TR -- Shepard's Delight

[richlong8]

The Cottonwood road is south of Owens Lake, and it is marked with a highway intersection sign. If you look to the west, you will see the Cottonwood Power plant, and the turnoff sits in a little "dip". That is the direction you want to go. The GPS heading is 36 26.605 N and 118 02.095 W. After the road crosses the aqueduct, the road will veer southwest until it gets into Cottonwood canyon. Then follow the canyon until the road dead ends, not much parking. It is about 5.5 miles from 395 to the end of the road, if I recall. There is a sign at the end of the road, and there are some old campsites near the creek. It used to be a campground, but is no longer maintained by the Forest Service. There used to be a road that come in to the area called Carrol Creek Rd, before the Horseshoe road was built, but I have never taken the time to figure out how to get on it, and where it comes in, or if it is still accessible. Anyone out there know about that one? I think that Cottonwood is a great early season low elevation hike. If you don't already have Jim Jenkin's books on the Southern Sierra, there is great indispensable info in them that is still pretty much accurate on trailheads, roads, trails, etc;

[East Side Hiker]

Very good info richlong8. Excellent. I hate the road to Horseshoe - but I love it. I hate it because its such an ugly scar on the Sierra, and though the hike up Cottonwood Cr is long and hard, I never minded. I love it because I'm old and it sure is easier to drive to 10,000' than hike to 10,000'. But so many people go there... Sometimes the parking lot is full. Dern...

But the hiking opportunities in that area are so great, its unbelievable. The plants I've found are incredible.