Rush Creek at Mono Lake
Posted: Wed Jan 10, 2018 10:39 am
Has anyone here explored where Rush Creek enters Mono Lake? It looks fascinating on the satellite image:
http://mapper.acme.com/?ll=37.95616,-119.05089&z=19&t=H
Anyone else here ever disperse camp or backpack camp in legal areas around Mono Lake? I've disperse camped many times along the road.
At Mono Lake one can camp outside the old exposed lake bed areas delineated by the dotted line on the above map except in developed recreation areas such as South Tufa, Navy Beach, Old Marina, and County Park. There is also a Recreation Restricted Area Boundary zone around the lake shown on the 2010 Inyo National Forest Map that otherwise prevents camping within about 1000 feet of the lake.
According to that boundary, where these map cross hairs show on the below map is the closest one can camp near the creek close to the lake:
http://mapper.acme.com/?ll=37.94946,-119.05968&z=19&t=H
That light line just left of the crosshairs is an old creek bank. Thus some protection from west winds. So about 0.4 mile sparse rabbitbush and sagebrush walk from where Rush Creek enters the lake. Note the old dirt road a bit west that ends at that area. One might park along the main dirt road at this spot per below map link, where one could also legally disperse camp inside a vehicle. That is the entrance to a boulder blocked old dirt road that one should follow to reach the lake. That is about 1000 feet from the above potential camp spot.
http://mapper.acme.com/?ll=37.94785,-119.06022&z=19&t=H
Note this interesting short tufa area along the shore 0.4 mile west:
http://mapper.acme.com/?ll=37.95512,-119.06476&z=19&t=H
There is another boulder blocked old dirt road at this road junction just east of the creek that also can be followed to the lake:
http://mapper.acme.com/?ll=37.94758,-119.05754&z=19&t=H
In the South Tufa area the no camping area is usually inside the dirt Test Station Road (heavily washboarded) that follows the shore west. More visible on this map:
http://mapper.acme.com/?ll=37.93888,-119.01288&z=15&t=T
The dirt dotted dirt roads on the topo can be extremely treacherous to drive on unless one has 4WD, tires, and extraction gear to deal with deep soft sand.
http://mapper.acme.com/?ll=37.95616,-119.05089&z=19&t=H
Anyone else here ever disperse camp or backpack camp in legal areas around Mono Lake? I've disperse camped many times along the road.
At Mono Lake one can camp outside the old exposed lake bed areas delineated by the dotted line on the above map except in developed recreation areas such as South Tufa, Navy Beach, Old Marina, and County Park. There is also a Recreation Restricted Area Boundary zone around the lake shown on the 2010 Inyo National Forest Map that otherwise prevents camping within about 1000 feet of the lake.
According to that boundary, where these map cross hairs show on the below map is the closest one can camp near the creek close to the lake:
http://mapper.acme.com/?ll=37.94946,-119.05968&z=19&t=H
That light line just left of the crosshairs is an old creek bank. Thus some protection from west winds. So about 0.4 mile sparse rabbitbush and sagebrush walk from where Rush Creek enters the lake. Note the old dirt road a bit west that ends at that area. One might park along the main dirt road at this spot per below map link, where one could also legally disperse camp inside a vehicle. That is the entrance to a boulder blocked old dirt road that one should follow to reach the lake. That is about 1000 feet from the above potential camp spot.
http://mapper.acme.com/?ll=37.94785,-119.06022&z=19&t=H
Note this interesting short tufa area along the shore 0.4 mile west:
http://mapper.acme.com/?ll=37.95512,-119.06476&z=19&t=H
There is another boulder blocked old dirt road at this road junction just east of the creek that also can be followed to the lake:
http://mapper.acme.com/?ll=37.94758,-119.05754&z=19&t=H
In the South Tufa area the no camping area is usually inside the dirt Test Station Road (heavily washboarded) that follows the shore west. More visible on this map:
http://mapper.acme.com/?ll=37.93888,-119.01288&z=15&t=T
The dirt dotted dirt roads on the topo can be extremely treacherous to drive on unless one has 4WD, tires, and extraction gear to deal with deep soft sand.