Taylor Canyon Spring•Inyo NF

00:00     Title
00:15     Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest           
04:13     Vista Point     
04:48     Panum Crater   
07:58     Mono Basin   
12:28     Highway 120   
17:08     Taylor Canyon Spring   
18:52      Fin
​
As can be seen in the photos, daylight was fading fast when I found myself getting way behind schedule while touring Mono Basin. Since I was driving a Jeep, getting off the paved road was an easy option, so I browsed the GPS for Inyo National Forest points of interest and found a lesser known campground at Taylor Springs less than 10 miles away. Fatigue was setting in and I settled for a roadside camping spot just shy of the Taylor Springs Campground, which actually turned out to be a cozy spot for the night. This site was right next to a small creek, so Taylor Canyon Spring actually was not too far away.

After breaking camp well before dawn the following morning I drove a little further uphill through the canyon in the darkness to check out the Taylor Springs Campground, which turned out to be a primitive site with no facilities and only enough room for a few vehicles. It was evident that this little campground had very little annual visitation, so I did not wait for the sun to rise to photograph the site. Oddly enough, the roadside hunter's campsite actually turned out to be the better choice, which provided a little bit of satisfaction for starting the day.

The best part was the overnight roadside campsite location in the Inyo National Forest was perfect for exploring more of the Bishop region. I set out to do a long Jeep trail through the historic mining and ranching district near Benton at sunrise, which was quite memorable because the trail ended at Crowley Lake with the towering Sierra Nevada Mountains in the background. To sum it all up, the public lands certainly are a saving grace when seeking a spot to bed down, especially when exhausted after a long day of touring!