A practical 10-day Highway 395 road trip itinerary through California's Eastern Sierra, from Lake Tahoe to Mount Whitney, with stops, drive times and the best season to go.
California's Highway 395 is the great road trip that most first-time visitors miss. It runs the length of the Eastern Sierra, the dry, dramatic side of the range, where the Owens Valley floor meets granite peaks climbing 10,000 feet overhead. This Highway 395 road trip itinerary drives the corridor north to south over 10 unhurried days, from the alpine shore of Lake Tahoe down to Lone Pine at the foot of Mount Whitney.
The drive follows US 395 from South Lake Tahoe through Bridgeport, Lee Vining, Mammoth Lakes and Bishop to Lone Pine. The legs are short, all well under two and a half hours, so the time goes on hikes, hot springs, ghost towns and viewpoints rather than the wheel. It is a one-way route: you finish near the southern end of the Owens Valley, an easy onward run to Death Valley or Las Vegas.
This is a scenic, active drive rather than a hard expedition. It suits travellers who like alpine lakes, short hikes, big geology and quiet towns, and who do not mind a few unpaved side roads. Any car copes with the highway itself. The hikes and altitude are optional, so it flexes from a relaxed sightseeing trip to a properly energetic one.
Ten days is comfortable, with two-night bases at Lake Tahoe, Mammoth Lakes and Lone Pine and single nights at Bridgeport, Lee Vining and Bishop. With a week, focus on the stretch from Bishop north and use Mammoth and Tahoe as your two bases.
Start on the shore of the largest alpine lake in North America. Kayak the clear water, drive to Emerald Bay, and use the time to adjust to altitude before heading south.
Drop down US 395 to the ranching town of Bridgeport, the gateway to Bodie, California's best-preserved gold-rush ghost town. Around 200 buildings still stand in a state of arrested decay. End the day with a soak at Travertine Hot Springs.
Continue to Mono Lake, an ancient salt lake nearly three times saltier than the sea. Walk the South Tufa boardwalk among its limestone spires at golden hour. If Tioga Pass is open, the road up to Yosemite's high country starts right here.
The trip's mountain hub at 8,000 feet. Spend two nights on the Lakes Basin, the basalt columns of Devils Postpile and Rainbow Falls, and a wild hot spring out on the valley floor. In autumn the aspen canyons glow gold.
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The Lakes Basin has gentle lakeshore walks for every level, plus longer trails for hikers wanting more.
The largest town in the Owens Valley and the climbing and fishing capital of the range. Stop at Erick Schat's Bakkery, then detour up to the Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest, home to trees over 4,000 years old.
Finish beneath Mount Whitney, the highest peak in the lower 48. Drive Movie Road through the Alabama Hills to Mobius Arch, walk up to the Whitney Portal, and dig into the area's film and wartime history at the Museum of Western Film History and Manzanar.
Keep the northern half relaxed and save energy for the dense southern stretch, where Mammoth, Bishop and Lone Pine each reward a full day. Single nights work for Bridgeport, Lee Vining and Bishop because the highlights there are compact; the two-night bases give you the alpine and desert ends without rushing.
Late May to October is the window. Earlier and later, snow gates the high side roads: Bodie's access road and Tioga Pass both close from roughly November to May, and the Bristlecone forest sits above 10,000 feet. The marquee season is the first half of October, when the aspen canyons on the western side of 395 turn brilliant gold.
This is a self-drive route on good paved highway, so any car is fine. A few of the best side trips, the last stretch to Bodie, the Bristlecone forest road and Movie Road in the Alabama Hills, are unpaved but generally car-friendly when dry. Fuel up whenever you pass a station, as the gaps grow in the south.
Much of this route sits between 7,000 and 10,000 feet, so take altitude seriously, hydrate, and build in an easy first day at Tahoe. Carry water and warm layers year round, as mountain weather turns fast. Check road and pass conditions before any detour, and never rely on a full phone signal in the valley.
Ready to map it out? Use our full Eastern Sierra route below to see every stop, driving leg and overnight on the map.
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The full route — stops, maps, and driving times — is on Routebook by Kington.
A 10-day drive south down US Highway 395 along the wild eastern wall of the Sierra Nevada, from Lake Tahoe to the foot of Mount Whitney, taking in a salt lake, a gold-rush ghost town and the Alabama Hills.
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