Eastern Sierra
The stretch from Mono Lake to Lone Pine is an overshadowed by Lake Tahoe to the North and Yosemite to the west, but has many interesting places worth visiting.
Mono Lake The best tufa formations are on the south side of the lake. It’s a good location to photograph at both sunrise and sunset.
The Whoa Nellie Deli located in the Mobil gas station is the place to stop in Lee Vining at the eastern entrance of the park.
Mammoth Lakes is a good base to explore this area with many hotels and restaurants since it is a major ski area.
Black Velvet is the best place in town for coffee.
A couple of good places to grab a beer are Mammoth Brewing and Black Doubt.
Check out the Sierra Light Gallery in Mammoth Lakes, the owner Nolan Nitschke is a good local photographer.
The highlights in this area - the Minarets and Lake Maime are best photographed in the early morning as they face east.
Devils Postpile & Rainbow Falls A five mile loop trail connects these two sites, both of which are worth visiting.
Convict Lake Good place to photograph at dawn from the bridge at the east end of the lake.
The town of Bishop, about an hour south is another good base for seeing the Eastern Sierra. Be sure to stop by the popular Schats Bakery for lunch and baked goods.
The Aspendell Lakes are the most impressive places to photograph near Bishop.
There is an ancient Bristlecone forest about an hour’s drive east of Bishop.
Alabama Hills Just below the view of Mt. Whitney is the Mobius Arch, best photographed early on the morning with the view of the mountains framed within it. From here you can take a short drive to the Mt. Whitney portal for close up view of it or to begin the hike to the summit.
