Recreation

Listed below are all of our recreation site statuses, in alphabetical order.

Current Recreation Conditions

Spotlights

Mt. Whitney Ranger District

The Mt. Whitney Ranger District is the southernmost district in the Inyo National Forest. On its western edge is Mt. Whitney, highest point in the contiguous United States. The district extends from the crest of the Sierra Nevada to the Inyo Mountains.  Recreation activities include hiking, fishing, climbing, horse riding, and more.

More Information for Mt. Whitney Ranger District

Mono Lake Ranger District

Mono Lake Ranger District is the northernmost district of Inyo National Forest. The western portion of the district is adjacent to Yosemite National Park, and includes one of the most spectacular and accessible areas of the Sierra Nevada. To the east is Mono Lake, and the world's largest stand of majestic Jeffrey Pines.

More Information 

 

White Mountain Ranger District

White Mountain Ranger District extends from the crest of the Sierra Nevada to the White Mountains. There are lakes, ponds, rivers and creeks for fishing. Roads and trails explore a wide variety of terrain and life zones. Elevations accessible by car range from 3,900 ft in Big Pine to 10,100 ft at the end of Rock Creek Road.

More Information 

Mammoth Ranger District

Mammoth Lakes Ranger District is located in the northern half of Inyo National Forest, and is centered around the town of Mammoth Lakes, CA.  While known for winter sports, it is also a mecca for mountain biking and fishing enthusiasts when the snow melts. Hiking and equestrian trails go into wilderness areas of Sierra Nevada.

More Information

White Mountain Public Lands Information Center

The White Mountain Public Lands Information Center is your gateway to recreation and wilderness exploration in Inyo and Mono Counties. Plan a trip to the Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest. Find out road, trail, campground and weather conditions. Pick up a guide to OHV routes, maps, recreation guides, wilderness permits, even rent a bear resistant food storage container.

Staffed by a combination of US Forest Service and Sierra Forever we provide visitor information for wilderness, campground, highway and weather conditions for the Eastern Sierra. public lands in Inyo and Mono Counties and beyond:

Additional information can be found on the agency websites:

• Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks
• Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Bishop Field Office

There is a Eastern Sierra Interpretative Association (Sierra Forever)  bookstore at the visitor center, with a comprehensive selection of books and maps of the region. Revenue from sales of these items helps support interpretative programs.

Wilderness Areas

Inyo National Forest contains approximately one million acres of wilderness, in nine wilderness areas. Wilderness areas include the Hoover,  Ansel Adams, Owens River Headwaters, John Muir, Golden Trout, South Sierra, Boundary Peak, White Mountains and Inyo Mountains. Three of these were among the first wilderness areas designated by Congress in 1964.

Approximately 30 million people live within a few hours’ drive. Forest visitors may use a network of trails that extend from Inyo National Forest into adjacent wilderness areas of Yosemite, Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks. The iconic John Muir and Pacific Crest Trails pass through these continuous wilderness areas and encompass some of the most spectacular landscapes in the United States and provide forest visitors with "outstanding opportunities for solitude or a primitive and unconfined type of recreation”.