6 Of The Most Charming Towns In California’s Sierra Nevada
Ah, the Sierra Nevada – where gold rush tales and alpine trails meet, sourdough bread has a history as deep as the valley floors, and mountain peaks commune with the stars each night. In a nutshell, the Sierra Nevada is the major mountain range of western North America, stretching from California’s eastern edge. It covers the area between the Central Valley depression to the west and the Basin and Range Province to the east, and over 250 miles (400 kilometers) northward from the Mojave Desert to the Cascade Range of northern California and Oregon.
Bishop, California
The charming town of Bishop in the California High Sierra is your “everything town,” where no activity is off the table amidst the breathtaking mountain sights, like bouldering or fishing. The unreal scenery around served as the setting for nearly 400 films along the Alabama Hills just outside of town. With so much to boast about, the modest town embraces its past, letting the quaint scenery speak for itself. Visit for the annual events Mule Days, the largest non-motorized parade in the world, and stop by the Laws Railroad Museum to see life as the first settlers amid the Owens Valley.
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.
