Best Bishop area places to camp while climbing?

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Messages 1 - 13 of total 13 in this topic
mooser

Trad climber
seattle
Topic Author's Original Post - Apr 20, 2014 - 06:57pm PT
Gonna be down on the Eastside this next week (stylin' in a Westy), and wanted to check in with y'all on the latest word on Bishop area camping (hoping to hit ORG, Clark, and the Gong Show Wall).

What's your preferred place, and why?

Thanks!
tom woods

Gym climber
Bishop, CA
Apr 20, 2014 - 07:22pm PT
The Y boulder could use some glass pick up, but it's location is still great. Any of the spots at the top of the sherwin grade around the dreamers is good. The old pinyon site on the Owens Gorge road looks same as ever.

Horton creek is a nice pay site.

There's a million spots out by Clark canyon. The big springs campground is another great pay campsite with toilets and tables, and a huge spring.
Rick Vena

climber
SF,CA
Apr 20, 2014 - 07:22pm PT
I love dispersed camping. I hate generators and having to listen to someone blast a "book on tape" on their sound system. That being said, I stopped dispersed camping in the Milks and Alabamas because they are getting so worked.

Horton Creek BLM camp is my favorite down by Bishop. You won't get too many weekend warrior fisher-persons walking through your camp in pursuit of the Fish and Game planting vehicle....The Pit is a little squalid but mostly fun folks to rub elbows with. If you don't mind driving the grade, Hartley Springs and Glass Creek (both Forest Service) can be nice spots.
Jingy

climber
Somewhere out there
Apr 20, 2014 - 07:22pm PT
http://www.blm.gov/ca/st/en/fo/bishop/camping/horton.html - just don't sleep too close to the potties... the air is something...

http://www.blm.gov/ca/st/en/fo/bishop/bouldering/camping_b.html - great place to park and flop... great morning sun in winter/spring.

Buttermilks is good if you're into that whole thing...

Pine Creek Road - Isolated, sometimes full or almost, great moderate climbing is nearly walking distance away... - free - stream of water nearby makes sleep happen rather quickly... This is my rec.

On the way to Clarks Canyon there is a place on the side of the road that has nothing available but a spot to pitch a tent... maybe a restroom...

There are a ton out there. I believe any National Forest land is campable as well....

cheers

phylp

Trad climber
Millbrae, CA
Apr 20, 2014 - 07:25pm PT
Are you implying that you will be camping in your Westie and not needing to pitch a camp? Then for that itinerary, which spans about 40 miles, you can have 3 different bivys. The Pinyons for the Gorge (free, adjacent to gorge), Big Meadow for the Gong show crag (if it's open) and either the campground (pay) as you turn to go into Clark Canyon, or a free NFS space nearby (like glass creek).

Good luck getting your westie into Clark Canyon.
johntp

Trad climber
socal
Apr 20, 2014 - 09:39pm PT
Bump for Horton Creek. Get a site along the creek. Otherwise look up along Rock Creek Canyon.
whitemeat

Big Wall climber
San Luis Obispo, CA
Apr 20, 2014 - 10:45pm PT
I just got back from east side... I drove all the way to hortens only to find it was closed... its a long drive and worth it if open but currently closed sooo... pretty much any where on one of the millions of dirt roads to no where in the dessert will do!!!!!
phylp

Trad climber
Millbrae, CA
Apr 21, 2014 - 12:17am PT
Yeah, whitemeat, it's still a little early for Horton to be open. You can usually find the opening date on the blm website. Too bad you couldn't stay there. That's my favorite place. Love the views.
Todd Townsend

Social climber
Bishop, CA
Apr 21, 2014 - 12:27am PT
Horton usually opens around Memorial Day, about the same time that they close the Pit.

Be careful to put any food away if camping in Pine Creek, at one point there was a bear raiding people's campsites up there.

If camping at the Buttermilks, please be sure to drive all the way past the main boulders and across cattle guard before camping. The land before that is owned by LADWP and they do not allow camping.

For disbursed camping, be sure to get a permit from the forest service if you plan on having a campfire. They've found a few fires left unattended recently and have been cracking down.

Good luck getting your Westy all the way into Clark's. I hear that the road is really gnarly right now.
mooser

Trad climber
seattle
Topic Author's Reply - Apr 21, 2014 - 10:48am PT
This is GREAT feedback, y'all! And I appreciate the words on current conditions (like the road to Clark).

BTW, I didn't know they closed the Pit at any point. Definitely the least pristine of all possibilities, but sometimes a fun vibe to compensate.
Rankin

Social climber
Greensboro, North Carolina
Apr 21, 2014 - 11:02am PT
I'll also recommend Pine Creek. It's very pretty camping, but it can get chilly up there so bring your warm clothes. Horton Creek is nice as well. For the areas you are wanting to climb, the Buttermilks is a lot more of a haul, and there is more litter (especially glass) and dust. Have fun!
crusher

climber
Santa Monica, CA
Apr 21, 2014 - 05:06pm PT
Horton doesn't open until the beginning of May.

I would recommend that you bivy at the upper Gorge. Lots of great sites to choose from and this way you're sort of in the center of the places you want to go climb. Free, no bathrooms though.

The campground as you drive into Clark Canyon is Big Springs. It's usually full of RVs and thus, generators. You can bivy closer to the crag in the meadow but that's only if you can get the Westie down the bad section of road, which you really need high clearance for at this point.

Here's a link to the Forest Service campgrounds so you can see where they are and dates they open in case you want a pay campground with toilets, etc.: http://www.fs.usda.gov/activity/inyo/recreation/camping-cabins/?recid=20228&actid=29. Have a look because some of them are still closed.
mooser

Trad climber
seattle
Topic Author's Reply - May 2, 2014 - 10:20pm PT
Ended up staying at The Pit, which worked out great. It's definitely improved since the last time I was there!

The rain forecast chased us down to JT, and found us there, too, for a night of monsoon madness.

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