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
Mount Tom
Outdoors- Other
Mt. Tom is the immense, good-looking peak just west-northwest of Bishop. It is situated right on the eastern edge of the Sierra crest, allowing for a very large vertical relief. It is a popular back-country ski descent in the Spring years when there is enough snow. Elderberry canyon is the most popular ski descent. It is 7000 vertical feet of skiing and is steeper towards to summit.
Mount Tyndall
1 Day Treks
Mountain Peaks
Mount Tyndall is a peak in the Mount Whitney region of the Sierra Nevada in the U.S. state of California. At 14,025 feet, it is the tenth highest peak in the state. The easiest route on Mount Tyndall in terms of access and climbing is the Northwest Ridge, which involves an easy scramble. It begins about one half mile west of Shepherd Pass and about 1 mile north of the peak. The mountain was named in honor of the Irish scientist and mountaineer, John Tyndall.
Mount Whitney
2-5 Day Treks
Mountain Peaks
with an elevation of 14,505 feet (4,421 m), it is the tallest mountain in the contiguous United States. The mountain is partially dome-shaped, with jagged ridges extending to the sides.
Mount Whitney Summit Shelter
Iconic Buildings
Built in 1909, the three room, granite shelter was constructed not only to give hikers a safe haven from the storms, but also to act as housing for scientists camped out on the summit to study altitude, a very intriguing subject at a time when high altitude flight was just on the horizon. It is the highest permanent building in the Contiguous United States.
Mount Williamson
1 Day Treks
Mountain Peaks
Mount Williamson is one of the great peaks of the Sierra Nevada. It is truly awe-inspiring: rising 9,000 ft from the Owens Valley. It is the second-highest mountain in both the Sierra Nevada range and the state of California, and the sixth-highest peak in the contiguous United States. The standard ascent route is the West Side Route, accessed from Shepherd's Pass. From the pass, one travels across the Williamson Bowl, which lies between Mount Williamson and Mount Tyndall.
The Museum of Western Film History collects, preserves and exhibits a broad and diverse collection of western film memorabilia. The museums honors the men and women of the silver screen who interpret the lives of the American Cowboy. The museum thus teaches us how to see both time and space in new ways — ways that blend the past, the present, and the future through tangible objects and material geographies.
North Lake camping
Lake/ River/ Ponds
Outdoors- Other
North Lake Campground is situated among the trees and adjacent to the north fork of Bishop Creek. It is a lovely campground - all 11 campsites have shade among the tall Jeffery and Lodgepole pines. Three of the sites are very short walk-in's. The remainder have small parking spots at the sites. The road to North Lke is partially paved and partially gravel and is narrow and winding.
North Palisade
1 Day Treks
Mountain Peaks
Owens Lake
Lake/ River/ Ponds
Owens Lake is a dry lake at the terminus of the Owens River just west of Death Valley and on the eastern side of the Sierra Nevada. It is the largest single source of dust pollution in the United States. The lake was the epicenter of a magnitude 5.8 earthquake that occurred on June 24, 2020.The lake is currently a large salt flat whose surface is made of a mixture of clay, sand, and a variety of minerals including halite, burkeite, mirabilite, thenardite, and trona.
Palisade Glacier
Lake/ River/ Ponds
1 Day Treks
Mountain Peaks
Palisades Glacier is one of the southernmost glaciers in North America, and it sits right around 12,4000 feet. The glacier descends from the flanks of four fourteeners, or mountain peaks over 14,000 ft in elevation, including North Palisade , the highest peak of the Palisades group and the third highest peak in the Sierra Nevada overall.
Palisades
1 Day Treks
Mountain Peaks
These are a group of peaks in the central part of the Sierra Nevada in the U.S. state of California. The peaks in the group are particularly steep, rugged peaks and "contain the finest alpine climbing in California. It spans from Taboose Pass south of Cardinal Mountain to Bishop Pass north of Mount Agassiz. Much of the west side of the range is only accessible by cross-country hiking.
Panamint Dunes
Dunes
The Panamint Dunes are described as the least visited and most isolated series of sand dunes in Death Valley National Park. Getting to the dunes requires a little work, but your efforts are likely to be paid off by having the breathtaking area entirely to yourself! With epic views and ever-elusive solitude, backpacking to the the Panamint Sand Dunes is truly an unforgettable experience.
Panamint Valley
Outdoors- Other
The Panamint Valley is a north-south, 65 mile long and 10 mile wide basin formed between the Argus and Slate ranges along the west, and the Panamint Range on the eastern side. The valley is approximately 65 miles in length, and is more than 10 miles wide in the Hall Canyon area.
Piute Pass trail
1 Day Treks
Mountain Passes
Piute Pass is a 11,417 feet mountain pass along the crest of the Sierra Nevada, between Inyo and Fresno Counties in the John Muir Wilderness area. The trail is generally low angle and easy to travel on. It passes by a number of lakes and meadows making it a desirable destination for anglers, pack horses and hikers. For those going deeper into the wilderness, this trail provides an easy access into the back country.
Racetrack Playa
Outdoors- Other
1 Day Treks
The Racetrack is a place of stunning beauty and mystery. The Racetrack is a playa--a dry lakebed--best known for its strange moving rocks. It was nestled in a remote valley between the Cottonwood and Last Chance Ranges. Racetrack is dry for almost the entire year and has no vegetation. When dry, its surface is covered with small but firm hexagonal mud crack polygons. It is a unique attraction of Death Valley National Park that not many park visitors get to see.
Rainbow Canyon
Outdoors- Other
Rainbow Canyon is a valley in Inyo County and has an elevation of 1854 feet. It is commonly used by the United States Air Force and Navy for fighter jet training and is frequented by photographers who, from the canyon rim, are able to photograph jets flying beneath them.
Rock Creek Lake
Lake/ River/ Ponds
Outdoors- Other
Saline Valley
Outdoors- Other
Saline Valley is a large, deep, and arid graben, about 27 miles in length, in the northern Mojave Desert of California, a narrow, northwest–southeast-trending tectonic sink defined by fault-block mountains. The west end of the lake supports a salt marsh, which contains a variety of plant and animal life. The marsh is fed by a perennial stream from Hunter Canyon. North of the lake is a large area of low and sweeping sand dunes.
Salt Creek Interpretive Trail
Outdoors- Other
1 Day Treks
This short hike along Salt Creek takes hikers through one of the more unique areas of Death Valley National Park. With the surprising presence of water in the midst of the salt flats, this area looks positively lush compared to the rest of the basin.This is a very popular area for hiking, walking, and other nature trips, so you'll likely encounter other people while exploring.
Scotty's Castle
Iconic Buildings
Old Ruins
Scotty's Castle is a two-story Mission Revival and Spanish Colonial Revival style villa located in the Grapevine Mountains of northern Death Valley in Death Valley National Park, California, US.The Johnsons' original furnishings and clothing can still be seen today. The National Park Service gives guided tours of Scotty's Castle for a fee.An underground mystery tour is also available for those wishing to see the inner workings of the building.
Map of attractions in Inyo County
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For more information about Inyo County, visit: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inyo_County,_California