Blog Travel

Bishop’s logo is “small town with a big backyard.”  The town itself is only 1.1 square miles.  But outside of that small town are endless possibilities for outdoor recreation.  Enjoying Bishop’s backyard doesn’t just have to mean getting an adrenaline rush.  Bishop has all sorts of ways to experience the outdoors, whether it be rock climbing, bouldering, hiking, bird watching, scouting for wildlife, or simply pulling over to the side of the road to drink in the beautiful vistas. Hike or Climb Pine Creek Crags Close to Round Valley is a hidden gem of Bishop, Pine Creek Crags.  Pine Creek Crags is a slot canyon off of Pine Creek Road that is popular with rock climbers.  But you don’t have to be a rock climber to enjoy the short and scenic hike up and into Pine Creek Canyon.  The trailhead to Pine Creek Crags is almost eight miles from Highway 395 on the right side of the road.  You’ll see the slot canyon from the road and tw...

When we were driving to our hike in Pine Creek Crags, I spotted a scraggly, leafless tree on the side of Pine Creek Road that I thought would be the perfect foreground for astrophotography.  The Sierra Nevada mountain range was close by, which would allow us to start a little earlier as the mountain range from this position would block the bright light of the moon.  This spot is just west of Round Valley. Another great photography spot we found was at the sharp curve in the road where North Round Valley Road turns into South Round Valley Road.  I wanted to get a shot with one of Bishop’s great old silos in the foreground.   The vast open field to the south with the Sierra Nevada Mountains far in the background provided a beautiful night vista as well. I had visions of a shot of the road leading straight into the snowy mountains.  We found that shot by heading out of town west along West Line Street towards the mountains.  When y...