Crowley Lake Columns

Cappie’s Scoop: When mom and I visited the Sierras, we were hiking a lot of trails in the mountains and some had snow which was a lot of fun. Then mom surprised me by taking me on this hike and we ended up on the beach! I was so happy to zoom in the sand and check out these weird rocks that look like trees! Don’t hesitate to add YOUR scoop in the comments below! Don’t hesitate to add YOUR scoop in the comments below!

Tips: These rock columns are really interesting to see up close and access to them is not always possible because of water levels but worth the trip to see if they’re visible! Also, be sure to have a map handy like AllTrails because there are a few junctions along the way and you want to be sure you’re hiking down the correct dirt road! To access the beach, you have to hike down a steep hill but the sand is soft which made it easy to get down. Besides the columns which are the main feature, you have a gorgeous view of the mountains behind the lake so stay a while, sit on the beach and soak up the warm sun!

Directions: From the town of Bishop, head north on 395 for about 24 miles. Turn right onto Owens Gorge Rd and stay on Owens Gorge Rd until it turns into a dirt road. (Note: There is a portion of the paved road that becomes a single narrow lane and crosses over the damn. Keep your eyes open for oncoming cars.) When it turns into a dirt road, make the first sharp left turn and go another 0.2 miles or so and look for parking anywhere on the side of the road. If you have 4WD, you may consider driving all the way to the dirt parking area overlooking the beach which will shorten your hike greatly. The biggest hurdle is the initial steep hill which most vehicles may find it difficult to drive up (photo below). After that, the road is narrow with brush on the sides but mostly flat.