Big Pine is a small, inconspicuous town located along highway 395. Highway 395 begins in the high desert of Southern California, ends at the Canadian border, and in-between, crosses some of the most desolate and beautiful land in California. Google Map for Big Pine.

Our area is very rural and remote, far from any cities, and at this time no airlines fly into the Bishop or Mammoth-Yosemite airports. The closest major airport with regular airline service is Reno/Tahoe International Airport in Reno, Nevada. The airport is 200 miles north of Bishop, about a four-hour drive. Car rental agencies can be found at the airport. Two other good choices would be McCarran International Airport in Las Vegas, 260 miles to the southeast or Los Angeles International Airport, about 275 miles to the south.

Below are Google map links from the nearest airports to Big Pine.

Reno/Tahoe International Airport

Los Vegas McCarran International Airport

Los Angles International Airport

Ontario CA International Airport

Another (somewhat expensive) alternative is to fly into the Inyokern Airport near Ridgecrest, California, 127 miles south of Bishop. It is possible to fly from Los Angeles, San Francisco, Portland, Seattle/Tacoma, Denver, Salt Lake City and Dallas/Fort Worth on Sky West Airlines into the small town of Inyokern and rent a car from Avis or Enterprise car rental services and then make the two-hour drive north on Highway 395 to Big Pine. Enterprise also has an office in Bishop - some rentals are available one-way from LAX to Bishop.

Buses

Greyhound has discontinued their bus service to our area, but the Inyo-Mono Transit Crest bus runs from Bishop to Carson City, Nevada and the Reno/Tahoe Airport three times a week for very reasonable rates. For more information call 760-872-1901 or toll free at 800-922-1930. 

Climate

A desert is defined as an area that receives an average of ten or fewer inches of precipitation annually. This is a simplification, indeed. Deserts are certainly arid, but they are also richly habituated landscapes with a diversity of plant and animal species, fascinating geological formations, as well as extreme weather patterns. Deserts can be dramatic! Rule of thumb – when you go into the desert, be prepared for anything: hot days, cold nights, bone dry weather or torrential thunderstorms, gentle breezes or gale force winds. There is no predicting.

Typically, summer temperatures in the Inyo-Mountain area can range from over 100? during the day and 75 degrees in the evening. During August, it is not uncommon to be greeted with thunderstorms.

During spring, the Inyos have an average high of 85 degrees F to a low of 50 degrees. Remember, these are averages. Temperatures, particularly during the spring, can be much cooler, even supporting sleet and snow.

Death Valley is one of the hottest places in the world. Air temperature readings over 120 degrees F are common during summer months. However, temperatures from November through March have highs averaging in the 60s and 70s. Winter nighttime lows are usually in the 40s.

Not till we are lost, in other words, not till we have lost the world, do we begin to find ourselves, and realize where we are and the infinite extent of our relations.
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~ Henry David Thoreau