with small but firm hexagonal mud crack polygons. It is a unique attraction of Death Valley National Park that not many park visitors get to see.
Rainbow CanyonRainbow Canyon is a valley in Inyo County and has an elevation of 1854 feet. It is commonly used by the United States Air Force and Navy for fighter jet training and is frequented by photographers who, from the canyon rim, are able to photograph jets flying beneath them.
Saline ValleySaline Valley is a large, deep, and arid graben, about 27 miles in length, in the northern Mojave Desert of California, a narrow, northwest–southeast-trending tectonic sink defined by fault-block mountains. The west end of the lake supports a salt marsh, which contains a variety of plant and animal life. The marsh is fed by a perennial stream from Hunter Canyon. North of the lake is a large area of low and sweeping sand dunes.