Camping at South Lake TH

If you've been searching for the best source of information and stimulating discussion related to Spring/Summer/Fall backpacking, hiking and camping in the Sierra Nevada...look no further!
User avatar
KathyW
Founding Member
Posts: 414
Joined: Thu Aug 26, 2010 6:19 pm
Experience: N/A

Re: Camping at South Lake TH

Post by KathyW »

If your vehicle is comfortable to sleep in you shouldn't have any problem sleeping in it at the trailhead. I've done it many times. I've seen people sleeping on the ground next to their vehicle a number of times in the parking lot at South Lake, but I've never seen anyone set up a tent in or around the parking lot.

So, if you are going to sleep in your vehicle you should be fine. If you're going to sleep next to your vehicle without a tent and you don't bed down until late at night you should be okay too. If you want to set up a tent, you might be better off staying in one of the campsites. I like Four Jeffrey and there is almost always space in that campground.

Once when I was trying to sleep in the back of my truck in Yosemite, a ranger woke me up at about midnight and told me he better not find me there when he came back later. He also said: "Just drive outside the park and pull over in Inyo National Forest because they don't care where you sleep."
User avatar
DavePloessel
Topix Acquainted
Posts: 82
Joined: Tue Sep 04, 2012 9:53 am
Experience: N/A
Location: sandy eggo

Re: Camping at South Lake TH

Post by DavePloessel »

As others have stated, you shouldn't have an issue sleeping in your car. If by chance a ranger does ask you to leave (I really doubt this will happen), there are plenty of pull outs along the road between bishop and the TH that will serve just as well.

I.M.E. it comes down to how big a production you make of your poach camping. If you are just snoozing in the car or maybe throwing down a bag/pad next to/under it, you tend to get overlooked. If you try and set up a tent/stove/full site behind a bush or mound of dirt, they tend to get testy...

Often it's worth it to just grab a bag and pad and hike in 1/4-1/2 mile and sleep.
User avatar
SSSdave
Topix Addict
Posts: 3523
Joined: Thu Nov 17, 2005 11:18 pm
Experience: N/A
Location: Silicon Valley
Contact:

Re: Camping at South Lake TH

Post by SSSdave »

Sleeping anywhere along roads or trailheads along the upper Bishop Creek roads outside of campgrounds within Inyo National Forest is of course prohibited. That is because it is within a "no dispersed camping" zone. The fact some people do so and have not been rousted is merely the result of general lack of enforcement due to usual budget issues.

However sometimes that does in fact occur if their personnel have reason to be up there which of course does occur. This is the same situation in all national forests that have designated "no dispersed camping zones" and such is always in areas of for fee campgrounds and near habitation areas. I almost always dispersed camp unless there is no other choice and do so legally. And camping includes sleeping inside vehicles although if there is someone up there actually checking, I doubt any would bother looking into vehicles and instead are more interested rousting those sleeping outside, especially if they set up tents. Note evening INF rousting patrols are more likely along SR120 going up to Tioga Pass that is also fully in a NO zone. One reason they will always do so is that if they never roust then it isn't long before the RV crowd starts setting up in such known spots with it all their "stuff".

So where to legally pull over and sleep? Anywhere outside the "no dispersed camping zones", including national forest and BLM lands but NOT Los Angeles DW&P lands of which there is considerable down in the valley areas. You can view it on this map:

http://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/r5/landma ... rdb5329473" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Then select this map.

Forest Visitor Map - Northern Portion*

The INF boundary is where the old kiosk entry station used to be (only we old folks will recall that) and that and a nearby gravel pit side road are perfect spots you are unlikely to see anyone else. I also like several places along the Buttermilk Road. See this topo:

http://mapper.acme.com/?ll=37.30632,-118.52377&z=15&t=T" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
User avatar
Big Ed
Topix Regular
Posts: 120
Joined: Sun Feb 24, 2013 12:00 pm
Experience: Level 3 Backpacker
Location: Fresno, CA

Re: Camping at South Lake TH

Post by Big Ed »

My mom spent three years as campground host at Big Trees,it's the first campground on the drive up from Bishop. Each day they would drive up and check their other campgrounds(including Willows),it was popular with backpackers looking to acclimate and seemed to be always full. That whole area is "Camping in campgrounds only",pretty easy for a backpacker to disappear though. Personally I prefer to go up the trail or into the woods and not hang out at the trailhead. If you focus on just getting through the night rested it shouldn't be a problem. Out of sight,out of mind.
Post Reply

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: Google [Bot], Highalpinefishin’, Karch, maxr22 and 135 guests