Buttermilk Road Dispersed Camping

FIRST:
If you plan to camp here be ready for a rough ride especially if pulling a single axle trailer like I have. Rocking horse! Sometimes slower works, sometimes faster works but your home will experience an earthquake either way.

SECOND:
I would advise looking at satellite imagery of the area before heading in. Do this in Bishop or somewhere where you know you have cell coverage because once you're there you won't have anything.

THIRD:
City of Los Angeles has NO CAMPING signs posted all over the place so I couldn't feel good about camping and being legal. I turned around and went somewhere else. I went to Pine Creek Rd and had a good experience there. I met some fellow full time campers who told me that that area is checker boarded in terms of public vs private land so you need to look at a map of property lines to know where you're legal.

Stayed for a few nights in mid-April, weather and views were awesome. We’re in 34 foot travel trailer and it was definitely rough but manageable. The best bet may actually be right up front, there are a few really open spaces that were taken when we were there, but you can definitely venture up the road too... however dont recommend going past the main parking lot. We did and it was an effort to get turned around. I would scout first to avoid that entirely, speaking of, three different people offered to scout for us... the campers there were so friendly. Rangers patrol daily. You can dump and fill at the Arco, as mentioned. This place gets pretty crowded with climbers during the day and campers in and out, we were right off the road and there we’re about 8-10 cars an hour some days. Laundromat and groceries in Bishop. Overall really liked this spot.

So far one of the most scenic places I’ve camped. I’m a traveling climber who sleeps in my car/tent and chose to sleep here in a tent beginning of April. I stayed I. The spots going straight past Buttermilk Boulders.

As long as you secure your spot early in the day, should be okay. I had a spot that overlooked the mountains and close to all boulders in the area. Pre-existing fire pits. PACK IN PACK OUT. Outhouse next the bouldering area.

For sure would recommend high clearance vehicle, but I was able to drive my sedan to get here. Drove right past the marker on the map and the camping area is a loop.

BE SURE TO BRING ALL SUPPLIES IF YOUR PLANNING ON STAYING HERE MULTIPLE NIGHTS, it’s a trek to get back in town if you don’t have a high clearance vehicle.

We're climbers and boondock full time and were hoping to get a spot next to the boulders. After reading all the reviews and doing recon on Google Maps Satellite, we arrived to a slew of signs that show the area is closed to camping.

City of Los Angeles Property
No Camping
No Fires / Stoves

See the image uploaded here on the review.

This was after riding on some of the worst washboard roads we've ever been on (image also here on Campendium). I'm sure the signs stop the further you go up the road, and although we've taken our rig in spots we shouldn't have in the past, I didn't want to risk it.

There is one spot for an RV our size (24') but was currently occupied. There's also a large parking area that had several Class B's, and we would have fit there, but the lot was full (just now getting into climbing season).

We left and headed to Volcanic Tablelands on Campendium. There are the same signs here when you first enter, but there are spots further back on Casa Diablo Rd. This is what leads me to believe that there may be further potential far up Buttermilk Road, but seriously, I would never take a rig up that road.

*Edit* I did just talk to someone with experience in the area and there is indeed camping further up Buttermilk Road.

I stay way out at 37.309440,-118.606267. The road in is long and rough. I'm in a van and wouldn't recommend anything other than sturdy vans or truck campers way up here. It isn't level, but I was able to get close enough. There aren't a lot of spots for larger rigs and they were all full the whole time I was here.

The views are outstanding in all directions and the cell service is decent. Without a booster Verizon was 3 down, 4 up and ATT was 27 down, 4 up.

This spot is high enough to get out of the heat of the Owens Valley. The town of Bishop has everything. The Grocery Outlet had a good selection of organic produce. Free RV dump at the Arco.

Camping on Buttermilk Road is stunning AND cell service was good enough that we were able to work during our stay!

When we arrived it was pretty crowded with rock climbers and we didn’t think we were going to be able to find a spot, so we grabbed the first one that would fit our 27' trailer.

After the weekend, it cleared out and there were only a few other campers remaining, all spaced at at least ⅛ a mile apart.

Up the road past the pinpoint on Campendium, and past where we camped there were some more spots, but I would recommend scouting before driving with your RV.

Verizon - 16.7: Mbps, UPLOAD: 4.21 Mbps
AT&T - 9.85: Mbps, UPLOAD: 5.27 Mbps