thomasm650 wrote:
I am planning to drive along the Eastern Sierras this fall and would like some recommendations:
a) What is best month(s) for Fall color?
b) Good photo site locations?
c) Tent camping sites?
I'll be traveling alone, and planning my stay from Sunday to Friday before heading home. I believe I am pretty well equipped with camera gear, and 4WD pickup, but I welcome any additional recommendations or experiences you wish to share.
Thanks.
Tom
Where are you starting from and where are you ending up at? S-
ShotHotspot
http://www.shothotspot.comThe Photographer's Ephemeris
http://photoephemeris.comthings to do on the 395
https://www.google.com/#q=things+to+do+on+the+395GasBuddy
https://www.gasbuddy.comI usually blow through it at night, but here are some spots I like along the 395 heading North
- Red Rock Canyon State Park (pretty, but brutally hot this time of year)
- Fossil Falls Scenic Area (it's non-descript, but worth the side-trip) on the Right
- Statues of Highway 395 (odd enough to make them worth stopping for) on the Left
- Cottonwood Charcoal Kilns (they are gated and hard to photograph) on the Right
- Eastern Sierra Interagency Visitor Center (a great place to stop and get your bearings)
- Lone Pine Film Museum (I haven't done it, but it looks nice enough) on your Left
- Alabama Hills Recreation Area (this is a hidden gem and I can give more detail if you like) on your Left (Camping)
-- It's 4.4 miles from Lone Pine to The Mobius Arch Loop Trailhead where I typically stop to watch the Milky Way rise over Mount Whitney before heading up to the Whitney Portal in preparation to climb The Mountain. This is where a lot of Westerns were filmed and there's First Come First Server Camping where-ever you want. There's no water, or other facilities, but you're less than 5 miles from town and it's a treat if you've never been!
- Whitney Portal (this is a hidden oasis 11 miles from town. It's a picturesque place, a great place to cool off, and there's an amazing diner there too! If you're into landscapes Mount Whitney is the highest in the contiguous United States at 14,508 feet and is easy to photograph starting at the Whitney Portal signpost. I like to shoot it though The Mobius Arch, but most people confuse it with the triangular one just left of it.)
- Manzanar Internment Camp (I haven't been but always meant to)
- Fort Independence Travel Plaza (a great place to get gas) on your Left
- Ancient Bristlecone Forest (this is an amazing side-trip, but should be planned ahead of time) on your Right (Camping)
- Bishop Creek (especially if the trees are turning) on your Left
- Convict Lake (at Sunrise from the nearest shore is amazing! Can't recommend it enough, but only at Sunrise) on your Left (Camping)
- Mammoth Lakes and Devils Postpile National Monument (stop at the Ranger Station and ask all there is to do!) on your Left (Camping)
- Mono Lake (a must, and better in the early morning or late evening) on your Right
- Tioga Pass towards Yosemite (another amazing side-trip you can do in a day, or take a week) on your Left (Camping)
- Bodie (once again another amazing side-trip, but a full day if you're shooting it) on your Right (Camping)
That's about as far as I've been that makes any sense to you although I've been to Lassen, but it was a long while back.
One last thought, is to check the Moon phases and see where the Milky Way is as the Alabama Hills, Mono Lake, Tioga Pass, Bodie, and so many more almost beg to show you the stars and this coming week should be spectacular! I use Stellarium
http://www.stellarium.org to get an idea of when and where.
I'm going to try to hike the JMT later this week, but if I can offer any other help before then please feel free to ask! S-