Hot Creek Hatchery Spur Road

This area is scenic if you get the right spot. I was here in early May, weather was cool and clear, and there were only a couple of other campers. I found a pretty level spot on a rise so my view of both mountains and river was great. The downsides are that there is deep sand everywhere; I had to abandon the first spot I chose because I thought I'd get stuck in the sand. And the sand meant a lot of dirt in my van from me and the dog coming and going in. The dog loved the area, but he sure dug up a LOT of human waste. Pack it out, people!! But the moonrise was spectacular and the area is very quiet. Next time I'll try one of the dispersed sites in the trees a little further down the highway, but this was ok...

We visited Mammoth Lakes, CA during early May after a winter of record-breaking snowfall. Because of the amount of snow, many of the campgrounds and BLM/NFS roads were closed. This site is a small turnaround on BLM land near the airport. There was enough room for our 31' Airstream and Malimish's Casita. If this spot is occupied, you can probably find others as the majority of land out there is BLM. If you're in a truck camper or van, you can take the right split before the turnaround and get a nice small spot with a view.

Upon arrival, we noticed lots of broken glass, shell casings and various trash. After a brief cleanup to protect our dog's paws, we settled in for the work week here. A couple of days later, a local stopped by and basically told us we were on his shooting range. (Ah, so he's the one who trashes the place.) Malimish told him it's BLM land and after an awkward stare down, he drove off in a huff. We didn't see or hear from him again during our time there.

This site is close enough to Mammoth, has great views, and cell service. The downsides are cleanliness and the final stretch of road coming in is narrow. We're in a relatively narrow vintage Airstream (94 inches) and had to hold back a couple bushes so we didn't scratch our polished aluminum.