Mono County
Mono County in the Eastern Sierra is an outdoor recreation wonderland and gateway to
Yosemite National Park.
Highway 395, running north-south at the edge of the Sierras, rivals coastal Highway 1 as California’s most scenic drive. Fall foliage in early October is some of the best in the West.
One of the highlights along the route is
Bodie State Historic Park, a gold-mining ghost town in the northern part of the county. A bit farther south,
Mono Lake,
June Lake and the
Mammoth Lakes areas are magnets for DogTrekkers with hiking, camping, fishing, lodging and dining at the top of their itineraries.
Convict Lake
Photo Credit: @bosco.and.arlo.aussie
The Eastern Sierra is often referred to as “California’s Switzerland” for its jagged peaks and high-altitude attractions. The options for dog-friendly hikes in the region are limitless, but if you want to top off some exercise with a hearty meal, we have a couple of suggestions. Little Lakes Valley Trail in Little Lakes Valley between Mammoth Lakes and Bishop is family-friendly as well as dog-friendly (leashes required). It’s also very popular, and for the best of reasons. more »
South Yuba River State Park
Photo Credit: @ryno_in_california
The Sierra foothills cover hundreds of square miles, so your best bet for a wildflower-and-waterfalls weekend is to narrow down an itinerary. Our suggestion: take Highway 20 east out of Marysville (Sutter County) and spend a day or a weekend exploring several sites between there and Grass Valley/Nevada City, a distance of about 40 miles. more »
Bodie, Gauge and Justice at Bodie State Historic Park.
Photo Credit: @justice818
You have a couple of options here, but the most direct route sends you back to Lake Tahoe and around the North Shore via Highway 267 to its intersection with Highway 50. By now you will have, in an indirect way, circled the lake. Follow 50 up and over the mountains to Carson City and head south on Highway 395, a designated national scenic byway skirting the snow-capped Eastern Sierra. more »
Taking in the beauty of Mammoth Lakes. Photo Credit: @elle.lynn.k
Three hours south of Tahoe and five hours northeast from Los Angeles, Mammoth Lakes beckons not just downhill skiers, but DogTrekkers vacationing with their best four-legged friends. Whether you’re coming to the area from north or south, you’re in for hours of visual delights as you cruise Highway 395, a federally designated scenic byway skirting the snow-capped Eastern Sierra. more »
Penny and Kona, Mono Lake, CA. Photo Credit: @pianogin
There are many ways to get to the High Sierra, all of them scenic, some a little more leisurely and winding than others. If time permits and you like lots of diversion on a road trip, follow the Golden Chain Highway (aka Highway 49) south through Amador, Calaveras, Tuolumne and Mariposa counties before cutting east through Yosemite National Park and taking Highway 20 (the Tioga Road) up and over 9,943-foot Tioga Pass. more »