Scenic 395 - The Official Guide 2021/2022

29 2021-2022 Scenic 395 Bishop vada. This paved road wanders up into the Bishop Creek Canyon, where year-round ad- venture awaits. A 20-minute drive of 17- miles on the road to South Lake will get you to Bishop Creek Lodge. Less than a half- mile further is an obvious turnout that pro- vides a lovely view of Mist Falls. In autumn the changing colors of the large groves of aspen in this canyon make this an incredibly picturesque scene. The streams and lakes in this canyon are world-renown for fishing. Cardinal Falls, Bishop Another roadside vista, Cardinal Falls is located 17 miles from Bishop at the Cardinal Village Resort and near old Cardinal Falls mining area along US-168 W. on the road up to Lake Sabrina. This waterfall cascades down a narrow chute from the hanging valley above, in which North Lake sits. It falls into the deep valley below, where the village and mine are located, then cuts down the canyon into Bishop. The long view of this cascade is seen from the roadside turnout across and well above the valley below. It’s a stunning vista of canyons and crags, and forests and streams. The cascade is fullest in spring when the winter snow melt runs into North Lake and high over the rim into this chute. It is peren- nial and some summers the flow remains strong. The falls might be best in autumn, when the aspen groves in the valley below are changing color. In winter this road is plowed up to the village of Aspendell and on a sunny winter day the icy falls will sparkle from this vantage point. A closer look of the falls requires some hik- ing from the Cardinal Village Resort parking lot. To get to the falls on foot, follow the trail from the other end (south) of the resort to- ward the old mine site. The trail branches off to the waterfall. It’s not long, but it will re- quire a bit of rock scrambling to get close to the cascade. One way the trail is a little over half a mile with about 250 feet of elevation gain. Minaret Falls, Mammoth Lakes Both a roadside selection and a climbing opportunity, Minaret Falls offers some great sights in a deep canyon. The towering Minarets, the iconic features of this town that can be seen from miles away, are most majestic from the Minaret Vista. It’s a sweeping view of the massive backcountry to the west and down to the val- ley below. The large waterfalls and cascades that flow into the valley from numerous creeks are barely seen as the scale of this vista is supremely impressive. A good roadside view of the Minaret Falls is in the heart of the valley from the Minaret Falls campground. Access to the camp- ground in a private vehicle is only possible when camping here during the summer months, mid-June through Labor Day. Dur- Continued on Page 30 Continued from Page 28