Inyo County - 72 Attractions You Must Visit

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About Inyo County

Almost one-half of Inyo Country is within Death Valley National Park. With a population density of 1.8 people per square mile, it also has the second-lowest population density in California, after Alpine County.

Types of Attractions in Inyo County

Activities Around

List of Attractions in Inyo County

Aguereberry Point

Aguereberry Point

Viewpoints

Mountain Peaks

Aguereberry Point is a 6,300 foot peak, similar to Dantes View on the far side, 20 miles away in a direct line but 77 miles by road. Because of its westerly setting, this place is one of the best locations to photograph the valley in afternoon and around sunset. The promontory is actually 1,000 feet higher than the more famous Dante’s View vista point and provides a stunning 360 degree view of Death Valley.

Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest

The Methuselah Grove in the Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest is the location of the "Methuselah", a Great Basin bristlecone pine that is 4,851 years old. It is considered to be the world's oldest known and confirmed living non-clonal organism. The Methuselah Grove trail includes the side valley of the Methuselah Grove where the oldest tree lives

Artists Drive

Artists Drive

Outdoors- Other

1 Day Treks

Artists Drive is a scenic viewpoint in Inyo County. It crosses a sloping mountainside composed of vibrant soil colored by rich metals. The drive passes an area dubbed the Artist’s Palette, which is among the unique landmarks in Death Valley National Park that must be seen to believe. Artist’s Drive is a one-way road traveling from south to north. For those coming from Badwater Basin, this is an ideal side trek en route to Furnace Creek.

Badwater Basin

Badwater Basin

Lake/ River/ Ponds

An endorheic basin noted as the lowest point in North America, with a depth of 282 ft (86 m) below sea level. Consisists of a small spring-fed pool of "bad water" next to the road in a sink; the accumulated salts of the surrounding basin make it undrinkable, thus giving it the name. Significant rainstorms flood the valley bottom periodically, covering the salt pan with a thin sheet of standing water. When the basin is flooded, some of the salt is dissolved; it is redeposited as clean crystals w

Barker Ranch:

Barker Ranch:

Iconic Buildings

Old Ruins

This is a former mining and recreational property from the 1940s to the 1960s, it is infamous due to its association with Charles Manson and his "family". It is located inside Death Valley National Park in eastern California. There is a small one-room guest house located to the side of the main house. There is also a five-thousand-gallon "swimming pool" made from cement and rock boulders towards the back of the property.

Bear Creek Spire

Bear Creek Spire

1 Day Treks

Mountain Peaks

Bear Creek Spire is an amazing high peak on the Sierra Crest, located at the head of the Rock Creek drainage. It is striking from all sides and has two classic routes that every Sierra mountaineer should experience, all the way to the top of an exciting summit block. It is the 46th highest mountain in California and the 225th highest mountain in the United States. The first ascent of Bear Creek Spire was a solo climb by Hermann Ulrichs in 1923 up its west face.

Big Pine Creek

Big Pine Creek

Lake/ River/ Ponds

Big Pine Creek is a 12.1-mile-long stream in Inyo County of eastern California, in the western United States. It flows from the eastern Sierra Nevada down to the Owens Valley, where it is a major tributary of the Owens River near Big Pine. The canal provides water to the Big Pine area for irrigation, recreation and groundwater recharge. There are no storage dams or reservoirs.

Big Pine Creek North Fork Trail

The Big Pine Creek North Fork Trail will lead you to one of Southern California's most colorful gems - the glacier fed, turquoise colored Big Pine Lakes. This is a very popular area for backpacking, camping, and fishing, so you'll likely encounter other people while exploring. There are 7 Big Pine Lakes, numbered sequentially. For this hike, we only visited the first three, as snow and ice were blocking the trail for lakes 4-7.

Big Pine Lakes

Big Pine Lakes

Lake/ River/ Ponds

Big Pine Lakes is located in the heart of the Eastern Sierras of California. It is roughly 10 miles west of of Big Pine and around 15 miles south of Bishop. Whether you are day hiking or backpacking Big Pine Lakes, the view once you reach the glacial lakes will take your breath away. This hike is one of the biggest bucket list hikes in California that must be done if you are an avid hiker and outdoor adventurer.

Bishop Pass Trailhead

Bishop Pass Trailhead

Outdoors- Other

1 Day Treks

This Trailhead offers fantastic views nearly all the way, six lakes together with many ponds, streams and floral meadows, and ending by traversing a rocky slope above the final lake and climbing steeply to a saddle along the Sierra Crest at 11,972 feet. The hike begins at South Lake, reached by a paved road off Hwy 168, so the easy access, the relatively gentle elevation gain and the route to the Kings Canyon backcountry with the incredible scenery make the route often relatively busy.

Cloudripper

Cloudripper

1 Day Treks

Mountain Peaks

Cloudripper is a 13,525-foot-elevation mountain summit located two miles east of the crest of the Sierra Nevada mountain range in Inyo County of northern California. It is approximately 14 miles west of the community of Big Pine, 1.1 miles north-northeast of Picture Puzzle, and 2.1 miles south of parent Mount Agassiz. Cloudripper ranks as the 58th highest summit in California, and the highest point of the Inconsolable Range.

Dante’s View

Dante’s View

Viewpoints

Deserts

Dante's View offers a dramatic panoramic view of Death Valley from a very brink of an edge. It is also an excellent venue for night time star viewing with telescopes.

Darwin Falls

Darwin Falls

Waterfalls

A beautiful waterfall of greenery located on the west edge of the Death Valley desert.The falls are located in a small, narrow valley near Panamint Valley. Access to the trail to Darwin Falls is a dirt road located on the south side of State Route 190, approximately .25 miles west of Panamint Springs. Darwin Falls and Creek are fed by the Darwin Wash, which is in turn fed by the volcanic tableland of the Darwin Bench between the Inyo Mountains and the Argus Range.

Devils Golf Course

Devils Golf Course

Outdoors- Other

Devils Golf Course is a scenic viewpoint in Inyo County. It is a large salt pan on the floor of the Death Valley, located in the Mojave Desert, within the Death Valley National Park in eastern California. Although its exact boundaries are poorly defined, it extends from the vicinity of the Ashford Mill site to the Salt Creek Hills, covering a distance of about 40 miles.

Eastern Sierra Visitor Center

This unique facility is operated by federal, state and local governmental agencies. It provides a regional orientation and information program to visitors from around the globe traveling to the Eastern Sierra Nevada, and Northern Mojave Desert. A wealth of world-class visitor destinations, are ready and waiting for exploration. At this location, one can view the highest peak in the “lower 48 states” - Mt Whitney - or plan a trip to the largest national park in the “lower 48 states.

Eureka Dunes

The Eureka Dunes lie in the remote Eureka Valley, an enclosed basin at 3000 foot elevation located northwest of Death Valley. it is the most stunning dune field of the five in DEath valley national park and they are the tallest in California. it is quiet difficult to climb and also dangerous in the hot months. As tall as these dunes are, they are dwarfed by the impressive limestone wall of the Last Chance Mountains which rises another 4000 feet above the valley floor.

Eureka Valley

Eureka Valley

Outdoors- Other

Mountain Peaks

A beautiful valley located in the eastern California in the southwestern United States. It is a graben, like most other lower-lying areas of the Basin and Range Province. The valley has two distinguishing features. Its shape alters the wind in such a way as to collect sand near its southern end, leading to the unique Eureka Dunes. Just to the east of the dunes, the Last Chance Range climbs over 3500 feet (1070 m) as near-vertical cliffs, displaying colorful rock strata.

Fossil Falls

Fossil Falls

Volcanoes

Rock Formations

A unique geological feature created by the volcanic activity in the mountain range, along with meltwater from glaciers in the nearby Sierra Nevada.

Golden Canyon Trail

Golden Canyon Trail

1 Day Treks

Mountain Peaks

The Golden Canyon in Death Valley National Park is probably the most famous hike in the park. It is easily accessible and you can enjoy the view from manly Beacon and explore the golden mudstone hills . It is one of the iconic location for trekkers and also there are so many things to expore.

Golden Canyon Trailhead

Golden Canyon Trailhead is a locality in Inyo County. Golden Canyon Trailhead is situated west of Red Cathedral Junction, and west of Zabriskie Point Junction.This route features tons of geologic and human history – you’ll pass through layers of strata defining the different ages of Death Valley’s past, see canyons painted in dozens of different colors, and pass old mining shafts and claims from the area’s industrial heyday.

Map of attractions in Inyo County

Comments

For more information about Inyo County, visit: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inyo_County,_California