3-Day Road Trip On Highway 395 Along the Eastern Sierra in California

[@briane173]

By far my favorite drive in CA -- US-395 through Owens Valley and up to Mammoth Lakes. If you can drive through the deepest valley in North America and not feel humbled, you're dead -- fall down. It's actually deeper than it looks. The valley has two MILES of sediment piled up on top of the basement rock that forms the rift between the Sierra and the White/Inyo mountains. From basement rock to the top of Whitney is almost 5 MILES. You also drove over the escarpment from the Owens Valley earthquake of 1872 when you rode Whitney Portal Rd out of Lone Pine. Just after you cross the aqueduct, if you turn right and follow a couple dirt roads out into the desert landscape you'll come across the scarp, which has barely seen any erosion in 151 years. The west side is about 20 feet higher than the east side of the fault, and the entire Sierra range and Alabama Hills were lurched north about 40 feet in an instant. It is worth seeing; you can trace that escarpment from Diaz Lake all the way to Big Pine. That's about 50 miles of earthquake fault rupture.

[@melodyhart2017]

Shout out to your gradpa,i remember 20 years ago,I drove my Daddy from Birmingham,Al out to San Deigo for his last Ships reunion.We then did a tour from San Francisco,onto Denver ,Nebraska, the presidents at South Dakota,then Soux City,then home .Dad got home and had to come back from New Orleans because of Hurricane Katrina.,he passed away five years later at 95,but I am so glad I was able to drive him to see family.! You are so fortunate to be able to build great memories with your Grand Dad..

[@grizzfan08]

I've visited Manzanar before, and it's a very well-kept site. Yes, the Japanese Internment camps were a very dark part of US, and CA, history, and it's a good idea for people to know about these places. The museum itself is in the old camp gymnasium which is very well preserved, there's a barracks you can walk to, and there is the driving tour to go around to the camp (Manzanar was the 2nd largest of the camps). I would also recommend reading the book "Farewell to Manzanar" before going to the site. But I HIGHLY recommend going in person. Heads up about Tioga Pass: the road is clear of snow, but the road took a severe beating in a lot of spots. There's one downhill section before Lake Tenaya that has the road completely buckled and sliding down the granite slab. So, if and when the Pass is officially opened there will be a lot of traffic controls because of the repairs.

[@mark99k]

Thanks much for the note on Tioga. We'll be there in a few weeks & will take it to heart.

[@InterstateKyle]

It’s still not open as of July 15th. Hopefully they get it open soon.

[@Scoobylife]

Love your grandpa! He’s not old!!! We just got home from traveling hwy 395 mammoth to OC!💕🐾

[@dave11686]

Very cool! Great memories with your grandfather

[@InterstateKyle]

Thank you very much!

[@jimboslice956]

thanks for the video. 395 was my first road trip I ever took by myself ... I drove from Spokane to Bishop and have since driven almost all of the rest of 395 on different road trips. someday hopefully i'll do the whole route on one trip

[@InterstateKyle]

I hope you get to do that some day!

[@katymckey9444]

Hi! I love your videos because I love to travel but do not appreciate cliff side driving (don’t worry I’m always the passenger!). I’m wondering if you could tell me if there is any cliff side driving (sheer drop offs with no guardrails) driving US-395 from Carson City, NV down to LA? I’m mostly concerned about the portion between Carson City and Bishop as I know the piece between Mammoth and LA is surrounded by flat land. Thank you!!

[@scottfine2875]

Really cool informative video sir. Beginning of June, my gf & I took our 1st trip up 395 and stayed in Bishop. Went up to Sabrina, Convict, passed through Mammoth and drove the June Loop. Not 3 weeks later, I took my brother back up for a road trip and we stayed in Mammoth. Did 2 hikes there. I’m going back up this weekend for our yearly Tioga Pass trip! Cannot wait.

[@Rikrik1138]

In the Owens Valley on the other side of the lake is a town called Keeler, which has a road that gains 5000 feet in elevation in 8 miles, and ends up in Cerro Gordo, where Brent Underwood owns the town and is refurbishing it. He has a KZbin channel called “Ghost Town Living”. Fascinating channel.

[@InterstateKyle]

That sounds like a cool place to visit! Thanks for sharing!

[@melodyhart2017]

Purple mountains majesty,comes to mind at the shot of Mt Whitney, beautiful !

[@danpayan9468]

Your grandpa is awaome good memories of our grandparents fortunately stay with us i have grandchildren i have some good memories and now i have a great granddaughter im so blessed

[@mountaingrownnomad4212]

I moved to Mammoth 45 years ago in 1978 and forgot to leave! Your tour and narration of the area was very good and info quite accurate. But, always the ‘but’, my first education I was given (TOLD!) is the proper pronunciation of ‘Mono’. Both ‘O’s are long. As in Yoko Ono…mow-no It’s a dead giveaway who’s a tourist. So, next visit be sure and pronounce that first ‘O’ long and everyone will think you’re a local. Great video. I really enjoyed watching. I love when visitors love an appreciate the area. It’s what has made me a permanent resident 😉

[@briane173]

16:56 That's a good perspective on how _big_ the Long Valley caldera is, and how collossal the eruption was that formed it. The mere fact that you had to drive up about 20 miles of tuff to get to the top of Sherwin Grade is a testimony to how much tephra and ash blew out of that supervolcano.

[@CDRiley]

Fun video!!! I really like Trekking with Grandpa videos.

[@wendyroland7543]

Make those memories!! I’d give up everything to have one more road trip with my Dad and Grandpa ❤

[@SmokeyGoodness]

Great video, Kyle! I wouldn't mind heading out there sometime in the near future, but, Holy Moly, those gas prices just might keep me away. Why you gotta be so expensive, California! On an unrelated note, that Tri Tip was absolutely cooked to perfection! (Yes, I'm commenting from my BBQ channel). 👍😎👍

[@InterstateKyle]

Thank you! Don’t let the gas prices scare you away! I keep driving along this route every few years. It’s totally worth the trip if you get gas in Nevada or somewhere south of Lone Pine before you get to the Eastern Sierra. That BBQ was the best food on the trip by far!

[@thomas5714]

I had the Tri-Tip Sandwich & coleslaw at Copper Top, but only made it as far north on 395 as Bishop. Thanks for finishing the journey. My favorite repeated sentence prefix: "Me and my grandpa - - -." ❤'d it.

[@TheTracemann]

Great video diary of you and your grandfathers journey through eastern Sierra. I have always been curious Mono lake and its incredible history, I really learned a lot while watching. I really enjoyed the convict Lake footage and its interesting story on how it got its name. Awesome job guys, when and where is the next Journey?

[@InterstateKyle]

Thanks for watching! Not sure where or when the next trip is since the timing has to be right with both our schedules. But we will see what happens in the future!

[@erictstahl]

Great video. We did San Francisco to Yosemite to Lee Vining to Tahoe and back to SF. The stop in bodie was a highlight definitely go there and spend the day walking around and seeing the ghost town. Thanks for the video. I’ll check out Convict lake!

[@InterstateKyle]

Thank you Eric!

[@dwood78part23]

I know us 395 in CA is one of your favorite roads to travel on. Early this week, fellow YTer & trucker bigrigtravels made his delivery in The City of Industry, traveling down US 6 & US 395 along the way. It was still scenic as he was driving southbound to his point of delivery. I recommend checking him out as he live streams his journey as a trucker. In the meantime, I hope you & your grandpa enjoyed y'all time in the Sierra Nevadas.

[@InterstateKyle]

Thanks for tuning in! We had a great time!

[@stevenelson3515]

US395 in the Eastern Sierra is a seriously underrated drive. One of my favorites in California that, unfortunately, I don’t get to do very often.

[@simons5193]

Definitely visit Bodie when you get a chance. We have been there couple of times and love it. A lot of mining history.

[@InterstateKyle]

I love ghost towns. Sounds like an awesome place to visit!

[@keeblerelf2057]

Great quality time with your grandpa... ❣

[@InterstateKyle]

The best!

[@briane173]

28:34 Quite true. People are amazed at the population of seagulls in an alpine environment, until they discover that Mono Lake is a treasure trove of protein for seagulls in the summer -- brine shrimp and ephydridae (brine _flies)._ Trillions of 'em. They'll stuff themselves in the summer and breed on the Farallon Islands off San Francisco in winter.

[@Bitterrootbackroads]

I’m a flatlander from MN but made one trip down through NV, across from Hawthorne to Mono Lake, to LA & all the way back up 395 to Reno & homeward a few days later. It was a hurried trip for family obligations with little time for dead end side trips. It was hot, and a miserable trip. I can see it would be fun to do like this. Nice video!

[@slugfest100]

Really enjoyed the video! To answer your question, the ghost town of Bodie is definitely worth going back and seeing next time you're in the area. Every year my wife and I, and another couple, haul our side by side UTV's up to Bridgeport for several days. Our first ride starts near the North end of Bridgeport Lake and is the trailhead to Bodie -Masonic Road that takes you past several gold mining camps . You can then drive to the top of Masonic Mountain that offers breathtaking sights of Bridgeport valley and all the peaks surrounding it. From there, the road goes South past aspen groves and lots of beautiful high desert landscapes. About 12 miles later you drive over Geiger Grade and drop down into Bodie from the North. The view of the ghost town as you descend from Geiger Grade is truly memorable. This road can be easily driven by high clearance vehicles and four/all wheel drive is recommended but you probably won't need it in the summer months. Our second day we haul the UTV's West from Bridgeport to a trailhead not far from where you would turn off onto Hwy 108. This is one of the trailheads that lead to the top of Patterson Peak. This road is about 20 miles to the summit and is a bit rougher than the Bodie-Masonic Rd. This is one of the highest drivable dirt roads in the U.S. and when you drive up to the American flag at the summit you are at 11,673 feet. I'll leave the view to your imagination! This road is often used by Jeep clubs as an annual trek to the top. This is a rather wordy response to your question but just know that the adventure is just beginning when you drive through this area!

[@goldfieldfireworks7352]

Boundary Peak is the highest point in Nevada, at 13,147 feet above sea level. It is so named because its summit straddles the California/Nevada border. It is not the highest point in California, though - Mount Whitney is higher at 14,505 feet. Wheeler Peak is the second highest peak in Nevada at 13,065 feet - just 82 feet lower than Boundary Peak.

[@NonstickMilk]

I was led to your channel by @iammrbeat KZbin video on the Interstate Highway system. What a cool trip traveling through the Eastern Sierras with your Grandfather. I live off of US395 in the city of Ridgecrest. My job takes me up and down 395 between Kramer Junction and Mammoth. What a difference the highway becomes on each side of Ridgecrest. As you travel 395 heading North from Inyo county, as you noticed, much of it is now a well maintained four lane highway with some gorgeous scenary. It's like traveling through God's backyard. South of Ridgecrest, 395 becomes a poorly maintained two-lane highway that has experienced some deadly crashes. As you travel through San Bernardino county, both sides of 395 are decorated with crosses where accidents have claimed the lives of innocent motorists. Its been this way since I got my driver's license in 1980. You have to wonder, how did the state come up with the funding to widen the north end of the highway to four lanes while ignoring the rest? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

[@TheRoadCaptureR]

The moment when you said i won't see it in my life time but Kyle will😭😭

[@paulcooper7946]

Killer video.All of my favorite California scenery!

[@mreppen1]

After Mono Lake going north on the 395 gets fascinating to Tahoe, etc.

[@patriciawilliams6844]

I took my granddaughter to Virginia City and then down to Manzanar when she graduated to middle school. It was amazing that in the first year of middle school her class learned about WWIi. And when the teacher showed pictures of the Japanese interment camp, she said "thats Manzanar " .

[@Peace_nJoy]

What, you're on 395 n didn't go thru the Antelope Valley? Just at the foot of US50 coming down from the Sierras is the lush Antelope Valley, like an Oasis lined w trees, green meadows n Walker River, at 5500 ft elev. It was so pretty I bought some land on the river after first time thru. Standing at a clearing, you could see 360 of snow capped sierras.! Yes Hwy 395 is definitely a memorable drive. Thank you for covering!! 💙💚

[@Peace_nJoy]

How sweet is that lone fluffy white following you like a UFO patrol! Love it! 😊

[@AnthonyPinkerton-d7p]

Actually, I've been to the ghost town of Bodie, California. It's really surprising that at one time Bodie had a population of 10,000 people. The townsfolk abandoned Bodie in 1932 immediately after the mine of Bodie closed due to the Great Depression. Nobody ever returned. The other main reason why Bodie was abandoned was because all the available timber was milled at the base of the Mono Lake and hauled by railroad to the town of Bodie, to be used as shoring the mine!

[@dennisconrad6124]

My Great Grandmother is buried in Bodie in a unmarked grave. She was only 28 when she died from a bad heart. (the best I can guess it was around 1888) Her husband (my Great GF) had 3 kids of which my grandmother was the oldest at 8. The towns people took up a collection and they left Bodie on the Wells Fargo stage for Reno where they boarded a train for Ohio to go live with relatives. The 3 kids traveled alone with my 8 year old Grandmother in charge. Great GF stay behind for another 30 years. My Great Grandfather worked on the crew to run the power lines (Electricity) to Bodie

[@jeffspoehr1757]

Man oh man, the scenery is just so amazing and excellent. A very nice video. You need to work on your narration though. I'm not sure, was it you and your grandpa?! Sometimes, most times, you could have said "we" as in "we stopped for lunch". I won't even mention that it s/b "my grandpa and I". I'm looking forward to driving that in the near future. I saw an earlier video along 395 and they stopped at the rock formations used in the classic film "Tremors", but you didn't mention them? Why, or why not?

[@katharinajohn5619]

Thank you, WONDERFUL FILM. AMAZING USA..

[@daleradican2715]

Manzanar is definitely worth a stop. Lots of history that you don't learn in school

[@ninejot]

Thanks a lot for this great video and all your other great videos!

[@InterstateKyle]

Wow! Thank you very much for the donation! I really appreciate it!

[@CruzCruz-nw7fi]

Beautiful footage, no better drive than hwy 395👏👏💯‼️

[@InterstateKyle]

You got that right!

[@briane173]

40:00 Much of the magma under the caldera has cooled and crystallized, but there's enough molten magma and hot rock in the chamber to provide a lot of geothermal activity in and around the resurgent dome. In fact, the resurgent dome has been steadily rising about 1 cm per year since the large earthquakes that took place here in 1980. Mammoth Mountain is now spewing tons of CO2 per day, but its energy is coming from a different magma source. Mammoth Mtn is the southernmost in a chain of domes and tuff rings that follow 395 all the way up to Mono Lake (Inyo Craters). The mountain puts out enough CO2 to kill a forest around Horseshoe Lake, and it took the lives of three ski patrolmen on the mountain back in 2006. The geothermal activity in and around the LV caldera is no joke.

[@briane173]

1:01:11 Stately courthouse. Two of the most gorgeous courthouse buildings I've run into in CA are the Inyo Co. courthouse in Independence, and the Modoc Co. courthouse in Alturas.

[@grizzfan08]

Tioga Pass update: Hwy 120 will open the weekend of July 22, 2023. There will be no services available between Lee Vining and Crane Flat Junction, so please pack and plan accordingly. Since the road did take a heavy beating this past winter, there will be areas of road construction, particularly between Olmstead Pt and Lake Tenaya.

[@InterstateKyle]

That really sucks that they won’t have those places open for people to visit. This winter sure was destructive up there in the high country.

[@annadouglas7168]

Yes it would be worth it for you to go see Bode My husband and I visited a couple years ago Worth the drive

[@briane173]

41:28 I remember swimming in Hot Creek after a day of skiing back in the early 1970s. Can't do that anymore. Since the 1980 earthquakes Hot Creek has been under constant change and you never know when a steam vent is gonna pop up along the creek bottom, and like you said, it''s scalded and killed some people who didn't respect the unpredictability of the phreatic activity here.

[@eventtrading]

I did Hot Creek a couple of times and it stands out as Fabuloso Incredibali

[@jwfinley7808]

I remember when that was two lane!

[@jwfinley7808]

395 that is?

[@jwfinley7808]

your right Mr Finley your so smart

[@thomaswinnen4365]

Awesome video.. if you want a really beautiful scenic trip.. instead of taking 58 next time take 178 and take thru lake Isabella, it dumps you right at 14..

[@InterstateKyle]

I’ve never been on that road and I saw it takes longer to get to the eastern Sierra by taking that road instead of CA-58 so that’s mainly why I didn’t go on it.

[@boblister665]

I am Grampas age and am planning to do this drive next fall. I am driving cross country from Cape Cod planning to be in that area by mid Oct. Will snow be a factor that time of year? I will be driving my classic truck but it is 2 wheel drive only

[@briane173]

9:50 I stopped at Manzanar the last time I was down there; another dark chapter in our history that should never have happened. On top of the obvious racial bias, the US Army added insult to injury by taking all their hard-earned property so that when they were finally released they all had to start over with nothing, literally nothing but the clothes on their backs -- _American citizens, for godsake._ And God help you if you were a LRP in one of those internment camps. You either sold out or you were blackmarked as a spy and deported. It was shameful, and frankly I think little effort has been made to highlight this piece of history; it's been left to the children and grandchildren of the internees to keep this in our consciousness.

[@garyleibitzke4166]

Independence, Ca. is where the county courthouse & jail for Inyo county is located and that's where Charles Manson was jailed before he was transferred to Los Angeles for the murder trial.

[@Candidlife-clips]

Wow! beautiful video!

[@InterstateKyle]

Thank you very much!

[@raygallo626]

What month were you guys up there? Planning a trip up to the area in mid oct, can't wait, taking my adult sons up for a little fishing and site seeing . Awesome trip you and your grampa are doing great memories and awesome video really enjoyed it. 👍✌😎

[@InterstateKyle]

We were here in June 2023. I hope you have a good trip! I will actually be back here at the beginning of October myself checking out some fall colors.

[@raygallo626]

Thanx! You also when you return, I Enjoy your Videos, Keep up the good work👍✌😎

[@jdakat88]

Excellent!

[@boblister665]

I live 1.5 miles from rt.6 about 50 miles before Provincetown better known as P-Town here

[@jwfinley7808]

Grampa did you smell that? Ya it was me.😂

[@philipgackstetter1088]

I was thinking the same thing lol

[@mgman6000]

Why didn't you cut over to Reno and down 395?

[@kevinfestner6126]

I was not aware of the I-40 extension. I assume CA 58 will be improved, and the section between CA 14 and Barstow, the queen of the desert 😁😁 will finally be improved, too.

[@grizzfan08]

CA 58 is practically a freeway now between Bakersfield and Barstow, but those turn-off lanes on the Bakersfield side are still there. Also, no more "Russian Roulette" between Kramer Junction and Barstow.

[@kazemi1236]

How me time you need to say “ me and my grandpa “

[@johncraig7823]

Hmm you could not go over Carson Pass Hwy 88 to Monitor Pass Hwy 89, Sonora Pass Hwy 108? At Toms place turn off & go straight up the road Rock Creek Lake almost 10,000 Ft, Top of Conway Summit go up the road to Virginia Lakes & Trumbull Lake Campground almost 10,000 Ft Gas Prices in Walker just North of Bridgeport is over 1 dollar cheaper

[@garyleibitzke4166]

U.S. Hwy 6 across Nevada between Tonopah and Ely is even lonelier than U.S. Hwy 50 across Nevada. I've driven both and there's less on Hwy 6 than on Hwy 50.

[@jacobkoder4903]

Hey, Kyle. Good job on the video. Great info on 395. Ignore the whiners. 😆

[@InterstateKyle]

Thank you so much!

[@briane173]

27:30 Your dad reminds me of _me._ Looks like me, except he's about 40 lbs lighter (**sigh**). I'm guessing we're about the same age.

[@andygeyer1451]

June Lake beautiful, but bot it cangethuricane level winds

[@HattieWheeler-eu7qs]

Cool

[@wbl5649]

I want to there, but afraid of altitude sickness, did you or anyone experience that problem ?

[@InterstateKyle]

You don’t start getting altitude sickness unless you’re over 12-14,000 feet above sea level and even that is a stretch for most people. I’ve been to the top of a 14,000 foot mountain and was just fine and I’m not someone who is considered “in shape.”

[@wbl5649]

@@InterstateKyle thanks for the advice but lots of other information I'm reading States otherwise. Even the Mammoth websites...

[@Scoobylife]

@@wbl5649I get a massive headache and a nose bleed in bishop mountains and mammoth each trip, just hydrated with electrolytes and take Tylenol or Advil and keep the first day “light”. It’s worth it!!!

[@bhushaaa4244]

I’m curious. How many miles do you have on your car?

[@InterstateKyle]

27,000

[@bhushaaa4244]

@@InterstateKyle What about the one before it?

[@choua01]

someday i would like to see you do a drive on the Alaska Daulton pass to the north pole

[@InterstateKyle]

That would be one hell of a road trip!

[@pepcjim1]

Please say "Grandpa and I". It gives respect to the other party.

[@InterstateKyle]

Why does everyone care about this stuff?

[@anikindall]

It isn’t just about respect, it’s also basic grammar. You and your grandfather are the subject of the sentence, so it should be “my grandpa and I.” If you two were the object in the sentence, then it would be “my grandpa and me.” Because you used the phrase over and over again, it was very distracting. If you are going to narrate videos that people want to watch, this is basic English that you do need to learn. For many of us, hearing you say “me and my grandpa” is like nails on a chalkboard.

[@InterstateKyle]

@@anikindallagain I ask. How many people actually care about this stuff?

[@TheClimberbob1]

Please ket the poster tell HIS story in HIS own words. It shows a lot more respected appreciation. If you want better grammar, make your own post.

[@TheClimberbob1]

​@InterstateKyle if you have to ask, you won't understand.

[@patriciawilliams6844]

I tOok 10:50 10:52

[@jwebbw]

Grandpa's the star of the show, the narrator not so much, camera shy.I guess.

[@persiancucumber9255]

🧂🧂

[@JohnHeyd]

Just wish you would learn proper english It's not me and my grandpa- its My grandpa and I.

[@InterstateKyle]

Who cares

[@anikindall]

I came to say the same thing, so at least two of us care. It was so distracting. It is basic grammar that one learns in elementary school. Instead of saying who cares, learn something. Your videos will be better.

[@billfletcher7077]

I don't mean to be to nit picky but you video is full of misinformation. Nothing of any consequence, but as a resident of the Eastern Sierra living in Lone Pine I can't help but notice your misinformation. I also worked as a camp host for a number of years and learned and shared FACTS with thousands of guest.

[@Scoobylife]

You could add some facts and be super nice and encouraging! They are excited travelers!

[@eventtrading]

Sherwin Grade is as good as it gets.