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We’ve driven Highway 395 a couple of times before we did what we would consider a proper Highway 395 road trip. Both the other times we’ve been on 395 it was really just passing through.
Sure, we stopped at hot springs, saw Devil’s Postpile, hiked in Yosemite, and swam in Lake Tahoe. Yet, we never spent time really along Highway 395. In the past, we simply used it as a road to get from point a to point b.
However, when we found ourselves in the Tahoe area with a few weeks between being in Tahoe and needing to be in LA, we knew a proper Highway 395 road trip was in store!
From stops we’ve had pinned for years as places to explore to stops friends from the area recommended, this is the ultimate guide to epic stops on California’s Highway 395.
Prepping For Highway 395 + Making The Most Out Of This Guide
Internet Safety
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Saving Locations
Maps.me is an offline map app we have used for over a decade. It’s safe to say we love this app. You download the map of the region you’re visiting, and then you can use the map offline.
However, the best part of this app is the pinning capabilities. We include coordinates for all the stops in this post. Use those coordinates to pin exact locations on the map so you don’t miss any of them on your trip!
A Deeper Look | We’ve done a post all about maps.me where we show you how to pin and how we use this app.
Gas Stations on Highway 395
Gas Buddy is a great app to help find the closest gas stations on Highway 395. It also gives you updates prices on gas at each of the stations!
Gas along Highway 395 is extremely expensive. We’re talking nearly 7 USD a gallon in some areas! Gas Buddy is a free app that’s user input based with up-to-date gas prices. We’ve saved over $2 a gallon by simply looking at Gas Buddy and finding the next town we’re going through has much cheaper gas!
Be sure to download Gas Buddy before your trip to save you loads!
More Great Road Trip Apps | We live full time on the road, and this is our list of apps we use for ease in travel!
Is Highway 395 Dangerous?
While it’s said that Highway 395 is home to the most accidents per mile in California, the section of the highway that’s won that award is not the main Highway 395 we’re talking about in this post.
With that said, you should be aware of changes in weather that come out of nowhere, and have things like blankets, water, and food in your car in case you need to stop due to unsafe driving conditions.
Driving Highway 395 can also be considered dangerous because in many places it’s a highway without a center divider, meaning head-on collisions are possible at high speeds.
To stay safe on Highway 395, limit your distractions, never drive and use your phone at the same time, and try and drive in the daylight if possible.
If wind is in the forecast, especially in the Lone Pine area of Highway 395, take the wind warnings seriously. Right after we left Lone Pine, the highway got closed due to multiple trucks being flipped from the wind.
Packing For A Highway 395 Road Trip
Weather in the Sierra’s is unpredictable and can change rather quickly. We recommend packing layers for warmth, and having a waterproof rain jacket.
Car Camping Checklist | Everything you need for a successful car camping road trip.
Packing Guide | If we don’t have our van, here’s what we bring for any trip, anywhere.
Staying Warm | Traveling in the colder months.. temps can be below freezing. Check out these 5 tips for staying warm while camping.
Campervan Rentals For A Highway 395 Road Trip
Don’t Have An RV? Don’t Worry, You Can Rent One On RVShare!
15 Epic Stops On A Highway 395 Road Trip North to South
Lake Tahoe
- Location | South Lake Tahoe | 38.944708, -119.976605
- Cost | free
- Travel Guide | Things To Do in Lake Tahoe For Free
We spent two weeks in Tahoe before starting our journey down Highway 395. Turns out, Lake Tahoe in October is fantastic with lots of wildlife sightings, hello black bears, and fewer crowds!
We recommend checking out the South Lake Tahoe area. This is where there’s a wonderful wildlife viewing area, lots of great trails to explore both on bike and foot, and Highway 89 connecting Highway 395 to Lake Tahoe is supposed to be brilliant! It was closed from a snowstorm when we were leaving Tahoe, so we didn’t get to experience this pass.
Buckeye Hot Springs
- Location | Bridgeport | 38.239821, -119.325783
- Cost | free
Buckeye Hot Springs is the perfect place to stay for a day, or shoot even better to stay the night there. We camped near Buckeye Hot Spring for three nights, enjoying the hot spring in the early mornings and late evenings without the crowds!
This hot spring is free to visit, has bathrooms and picnic tables in the parking area, and is a short, yet steep walk down a cliff to the waterfall hot spring.
There are a couple of pools up by the parking lot, but the best ones are down along the creek, where the hot spring trickles down the wall creating a hot spring waterfall.
Mono Lake Overlook
- Location | Mono Lake | 38.074068, -119.176613
- Cost | free
This is a super quick stop along Highway 395, but it’s worth pulling over for a quick look.
The Mono Lake Overlook is a viewpoint that’s high above Mono Lake, with an awesome view of the valley you’re about to drop into. It’s super cool to see the highway from up here, and have a top down look at how massive Mono Lake is!
Lee Vining Mobile Gas Station
- Location | Lee Vining | 37.947249, -119.113147
- Cost | cost of food
We first heard about needing to eat at the Lee Vining Mobile Gas Station over ten years ago when our uncle was giving us tips on what to see along Highway 395. However, each time we’ve driven by to grab something to eat, the restaurant has been closed for the season.
From what we’ve heard, eating at the mobile gas station in Lee Vining is a right of passage… the food doesn’t seem like it should be coming from a gas station, and the company in the area are full of life and adventure!
Tioga Pass into Yosemite National Park
- Location | Olmsted Point | 37.809283, -119.484434
- Cost | free with National Park Pass, otherwise check pricing here
Right at the Lee Vining Gas Station is Tioga Pass Road. This road goes up the mountains and into Yosemite National Park.
If you’ve never been to Yosemite, this is a pretty big detour from Highway 395, but worth it. You can get into Yosemite Valley in two hours, but much of that will be in the upper Yosemite Park, Tuolomne Meadows.
If you don’t want to go all the way into Yosemite Valley, going to Olmsted Point (pictured above) is lovely. You can see the towering famous Half Dome from here, and get a glimpse into what Yosemite is all about.
It’s worth noting, once the snow hits, this pass is completely closed. So pay close attention to the weather reports if you want to go in and out of Yosemite National Park via Tioga Pass.
South Tufus Trail on Mono Lake
- Location | Mono Lake | 37.942135, -119.026642
- Cost | free with National Park Pass
There are two different Tufus trails on Mono Lake, but the South Tufus Trail ran by the national park service is the better of the two.
It’s a short interpretive trail that leads through some really crazy columns formed by the minerals from the lake. Seeing the columns from afar is pretty cool, but getting up close and personal with them on the South Tufus trail really paints a picture of how intricately beautiful nature is.
Camping Nearby | We camped near Panum Crater just up the road from the South Tufus Trail. Find the exact coordinates here.
Panum Crater
- Location | Lee Vining | 37.929541, -119.045671
- Cost | free
Panum Crater is one of multiple different craters in the area with interesting geological formations. It has both obsidian rock and pumice and you can actually hike up into the center of the crater!
It’s not often you can get inside a crater, and this one has pretty easy access from the parking area not too far from Highway 395.
The views from the Panum Crater are pretty sweet down the Eastern Sierra Range, and the views themselves are worth the hike if you’re not interested in the rocks!
Don’t Forget | It’s hot and dry here.. and the obsidian black rocks attract more heat. Bring a water, like this one that goes in a backpack even for the short hike!
June Lake Loop Scenic Drive
- Location | June Lake | 37.891976, -110.09329
- Cost | free
The June Lake Loop Scenic Drive is a lovely detour off Highway 395. This scenic drives takes you the back way into the small town of June Lake where you’ll pass by mulitple lakes, drive along a river, and have gorgeous mountain views.
We really liked stopping at Silver Lake, as the mountain views from here were great and the water is crystal clear!
June Lake is a cute small town and if you’re into beer, June Lake Brewery is a nice place to stop and have a drink and lunch from the food carts.
Devils Postpile National Monument
- Location | Mammoth | 37.625214, -119.084783
- Cost | free with National Park Pass, however there’s a $15 shuttle fee for most visitors
- Website | Opening Times + Visitor Information
Devils Postpile is a national monument not too far off California Highway 395 in Mammoth Lakes, California. Due to lots of snowfall, this national monument is only open in the summer months.
At Devils Postpile you can see basalt columns up to 60 feet high. It’s a pretty incredible natural geological wonder!
When we visited Devils Postpile National Monument, there were no reservations required and no shuttle service in place. However, due to heavy use, there is now a shuttle up the valley and reservations are “strongly encouraged”. Check out the Devils Postpile National Monument website for more information.
Convict Lake
- Location | Convict Lake | 37.589231, -118.858353
- Cost | free
Stopping at Convict Lake is an absolute must on Highway 395. The lake sits right at the base of the mountains, and holy smokes is it a sight to see.
In the summer months, this lake gets super busy with lots of patio boats, people fishing, and a busy resort and campground. However, we found going through in October, the lake was quiet and a beautiful place to stop.
Jay even got in and went swimming — in the 40 degree water. Not recommended, but we knew there were hot springs nearby, so he got in!
Mammoth Hot Springs
- Location | Wild Willy’s in Mammoth | 37.659298, -118.771083
- Cost | free
- Travel Guide | 7 Hot Springs in Mammoth
The first time we ever went through Mammoth, we were completely unaware of the amount of hot springs in this area. All we knew was to turn down the road with the green church, and head just past the cattle guard to a hot spring on the right.
Over ten years ago now, we stayed at what’s now called Wild Willy’s Hot Spring.. and we went back again recently and loved it just as much.
There are multiple different hot springs in the Mammoth area, most of which can be found with a quick search. After visiting seven different hot springs in Mammoth, we found that Wild Willy’s was still our favorite!
While locals wouldn’t agree that Wild Willy’s is the best.. we think it is with the size of the pools, and there being mulitple pools with all different temperatures.
I would definitely suggest to avoid mid day at Wild Willy’s! We saw the parking lot get completely full mid-day.. and can’t imagine what the hot springs were like during that time!
Wild Willy’s is also a great place to camp on Highway 395, as there is a bathroom and dumpster in the parking area, and it’s a large flat space with lots of room and a hot spring nearby!
Hot Creek Geological Site
- Location | Mammoth | 37.660463, -118.827722
- Cost | free
- Website | Hot Creek Forest Service
Okay, this place will literally knock your socks off! A hot creek running through a canyon, with steaming hot springs on both sides and incredible views of the mountains in the distance.
It’s literally one of the prettiest places we’ve ever camped, and had the weather not pushed us out we probably would have stayed mulitple more nights there!
The actual Hot Creek Geological Site has a trail down into the canyon, multiple bathrooms and dumpsters at the parking area, and a handful of interpretive signs that have definitely seen some better days!
If possible, get here in the early morning or late evening when you have a better chance of seeing the steam coming off the creek!
Crowley Lake Stone Columns
- Location | Mammoth | 37.609641, -118.720241
- Cost | free
- Trail Information | All Trails Guide
The day we planned to visit Crowley Lake Stone Columns a huge storm unexpectedly rolled in and it started snowing once we got to the trailhead. So we unfortunately had to pass visiting the stone columns.
With that said, they look awesome to see.. but not without a bit of work.
If you have a high-clearance 4×4 vehicle, you can drive most of the way to the stone columns. But from photos and reviews online, it seems like the drive there is pretty atrocious!
For those that don’t have a high clearance extra lifted rig, there’s a 4-5 mile walk or bike ride to the columns. Most people say it’s well worth it though!
The Ancient Bristlecone Pine Trees
- Location | Bishop | 37.383154, -118.181256
- Cost | 3 USD
- Learn More | Bristlecone Pine Forest Website
Have you ever wanted to visit the oldest trees in the world? The ancient Bristlecone Pine forest outside of Bishop is home to just that.
There are two different areas to visit, but we recommend visiting the Patriarch Grove, home to the biggest Bristlecone Pine Tree. This area has two different short interpretive trails, and is known for it’s night photography.
Photographers travel from all over the world to photograph these ancient trees with the starry skies behind them.
Alabama Hills
- Location | Lone Pine | 36.611283, -118.124876
- Cost | free
- Travel Guide | Our Complete Guide to Alabama Hills
Alabama Hills is a large area of public land just outside of Lone Pine, California. In Alabama Hills, you’ll find the Whitney Portal, the gateway to the tallest peak in the lower 48!
Mount Whitney and the rest of the Eastern Sierras in this area provide and amazing backdrop and a stellar scenic drive.
In fact, it’s so beautiful that multiple movies have been filmed here! Drive down movie road and see where iconic movies have been filmed. Maps.me (the offline map app we love) has points of interested scattered throughout Movie Road, showing where sets were.
The Alabama Hills are the perfect place to camp for a final night on Highway 395, and with short trails to different arches, rocks that are great for climbing, and some flowy mountain biking trails, it’s one of our favorite places on 395!
Two Weeks On A Highway 395 Road Trip
We took two weeks to explore Highway 395. However, that was with camping in some places for multiple days in a row working while on the road.
A California Highway 395 road trip can be done in less days, we’d argue even as little as a week. Obviously the more time the better, but make due with the time you have. The views during the drive without even stopping for much are incredible!
Don’t Have An RV? Don’t Worry, You Can Rent One On RVShare!
Don’t Miss These Highway 395 Tips
Free Camping On Highway 395 | The exact coordinates to each place we camped on our 395 road trip.
Easy Meals For Camping | A list of three days of camping meals with extras for snacks and exact items you need for each meal.
Things to Do in Tahoe | Ending a 395 road trip in Tahoe is a great choice. Here’s some mostly free things to do in Tahoe.
Car Camping Essentials | A checklist of items you should have when car camping!
