Bishop is blessed with perfect climbing conditions. Not only is the climate perfect for climbing with only 6" average annual rainfall, and over 300 days of sunshine, the crags and boulders that surround the town are world-class.
The Owens River Gorge (ORG) has hundreds of top quality sport routes, and the Happy and Buttermilks bouldering venues both have world class problems. Each of the areas have distinct characteristics, the ORG has long pumpy routes, the Happy Boulders have fun boulders that suit strong fingers and flexibility, while the Buttermilks offer fine technical challenges that reward good technique and hard callouses in one of the most scenic settings in the country.
There are many more areas than these mentioned to go climb at - just as well the weather won't let you down - 'cause you'll be busy.
In the summer months when the valley is hot there are always the higher elevations of the Mammoth and June areas no further than 1 hour away, or you can cool off with a float down the Owens River, just east of Bishop.
Need a guidebook? See here mountainproject.com/books/1…
Tape? Chalk? Check out Wilson's Eastside Sports on Main St., downtown Bishop for all your outdoorsy needs.
Bishop is located on US 395, about 4 hours North of Los Angeles and about 4 hours South of Reno.
Fly into the Bishop Airport and be climbing in no time! United Express began service to BIH in December 2021. Currently flights are available seasonally - daily direct flights from Denver and San Francisco from mid-December through March and six day/week flights to San Francisco from mid-June through Labor Day. Service will likely expand to year round flights in the coming years.
It is a trek no matter where you come from, but one well worth making.
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Rapid City
Fresno, CA
Mammoth Lakes, CA
blm.gov/ca/st/en/fo/bishop/…
Other than that there is lots of BLM land that you can use, but to help protect the local environment think first about using an established campground. Feb 9, 2014
Washington
A fourth year of severe drought continues to turn the Eastern Sierras into a tinder box. I respectfully ask your consideration of the following as you enjoy the area, especially the Buttermilks:
1. Please please reconsider your use of campfires AND campstoves. I am fortunate to be able to use the Buttermilks for a lot of recreation (running mostly) on a regular basis, and it is disheartening to come upon abandoned fire rings that have NOT been adequately suffocated out. I have found fire-rings abandoned and still smoking on windy days; fires have been started in the Buttermilks as a result of this kind of carelessness.
2. With respect to request #1, please instead consider driving into town for your meals and morning coffee and to support the local establishments.
3. With respect to request #2, please slow down on Buttermilk Road. This road is used frequently by runners, MTB-ers, and people out with their dogs and kids. By slowing down from 50mph to 30mph you add roughly 2 minutes to your drive. The mountains aren't going anywhere.
Thanks much for your consideration and enjoy your time here! Feb 20, 2015
Henniker, NH
Mammoth Lakes, CA
Getting around Bishop and the owens valley is no issue. If you head up north to Mammoth and beyond you may need to have chains, but storms generally blow through in a day or two and after that roads are clear.
Heading up from south? If so no issue. Jan 13, 2016
Anchorage, AK
San Francisco, CA
I will be going to Bishop for my first time in several weeks. I boulder V0 to V2 on a good day while my buddy climbs up to V5/V6. Any recommendations as to which areas have a good concentration of problems that will suit both of us at the same time?
Any beta is appreciated. Thanks Apr 11, 2018
Mammoth Lakes, CA
Flaky Foont, WI. Redacted…
Enterprise in the Owens River Gorge
mountainproject.com/route/1… Oct 29, 2018
Ford Econoline
Mexico City, MX
Mammoth Lakes, CA