10 day RV Camping trip in Eastern Sierra Highway 395
Every summer I take a camping road trip in our Geo Pro trailer with my husband, two sons, and dog. One of the most memorable was a10-day camping trip to the Eastern Sierra. Highway 395 is another name for this area because of the scenic highway that runs north-south along the very eastern part of California.
For this trip we had just 3 main stops:
- Grover Hot Springs State Park & Hope Valley
- Rock Creek Lake (about half-way down Highway 395, + Mono Lake)
- Coleville and Bodie State Historic Park
This was our first time in the Eastern Sierra, but after hearing so much about the area, we were excited to finally experience it for ourselves. It was quiet, stunning, and totally different from other parts of California. Due to heightened demand for prime camping spots, we did not visit the June Lake Loop or popular hot springs, but the trip was amazing just as is.
If you want incredible scenic beauty and quiet time in nature, I highly recommend RV camping in the Eastern Sierra (in a small RV/trailer or tent camping), especially in the summer when temperatures are warm enough for comfortable camping.
Read more: 20 California Campgrounds in Amazing Locations
RV camping trip in Eastern Sierra, Nights 1 & 2: Grover Hot Springs and Hope Valley
Grover Hot Springs State Park is located in the mountains south of Lake Tahoe near the town of Markleeville. We stayed here because we wanted to experience the hot springs and it was a good first stop on our way to the Eastern Sierra.
We stayed three nights, which was one night too many, so we ended up spending the last day at the nearby lakes of Hope Valley near Lake Tahoe.
The campground is next to a beautiful meadow with a wooden plank walkway and mountain views. Hiking trails circle around to the hot springs building, along a creek, and into the woods to a pretty impressive waterfall. The hot spring pools are rustic, but they were the highlight for us, and our kids totally dug it!
Grover Hot Springs Campground:
- Dry camping
- Sites for trailers/RVs and tents
- Flush toilets and showers available
- Campground is next to the meadow and a short walk to the hot springs
- We loved our stay here but found the campground a bit busy and noisy. We plan to to come back and stay two nights for nice walks and time in the hot spring pools.
RV camping trip in Eastern Sierra: Nights 3-7: Rock Creek Lake (or June Lake Loop)
The Eastern Sierra are known for gorgeous alpine lakes like the well-known June Lakes loop. We ended up choosing the quieter Rock Creek Lake because it was one of the few places with an open campsite, and we loved it! The road to the campground (Forest Service Highway 12) is the highest paved road in California, and the campground sits at 8800 feet! The lake is stocked with trout, so many of the visitors were there to fish.
At such a high elevation, we had a mix of sunny and stormy weather — something we’re not used to in California in the summer!
A very short drive (or walk) up from Rock Creek Lake is the trailhead for the Little Lakes Valley Loop, a series of lakes carved by a glacier extends for miles through stunning mountain peaks. Go as far as you’d like and turn around while keeping an eye on the weather, which can change quickly here.
Rock Creek Lake Campground:
- Dry camping
- Sites for tents including sites close to the lake and beautiful walk-in sites next to the creek
- Limited RV sites with a small parking spot for RV and vehicle and a small area with a picnic table
- Active bear area
- Flush toilets. Showers are located outside the campground.
- There are small shops and services located nearby.
- We loved our stay here and would come back, but found the campground limited for RVs and inconvenient for showering.
RV camping trip in Eastern Sierra: Nights 8 & 9: Mono Lake, Coleville and Bodie State Historic Park
Not far from the June Lakes Loop and Rock Creek Lake is Mono Lake, an ancient lake of tufa spires. With a visitors’ center and trails, you can spend a few hours here, but we made it a short stop just for taking in the views. RV parking is available near the visitors’ center.
To break up the long drive home from Rock Creek Lake to Sacramento, we spent two nights at the KOA in Coleville (still in the Eastern Sierra). There’s not much to report from that campground location — think boulders, rattlesnakes, mountains, desert landscapes, and little civilization — but after 8 nights of dry camping, we appreciated the game room and electricity at the KOA!
Even though there’s not much to do around Coleville, it’s a good stop to reach Bodie State Historic Park, which is just an hour away. If you haven’t been to this ghost town, I’d highly recommend it, especially if you’re traveling with kids. Visiting Bodie was a highlight for all four of us!
What you’ll find at Bodie State Historic Park is a true ghost town. After driving down a dirt road and parking the car, you’ll be transported back in time walking the deserted streets of a gold-mining town that was a boomtown with a population of nearly 10,000 people by 1879.
The town was partially destroyed by a fire in 1892, and then again in 1932 when most of Bodie was burned to the ground after a boy accidentally started a fire playing with matches. Most mining operations had already ended in 1915, and all mining was stopped completely in the early 1950s. After that, about 100 buildings survived, and the town became part of the state park system in 1962.
The park is open 9-6 March-October. In the winter, it is open but the road is not accessible.
This is how we spent a 10-day RV camping trip in the Eastern Sierra along beautiful Highway 395. If you can, try visiting or camping at the more popular June Lakes Loop, adding stops at the hot springs near Mammoth Lakes, and continue down to Death Valley National Park. What questions do you have about an RV camping trip in Eastern Sierra Highway 395?
