Brown's Millpond Campground

The Great Outdoors

Book an RV in Inyo County, and you are ready to begin an adventure that most people only dream about. Yosemite National Park is a well-known and popular tourist attraction not only for the abundance of activities you can enjoy here but also for its stark beauty. Towering granite structures rise up from deep valleys and spectacular meadows, providing a landscape that is eye-catching at any time and even more so when the sun rises and sets. Many visitors come here to practice art and photography, and the park was an inspiration to American photographer Ansel Adams who made the park's mountains part of his life's work. If you're here during the spring, summer, or fall, you can participate in daily art classes; if you're more inclined to simply observe and appreciate, the Yosemite Museum Gallery and Ansel Adams Gallery have exhibits of local work by Adams and other lesser-known artists, books, handicrafts, and gifts you can take with you.Inyo National Forest is comprised of mountains, lakes, and forests to make it a complete destination no matter what type of activities you're looking for. If you like taking in the scenery, Inyo National Forest has a kaleidoscope of plant species in different colors and formations. If you'd rather interact than observe, you can go rock climbing, hiking, and mountain biking, among other activities. There are numerous lakes and streams where you can fish or observe them while enjoying a picnic. Keep your RV rental nearby, and you can fry up your catch once you're done for the day.Death Valley National Park is one of the hottest natural resources on the planet, signifying its importance as a tourist destination. The name says it all, suggesting that this is where plant and wildlife species come to die. The reality, though, is that there is an ecosystem in place that survives the extreme conditions and is a testament to the tenacity of some plants and creatures. If you make this one of your destinations, make sure you plan ahead, dress for the weather, and carry water with you. The park has a visitor center with exhibits and staff who can answer your questions and provide you with up-to-date information on the weather and other important matters. You can sit in on patio talks or join a group for a ranger-led hike or night walk.

Exploring The Area

Big Pine is a smallish town with a big heart and friendly atmosphere. It's also home to the Owens Valley Radio Observatory located just outside the town limits. The observatory is owned and operated by Cal Tech which offers public tours and lectures about what they do and how it all works (you should call ahead to find out when the tours/lectures are conducted). There are a handful of restaurants in the town, and one of them is a family-owned and operated restaurant specializing in barbecue. You can order the barbecue on a sandwich, as part of a meal, or separately as a snack; the restaurant offers take out so you can take it back to the Bishop campground to enjoy it.For a small town, Independence has a solid history and that history is reflected in the museums you'll find here. There's a museum that is located in the former home of author Mary Austin and another, the Eastern California Museum, which has exhibits and artifacts relating to the Native Americans who first settled the area, the WWII Japanese internment camp and much more. Not far from Independence, you'll find the Manzanar National Historic Site, located on the original site of the Japanese Internment Camp. You can tour the area on foot, and it also has an auto-drive tour you can take.Vacations should never be a challenge (at least not the frustrating kind), especially in an area as beautiful as Inyo County, and Brown's Millpond Campground is here waiting for you to make sure that is never the case.