Sierra Nevada Mountains, CA

We will occasionally share photography-inspired stories on our blog.  Since I am a professional photographer, it’s what I do.  But you could easily adapt these photo adventures to a family trip with children.  Leave out the o-dark -thirty alarm clock, pop in a kid-friendly breakfast and start exploring!

The Sierra Nevada, which means snow covered mountains in Spanish, runs along the eastern boundary of California and Nevada, stretching for 400 miles of jaw-dropping scenery.   Three national parks, two national monuments, numerous state parks and gobs of interesting attractions pepper these mountains.

A magazine article sparked my interest in the far flung mountains.  The more research I did, the more I wanted to photograph.  

I dropped a few hints to my ever-patient husband about my photo road trip idea.  My birthday quickly approached and this gift wouldn’t require shopping for a present.  Plus our upcoming cross country move (literally) left me needing to end my time in California with a bang.  The Sierra Nevadas fit the bill.

My very generous husband agreed to the road trip.  So we loaded the dog, a few supplies and a ton of camera gear into the van for a five day, fall color adventure to the High Sierra.  Jonathan graciously played chauffeur, dog wrangler and muscle man for heavy camera gear while I pursued pictures in the soaring mountains.

I photographed 11 spots in 5 days on my Sierra Nevada photo adventure.  I found plenty more to photograph but I knew I was pushing my luck.  So I stopped planning at 5 days.  Cramming in that much travel and getting successful photos requires a plan, especially if you’re not familiar with the area.

So how did I do it?  Lots of research.  

A magazine article that suggested a vacation drive up Highway 395 spring boarded me to photo expedition along the same route.

As I studied online maps, I discovered how close many of these locations are to one another.  I got the crazy notion that maybe I could hit a bunch of spots in short amount of time.  By short, I mean the length of time my husband would tolerate hanging out in the middle of nowhere during football season.

After preliminary research on Mono County’s tourism website for dog-friendly hotels, restaurants and things to do, I searched for local photographers’ websites and location guides to get the skinny on each stop on my list.

I stumbled upon a gem “Photographing California”, vol. 1-North by Gary Crabbe.  Gary highlights all the top photo spots. He also he provides information like directions, descriptions of the location and, most importantly, when the best light hits that location.  This guide saved me hours of research!

I collected a comprehensive list of photo spots.  Then I looked up each location’s website (if there was one) to get current hours, fees, etc.

Armed with that information, I put together a plan for the 5 days:

Day 1  

• • Travel to the Sierra Nevadas from Monterey.  
  • Photograph at Bodie State Historic Park in late afternoon.    
  • Spend the night in Bridgeport.

Day 2  

• • Sunrise shot of the Sawtooth Mountain Range near Bridgeport.
  • Head to Bodie for early light photography.
  • Explore Virginia Lakes Road for fall color.
  • Shoot Conway Summit. Continue on to photo scouting trip in Lundy Canyon.
  • Early afternoon scouting at Mono Lake. 
  • Sunset shot at Mono Lake.
  • Spend the night in Lee Vining.

Day 3  

• Sunrise shot at Mono Lake followed by early morning shot in Lundy Canyon.
• Check out Mono Craters.  
• Drive the June Lake Loop looking for fall color shots.
• Explore Twin Lakes and Horseshoe Lake.
• Spend the night in Mammoth Lakes.

Day 4  

• Sunrise shot at Minaret Vista followed by early morning shot at Twin Lakes.  
• Photograph the Devils Postpile.
• Hike to and photograph Rainbow Falls.
• Spend the night in Mammoth Lakes

Day 5  

• Early morning photo shoot at Tioga Pass Road.
• Return home.

I tweaked the schedule each day based on new information (like local fall color guides or weather issues) but I ended up sticking pretty close to this plan.  

The schedule helped me maximize what little time I did have in the mountains and cut my stress level.  Instead of being overwhelmed by photo possibilities, I focused on getting great pictures.

Closest Military Installations

MWR Locations Nearby

If You Go:

• The Sierra Nevadas are rugged and remote.  Cell phone coverage is spotty.  Plan accordingly.
• Hike with a buddy.  Also tell someone where you’re hiking and when you should be back.  
• Early summer or fall is a nice time to visit.  You miss the main summer crowds and get fall color.  You also escape the impressive snow falls.
• If you visit in the winter, check the road status and activity closures before you head out each day.
• A four wheel drive vehicle is helpful if you plan to travel off the main highways.
• Keep food and water in your car. Also fill up the gas tank before leaving town. It is remote between attractions.  It pays to be prepared.
• Bridgeport, Lee Vining and Mammoth Lakes are good spots to look for hotels and restaurants.  Just be aware that many places in the smaller towns close early and hotels fill up quickly during tourist season.   
• The area is surprisingly dog friendly.  Many places allow leashed and well behaved dogs.  Check with each activity for their policies.
• Mono County website has all sorts of helpful information.  

   https://www.monocounty.org