Horton Creek Campground is one of those places that you see when you close your eyes and dream of the perfect spot to while away a couple of summer days. High up in the mountains (elevation almost 5,000 ft.) it is surrounded by Mount Tom, Wheeler Crest and Tungsten Hills. A favorite of the tent campers (I counted more tents than RVs) it offers lots of opportunities to go mountain biking, hiking and horseback riding. The view in every direction is unsurpassed and the temperature, even during the hot summer months, is pleasant. The nights are even cool enough to use an extra blanket. The campground’s opening varies depending on the migration of the deer herds, generally the first week of May. Please call the BLM’s Bishop office (760) 872-4881) for further information. There are 53 sites, all with picnic tables, fire rings / BBQs and 5 pit toilets that are kept spotless by Dave, the camp host. It is only appropriate that Dave lives in a tent and has no car. Every day he rides his bike to Bishop (some 8.5 miles to the south) for his supplies. Dave used to live in Northern California before he moved to the High Desert to take care of his mother after his father died. When I asked him how his mother was getting along now, he told me: "much better now that she is in heaven, her last days here on earth were like hell!"

The first thing that caught my eye when I opened the guest register where under "comments" somebody had written HOSTS VERY NICE !

Indeed , hosts Larry and Brenda are very nice and very easy to talk to. As at most of the campgrounds, the volunteer hosts are the backbone of the public lands and I shiver just by the thought that there is now talk to "privatize" campgrounds like these. Larry and Brenda have hosted this campground for the last 4 years and know this area inside out. If you are planning on spending some time here along the 395, I suggest you take advantage of their vast knowledge about the FREE campgrounds up and down this stretch of the road. Larry told me about many places where you can camp at no charge and that some, like Glass Creek, where you are allowed to stay for as long as 42 days. He also mentioned several campgrounds with a 21-day limit. This region is a fulltimer’s paradise. Only during the summer that is, in the winter most of these places are closed. I imagine that the cold will be unbearable staying in your rig for any length of time no matter how tough you are or how well your outfit is insulated. But then -- what do I know, you must remember that I am in love with the desert. Back to Lake Crowley campground, even though Highway 395 separates this campground from the lake, you have an excellent view from every one of the 47 sites. Crowley Lake, stocked with trout and Sacramento perch, is just a short 3 miles away with easy access.

After saying goodbye to Larry and Brenda we continued north on Hi-way 395 on our way to Mono Lake. A while back we traveled through Gold Country and now we entered God’s Country. Even this desert dweller was impressed by the landscape that rolled in front of Hollandia’s windshield. We passed several of the FREE campgrounds that Larry told us about and selected one of those to spend the night. Just after the turn-off to the city of Mammoth Lakes (Highway 203) you’ll see a sign that tells you that the Big Springs campground is a short 3 miles to the east. Managed by the US Forest Service, it has a 21 day stay limit. No piped in water but plenty of people were getting water from the Owens River which runs right next to it. Open between 4/24 and 11/17, it has 26 spaces, many of them pull-thru, with plenty of room between the sites under the tall pine trees. Pit toilets but NO place to dump your trash. "You bring it in, you pack it out!" was posted and it seems to be working, I saw no trash anywhere. After a cold night (we even had to turn our space heater on) we resumed our trek north.

MONO LAKE

Mono Lake is one of the oldest lakes in North America, more than a million years old. It measures about 60 sq. miles. Up until 1941 all of the tufa formations that we now see were under water. In that year the City of Los Angeles began to divert water from four of the five streams that until then fed the lake, causing the water level to drop 41 feet. After a long drawn-out court battle it is now decided that in the next 20 years the water level will be raised by 17 feet assuring the survival of the lake. Keep in mind that this body of water is a very important stop-over for migrating birds. The best way to fully enjoy your visit is to start at the Mono Basin Scenic Area Visitor Center located just off Highway 395 north of Lee Vining. After you have an idea what this lake is all about, a stop at the South Tufa Area is a must. From that point ranger guided tufa walks are conducted. I urge you to join one of those walks, they are very interesting.

 The small town of Lee Vining on the west bank of the lake is a charming place with plenty of souvenir shops and places to eat. So what if it is a little "touristy." After all we are on vacation, aren’t we? There are several campgrounds nearby but all charge a fee, some of them as little as $8.00.