Big Pine Canyon, California

[Aaron Zagrodnick]

Sixteen miles south of Bishop, CA, Highway 395 cruisers must slow down to pass through Big Pine, population 1350. It’s a tiny high desert burg and not likely to lure you out of the car. Definitely small and unimpressive, but you should see its “backyard.” Big Pine hunkers at the base of the Palisades, a spectacular 6-mile-long Sierra sub-range along the crest.

Sharon Giacomazzi details this scenic Sierra hike with photography by Brain Schmalz of CaliTrails.com in Issue 14:

Big Pine Canyon: A Bully Hike to Brainerd Lake

Issue 14 Page 1