Mammoth Mountain is one of our favorite places to visit every year! We go at least once every winter to play in the snow and 1-2 times in the summer to mountain bike. The mountain has so many great trails in both seasons and it’s always a trip our whole family enjoys.
To get to Mammoth from San Diego we head up the 15 and connect to Highway 395 near Hesperia. Then, we keep going until we get to Mammoth. We’ve done the drive a lot in the last decade so I thought it would be fun to share some of our favorite stops along the way. You can definitely do the drive with just a quick stop for gas, but sometimes it’s fun to explore something new along the way.
10. The Lemon House
Address: 146 U.S. 395 Cartago California, on the right hand side of the 395 when heading north and on the left when heading south
This is a fun and quick roadside stop to get some fresh air and a photo by the quirky yellow house and dinosaur sculpture. It’s now part of the Lemon House Inn which looks like a cute place to stay for the night if you want to make a day of it.
9. Randsburg & Randsburg General Store
Address: 35 Butte Ave, Randsburg, CA 93554
When the boys were about 7 and 9, I thought it would be fun to stop at one of the ‘living ghost towns’ on our way home. We stopped at Randsburg which is only about a mile or so off the 395. You can also check out Johannesburg and Red Mountain which are also in that area. These 3 towns were known as the ‘gold and silver mining belt of Kern County’ and it’s estimated that over $60 million in gold was found in the mines of Rand Mountain. Most people come to Randsburg to get an old fashioned soda from the 100-year-old fountain at the Randsburg General Store, but it was closed the day we went. The boys still had fun exploring the town, checking out the old city jail and looking through all of the shop windows.
8. Hubcap Capital of the World in Pearsonville
Address: 3 Pearson Rd, Inyokern, CA 93527
Another quick photo stop is in Pearsonville which is home to the 25-foot tall Uniroyal Gal (The Hubcap Lady) and a water tower proclaiming the town as the hubcap capital of the world. I’m not too sure of the history of how this giant lady came to the town, but the town was known as the hubcap capital of the world with over 80,000 hubcaps collected by Lucy Pearson. You can see the hubcap lady on the right side of the highway when you are going north if you just want to take a quick look from the window as you drive by too.
7. Trona Pinnacles
Address: The Trona Pinnacles are located approximately 20.0 miles east of Ridgecrest. Access to the site is from a BLM dirt road (RM143) that leaves SR 178, about 7.7 miles east of the intersection of SR 178 and the Trona-Red Mountain Road.
It took years of pointing to the signs for Trona on the 395 and showing my husband photos of the pinnacles that we ‘had to see someday’ before he finally agreed to go. It’s definitely worth the stop because the pinnacles are like something out of this world. They even filmed Star Trek here! It is about an hour off the 395 from Ridgecrest and you want at least an hour to explore so make sure to give yourself enough time. The roads are not paved once you get closer to the pinnacles so 4WD is best, but if the weather is nice and you stay on the main path a 2WD should get you to the main parking lot just fine. Don’t forget to stop at the fish rocks on the way in, you’ll see them on the north side of the 178.
The sunrise and sunsets are stunning at the pinnacles, so if you can stay to see either of them, you’ll be so glad you did.
We made a whole trip of it one year and camped out of our trailer so the boys could play on their dirt toys in the surrounding open space. There are so many places to explore and camp overnight too. We had a great time and everyone was so glad that we went.
6. Antique Shop at Kramer Junction
Address: 40716 US-395, Boron, CA 93516
This is a fun little shop on the side of the road in Adelanto. It’s full of so many unique treasures from vintage dishes and silverware to old gas pumps and street signs and they usually have some classic cars out front as well.
5. Copper Top BBQ in Big Pine
Address: 442 N. Main Street Big Pine, CA 93513
My boys love BBQ so we stop here for lunch or dinner on our way home any chance we can. If you order online or call in your order about 20 minutes before you arrive, it’s usually ready and waiting for you. Our kids love the tri-tip sandwiches, but everything on the menu is fantastic! They are closed on Tuesday and Wednesday so keep that in mind.
4. Indian Wells Brewing Company
Address: 2565 CA-14, Inyokern, CA 93527
Only about 10 minutes off of the 395, this is a fun stop for the whole family. Indian Wells Brewing Company not only makes beer but also bottles soda for Rocket Fizz. They have every soda you could ever imagine from dog drool and bug barf to butter soda and unicorn magic to more traditional varieties of root beer and cream soda. The best part is that you can create your own 6 pack so you can try six unique flavors. We usually stop on our way home and get a 6 pack or two to share with our neighbors and they are always a huge hit.
3. Convict Lake
Address: Just south of Mammoth Lakes and west of the Mammoth Yosemite Airport off Highway 395. Convict Lake Road runs for roughly two miles to the lake.
One of our all-time favorite places to go and camp every summer is Convict Lake. It is also a great day trip for fishing and hiking if you aren’t able to get a campsite or room at the resort. The views are so beautiful, deer roam through the campground every evening and the fishing and trails are great too! There is a gorgeous lake that reflects the mountain on glassy mornings and a trail that takes you around the lake.
2. Spellbinder’s Book Shop in Bishop
Address: 124 S Main St, Bishop, CA 93514
My kids love to read and this cute bookshop has so many great finds, the boys are always able to find something new. In addition to books they also have greeting cards, puzzles, calendars, journals and lots of other great gifts. I also love stopping at Black Sheep Coffee Roasters in the back for a delicious espresso to help keep us awake for the last leg of the trip.
1. Schatt’s Bakery in Bishop
Address: 763 N Main St, Bishop, CA 93514
This tops the list since we stop here every single time we drive by when it’s open. They have the best bread, sandwiches, pastries, handcrafted candies, gelato, espresso, and more. There is always a line and what feels like a million people inside, but be patient and kind, the lines do move quick!
Hope you enjoyed this post and that it inspires you to explore a new spot the next time you are driving on Highway 395.
