The Eastern Sierras is a magical place. They are fundamental to what it is to be Californian, to be a Westerner. From abandoned remnants of a ghost town of a bygone gold rush era to the jagged peaks that boast the tallest in the contiguous United States. The Eastern Sierras is California’s proverbial backyard mountain range. Here is where many Californians go on summer sojourns to get lost in the backcountry to find themselves meandering through lush green meadows surrounded by beautiful mountain ranges.

Here’s where many saw their first bear, climbed their first vertical granite face, slept under the stars gazing at the milky way, paddle their kayaks, and pondered their existence in the vastness of the universe.

Sun Dog and Sage Bush

Endless jagged peaks and that reach for the skies.

North Lake. This a quintessential Eastern Sierra Autumn scene.

“The mountains are calling and I must go.” – John Muir

This awesome pinnacle rises above in the Tuolumne Meadows area of Yosemite National Park.

Shadow Of The Minarets. A series of jagged peaks located in the Ritter Range.

This a popular spot on Highway 88 for fall foliage viewing.

The Hope Valley area is full of colorful aspens during the fall season.

Ancient native American petroglyphs under the night sky at Vulcanic Tablelands.

A rainbow forms at the base of Yosemite Falls.

Gnarled Bristlecone Sunset

Convict Lake. It’s one of a few alpine lakes easily accessible by car in the Eastern Sierras. A slight detour off highway 395. You don’t have to hike to get a wonderful view such as this. It’s popular for fishing, so if you get there early enough, you’ll have some cool photographic opportunities.

Autumn displays of colorful aspens turning to various bright colors in North Lake. The area is a photographer’s heaven.

Ghostown Bodie is a well-preserved ghost town from the bygone days of the gold rush.

Tufa is a variety of limestone, formed by the geothermally heated hot springs.

Brittel Bush is but one of many plants that thrive in the arrid landscapes of the Eastern Sierras.

Brittle Bush is but one of many plants that thrive in the arid landscapes of the Eastern Sierras.

Autumn Creek

A cold and frigid morning at North Peak. You can do an overnight trip or multiple days in the backcountry here. It’s accessible via 120 just outside the boundary of Yosemite National Park on the Tuolumne Meadows side.