Highway 395: Gateway to the Eastern Sierra Nevada Mountain By Robin Dohrn-Simpson
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orth of the Mojave Desert, the section of Highway 395 that runs to Mammoth Lakes and beyond, they call the Eastern Sierras. If you’ve heard of Yosemite, this is the other side of the mountains. The Sierra Nevada Mountains stretch 400 miles north to south and dissect California from the Central Coast to the Great Basin. Here you will find the extremes of Mt. Whitney, at 14,505 feet, the highest mountain in the contiguous United States, and Death Valley, the lowest point below sea level on earth, and the hottest registering 129.9° Sunday, August 16, 2020. Skiers have long traveled Highway 395 to get to glitzy, cosmopolitan Mammoth with its world-class runs, restaurants, and nightlife. Conversely, anglers and outdoor enthusiasts use the 395 as transportation to a world of quiet streams, majestic backdrops, and the possibility of a stringer full of trout. Each of the towns along this scenic highway has its unique charms. Here are some of our favorites.
Lone Pine
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Once you pass the Lemon House, you’ll know it when you see it; you’re getting close to Lone Pine at the base of the Whitney Portal. This is where intrepid hikers gather to prepare to hike Mt. Whitney. Here you find the Alabama Hills, a formation of rounded rocks and eroded hills juxtaposed with the backdrop of the jagged Sierras. They’ve filmed many Western movies, including “The Lone Ranger” and “Gladiator” in the area. If
