Buttermilk Boulders Country – A Year Round Playground
Buttermilk Country is a well-known, world-class bouldering destination. The massive boulders provide some of the most accessible and diverse bouldering in the country with routes that offer everything from fun scrambling to highly technical ‘problems’ that challenge even the world’s best climbers. It also offers so much more! Even if you aren’t a rock climber this area is well worth a visit.
Small but Mighty Fun
The area covers 325 acres of high desert meadow harboring clear streams weaving among the rocky hills. Numerous dirt tracks and single-track trails connect for miles of hiking, trail-running, mountain biking and dirt biking in and around the hills. Plus this network of dirt roads from the early years of mining and ranching here provide wonderful OHV driving opportunities. For an in-depth look at the Buttermilks, be sure to check out Bishop’s comprehensive guide.
“Old Joe” and the Buttermilk Name Origin
Back in the mid-19th century, Buttermilk Road was more than just a bumpy track — it was a lifeline from “Old Joe” Inman’s dairy to the town of Bishop. The road was so rough, locals joked that the constant jostling turned fresh milk into buttermilk by the time it arrived. Whether myth or truth, it gave the area its charming and curious name.
The dairy has long since vanished, and the old sawmill is little more than a memory. Gone are the days when thirsty workers sipped cold buttermilk under the summer sun. But the landscape? It remains — timeless, wide open, and wild. The same towering Buttermilk boulders, sweeping views, and whispering winds that greeted travelers over a century ago still welcome wanderers today.
What Makes It Great
It’s a year-round destination and there is something for everyone here. The mountain peaks tower above the desert floor and a canopy of bright stars sparkles in the night sky like a never-ending display of brilliant fireworks. Interspersed with private and non-public utility lands, the Buttermilks basin is a huge tract allowing for a great variety of recreational activities.
Who Is Going to Love It
Outdoor enthusiasts of all sorts will revel in all that the Buttermilk Country has to offer. Bring all your gear – mountain bike or dirt bike, binoculars and bird book, climbing shoes and crash pad, fishing rods and camp chairs. Exercise your body, explore the sights, and experience the beauty of Buttermilk Country.
Best Season
Recreation can happen year-round. It’s perfection in the spring and fall. Summer nights are balmy and days are hot. Winter days are brisk and nights are cold. Best sending temps are in winter.
Spring
Springtime brings the birdsong as large populations of breeding songbirds nest along the willow-lined stream that meanders though the Buttermilks. It also brings the desert peach into bloom with its pink blossoms and jasmine-like scent giving soft color and sweet fragrance to this arid landscape.
Fall
In late spring, the bitterbrush fills the air with its spicy scent and bursts into golden bloom. Come fall, large herds of mule deer move into Buttermilk boulders country to feed on the tender shoots of bitterbrush and sagebrush that grow in abundance here.
As the deer descend from the mountains, so too do the mountain lions that follow them. While sightings of these elusive big cats—known to biologists as Puma concolor, or “cat of one color”—are rare, travelers are advised to stay alert and avoid letting children wander too far. No mountain lion attacks have ever been recorded in the region, but it’s always wise to respect the wild.
Directions. Parking. Regulations.
From downtown Bishop drive west on Highway 168 (W. Line St.) for 8‑miles to the junction of Buttermilk Rd and turn right. The road turns to gravel in 400-feet just beyond the cattle guard and 12‑miles further you will find yourself in the heart of Buttermilk County. All along Buttermilk Rd, up to and beyond the bouldering area, numerous roads and tracks lead off into the hills and alongside the creeks, boulders and ridges of this diverse landscape. Always park in existing clearings and please don’t crush the brush. Be sure to know what fire regulations are in effect when you visit and always adhere to all fire restrictions.
Written by:
Gigi de Jong
Gigi is “crazy mad in love with Bishop.” Since moving here in 2006 she has made it her mission to participate in as many of the outdoor activities as possible. She learned to snowboard, improved upon her very average climbing skills, took long hikes, has driven up and down innumerable mountain roads and 4x4 tracks, cycled and occasionally tumbled down mountain bike trails, taken to the roads on a bicycle or motorcycle – sometimes for fun and sometimes to commute, and successfully completed her first attempt at a triathlon. She spent 10 months touring the western US and Canada on a bicycle and after 4,000 plus miles returned to Bishop – for the beauty of the place and the spirit of the community. “My soul belongs here,” she says.
