Scenic 395 - The Official Guide 2026

2026 Scenic 395 35 Bishop Low Fuel Prices Fresh Deli Food Beer Cave 180 N See Vee Ln, Bishop, CA 93514 Phone: (760) 784-9715 Open Weeky 6am - 10pm A weird and wonderful road trip: 13 strange sights to see along US-395 By Gigi de Jong Scenic 395 Contributor Oddities of nature and the stuff of human ingenuity and absurdity exist here in the Eastern Sierra just as they do the world over. The fasci- nating history of these weird and wonderful things is as incredible as the objects and attractions themselves. We find ourselves looking at these mysterious manmade and nat- urally occurring phenomena and wondering, “When? How? Why?” The Eastern Sierra is often referred to as “the other side of California,” and these places might also make it “the weird side of California.” Along a stretch of US Highway 395 in the Eastern Sierra are some of the most curious, grotesque, mysterious, and awe-inspiring features of nature and feats of humankind. Feats of Obsession and Ingenuity One of the greatest exam- ples of human perseverance and obsession is the Burro Schmidt Tunnel. One man, William “Burro” Schmidt, with his two donkeys, a few hand tools, a wheelbarrow, and some explosives, spent over 33 years single handedly digging a tunnel almost a half mile long in the solid rock of Copper Mountain in the remote Mo- jave Desert of California. Even after discovering rich veins of gold, silver, copper, and iron, he disregarded mining entire- ly, obsessed with the big dig. During his lifetime he would never fully explain his tunnel excavation project, except to say that is was a “short cut.” Ultimately, the tunnel emerged on a high ridge, well above the desert floor, becoming known as the “short cut to nowhere.” Schmidt never transported a single ounce of ore through it. The inside of the Burro Schmidt Tunnel. Courtesy Photo See Weird on Page 36