FAQs

You can traverse the route from either its north or south extreme, beginning at Death Valley (130 miles west of Las Vegas) or starting from Yosemite (about 170 miles east of San Francisco). You can also fly into the Bishop Airport and do this tour in sections.

The EST itself is free! Think of the EST as the top 10 must-see spots linked together to create an epic road trip through the Eastern Sierra. That being said, some of the stops do have entrance fees.

National Parks: visit with a National Parks annual pass or one-time entrance fee.
Death Valley National Park
Manzanar National Historic Site
Devils Postpile National Monument
Yosemite National Park (reservations may be required for entry, please check before visiting)

State Parks

Mono Lake State Natural Reserve
South Tufa is the only area on Mono Lake that has a fee.
$3 per person 16 years and older (per day).
Children 15 and under are free of charge.
Interagency Passes are accepted. Interagency Passes admits passholder and up to 3 adults.

Bodie State Historic Park
Adults: $8.00 per person (18+)
Children: $5.00 per child (ages 4 to 17)
Infant: Free (ages 0-3)

Free to visit:
Alabama Hills
Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest
Mt. Whitney (view from the Eastern Sierra Visitor Center or drive up to the trailhead and Mt. Whitney Portal Store and café)

Donation encouraged:
Owens Valley Paiute Shoshone Cultural Center

In summer, temperatures can exceed 120 degrees Fahrenheit! The highest temperature ever recorded in the United States was in Death Valley when it hit 134 degrees Fahrenheit on July 10, 1913. If you plan to visit in the summer months, please bring extra water and plan for extreme heat. Visit the Park’s website to plan your visit.

Whitney Portal Road closes in winter due to snow. You can see Mt. Whitney year-round from the Eastern Sierra Interagency Visitor Center located at the junction of Hwy US 395 and State Route 136 just south of Lone Pine. The best view is through Mobius Arch in the Alabama Hills.

At 14,505 feet, Mt. Whitney stands as the tallest peak in the contiguous 48 states, drawing aspiring hikers and mountaineers alike. Wilderness permits are required year-round for all day trips in the Mount Whitney Zone and all overnight trips in wilderness.

The Lone Pine Chamber of Commerce has a self-guided Movie Road Tour brochure and map. Stop by the Museum of Western Film History located in the town of Lone Pine to pick up a hard copy and to see exhibits and artifacts from the many movies filmed here over the years.

You can explore the Manzanar National Historic site and its collections on foot and by car. Manzanar is set up to be self-guided and does not require a guided tour to have an impactful experience.

• Stop at the visitor center and talk to a ranger at the desk. Ask them any questions you may have.
• Watch the 22-minute, award-winning site film, Remembering Manzanar, at the visitor center. You can also stream it on YouTube before or after your visit.
• Explore the visitor center exhibits to learn about Manzanar in the voices of those who were incarcerated here.
• Head to the wheelchair-accessible buildings in Block 14 and explore the exhibits in each of the two barracks, women’s latrine and mess hall. Block 14 buildings are open every day from 9:00am – 4:15pm.
• Drive the 3.2-mile auto tour road to see Japanese Gardens, the cemetery monument, historic orchards, and many other remnants. Pick up a map at the visitor center or at the flagpole near the visitor center parking lot.

The Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest is NOT ACCESSIBLE during winter, but please read on so you can learn more and plan your spring, summer or fall visit!! 

Getting to the Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest requires a drive of a little over one hour on a good paved road. It is steep and winding most of the way and there is no gas, food, water, or cell phone service available at the top or along the route. Before you go, call the White Mountain Ranger station in Bishop for more information, road conditions and visitor center hours (760) 873-2500.

From Bishop drive south on US Highway 395 for 15 miles and turn left onto State Route 168 East. Follow the road for 13 miles then turn left onto White Mountain Rd. Ten miles further you will arrive at the Schulman Grove Visitor Center.

Named in honor of Edmund Schulman, the Schulman Grove Visitor Center is open annually from mid-May through November, weather permitting. From the visitor center at 9,846 feet above sea level two trails take visitors through the groves. One is the Discovery Trail, a short walk of just less than a mile through the Schulman grove. Views westward toward the Sierra Nevada are spectacular from this trail. The other is the Methuselah Trail, a 4.5-mile hike that loops through the Methuselah Grove where, unmarked to protect its identity, lives Methuselah, now 4,850 years old. There are spectacular vistas looking out eastward over Nevada’s basin-and-range region, and side trails connect to interesting, old mining sites.

Beyond the Schulman Grove Visitor Center, White Mountain Rd continues unpaved for 13 miles to reach the higher elevation Patriarch Grove where the biggest of the ancient bristlecones, the Patriarch, lives.  The area has two short loops of less than a mile each with interpretive signage along the way and a vault toilet.

The road to this grove is maintained, but it can be slow and difficult going for a light passenger car. It is recommended that visitors drive this section in an SUV or high clearance vehicle and motorhomes are not recommended on this road. Have a full tank of gas before leaving the Owens Valley below. As always, when venturing into the mountains, bring plenty of water, snacks, sun screen, and layers of clothing.

The Paiute-Shoshone Cultural Center Museum showcases a variety of artifact exhibits that describe how the area’s first peoples survived and thrived locally. Their exhibits provide physical representations of dwellings, tools (including manos and metates), as well as clothing (including a rabbit skin coat). Pinyon nuts are available at one exhibit for guests to grind on granite rock as Native Americans once did. The Center also hosts an annual Pow Wow and Tatswano Gathering with native crafts, food booths, live music, cultural performances, hand games and more. This family-friendly event is enjoyed by all. Please click here for hours.

Operated by the Bishop Paiute Tribe, this Cultural Center Museum is designed to capture the spirit and culture of the people. The focus of this museum is to teach visitors the culture and history of the Paiute and Shoshone Indians who lived and still reside in the Owens Valley. Be sure to stop by the gift shop where local artisans display and sell artwork and jewelry. There is no fee to visit the museum, but donations are encouraged.

*Major construction project starting summer 2024. Please check the National Monument website for information on accessing Reds Meadow and Devils Postpile.

A mandatory shuttle bus into Reds Meadow/Devils Postpile leaves Mammoth Mountain Main Lodge continuously throughout the day. It is possible to drive-in outside of the shuttle bus hours or with a campground reservation.

Typically open May/June through October. Devils Postpile and Reds Meadow are not accessible in the winter.

Drop by one of the two visitor information centers in Lee Vining and find out how Mono Lake’s mystical-looking limestone tufa towers are formed and how the lake was saved. Mono Lake Committee provides free walks and tours, canoe tours, field seminars and custom trips!

Daily tours of the Stamp Mill may be offered for a small fee per person. Visit the Museum for current information and to register. Bodie is open year-round, however vehicle access on Hwy 270 into the park is open April-November, depending on weather and snow conditions. Call 760-616-5040.

A reservation will be required to drive into or through Yosemite National Park on some days from April 13 through October 27, 2024, for those driving into the park between 5 am and 4 pm as follows:

• April 13 through June 30: A reservation is required from 5 am to 4 pm on Saturdays, Sundays, and on holidays (May 27 and June 19).
• July 1 through August 16: A reservation is required from 5 am to 4 pm every day.
• August 17 through October 27: A reservation is required from 5 am to 4 pm on Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays (September 2 and October 14).
• Driving through the park will also require a reservation if entering between 5 am and 4 pm. If you are planning to visit after peak hours, please do not arrive before 4 pm; vehicles blocking roads will be cited.

Get a timed entry ticket here >>

Access from the Eastern Sierra to Yosemite through Tioga Pass is CLOSED in winter due to snow.

Clearing of the Tioga Road normally begins on or about April 15 each year and usually takes between one and two months. Predicting when these roads will open is not possible, even in late spring, because April and May weather significantly affects plowing progress. (April 1 snowpack (water content of the snowpack as a percent of average) for the Tuolumne drainage is listed as a reference.)

The list of opening and closing dates has moved to our Historical Seasonal Opening and Closing Dates page.

View Tioga Road and Glacier Point Road plowing updates (beginning around April 15 each year).