Hi Lovelies. Finishing up my travel content from our camping trip with these 5 Top Things to Do in Inyo County with your Family. This is a spot we will definitely be checking out again and I highly recommend for a family camping trip.
Planning your trip to Inyo County? Be sure to check out my travel guide to Death Valley. It’s another great stop in the area.
1. Alabama Hills
Alabama Hills is a beautiful spot to explore. There are a ton of hike options. Including the Arch Loop Trail which is a short loop to check out a couple really cool rock arch formations. Be sure to walk behind the main arch to see Laithe arch. If you go inbetween the rocks you have an amazing view of Mount Whitney right inside the arch loop.
2. Reward Mine
Reward Mine definitely requires 4×4 to get to it by car. However, we went as fas as we could go and then walked the last half mile. Here are couple tips make sure you have water, snacks and lights. This mine is massive and you can drive your car into it. We walked back and it’s about a quarter of mile back until you get to the actual old mining area. Be prepared it GETS DARK. WE had head lamps, flashlights and our phones.
3. Manzanar
Manzanar is a Japanese Interment Camp where Japanese Americans were sent during WWII. You can currently drive or walk through, but the visitors center is closed. We stayed in our car and it was easy to pull up and read all of the plaques for each station. Some of the buildings are demolished and you can see where the hospital once stood, the children’s area and other buildings. There are plenty of building still standing that can give you a look into what life would have been like when Manzanar was home to over 10,000 Japanese Americans.
4. Whitney Portal
The closest you can get to highest point in the lower 48 states without doing the hike. Sitting at 8,400 feet, Whitney Portal is where most hikers start their ascent to Mount Whitney. However, there is still plenty to see, even if you aren’t planning on doing the full hike. There is a beautiful day-use area for a picnic, as well as a year-round waterfall to see. If you are in the mood for a hike, the 6.5 mile out and back trail to Lone Pine Lake is well worth it. If you do that, don’t forget your fishing pole! Lone Pine Lake is also the further you can go on this trail without having the permit to hike Mount Whitney, keep that in mind.
5. Cerro Gordo Ghost Town
This is my top MUST SEE spot in Inyo County. It is currently closed, and we happened to get lucky enough to stop and see a few of the buildings. I can’t wait for them to open to the public and to actually get a full tour of the area. You must have a high clearance vehicle and highly recommend 4×4 to make the 7 mile trek up the mountain.
This drive is not for the faint at heart, there are a couple spots where I was almost in tears from the insane drop to death on one side of the car. When you arrive to Cerro Gordo it’s like you fully went back in time. The people who lived there just abandoned everything on the mountain and left. The owner Brent is doing an amazing job restoring the old ghost town and if you have the ability to donate to his cause of restoring the town you should. He has such amazing plans and has put in so much time and effort into bringing this town back to life. You can follow along on the Cerro Gordo Adventures over at Ghost Town Living on YouTube.
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