Overview
Owens Valley is a valley in the Eastern Sierra region of California. It spans portions of Mono County and Inyo County.
Updated from Wikivoyage on 1 October 2026 · Something wrong or missing? Improve it on Wikivoyage
Plan your trip
Best time to visit & weather
Most comfortable: Mar–May, Oct–Nov. Summer highs reach about 98°F; winter lows dip to about 28°F. Very hot (Jun, Jul, Aug) — plan outdoor time for mornings. Wettest: Jan and Feb. (climate data from nearby Independence)
Blue bars: average daily high and low (°F). Purple columns: average monthly rain and melted snow (inches).
Getting there
- From you: to see whether to drive or fly, and how long it takes.
- BIH Eastern Sierra Regional Airport, Bishop — 40 mi away. Directions
- MMH Mammoth Yosemite Airport, Mammoth Lakes — 67 mi away. Directions
- FAT Fresno Yosemite International Airport, Fresno — 84 mi away (major hub). Directions
Understand
One of the earliest American explorers described the Owens Valley as containing "ten thousand acres (40 km2) of fine grass.", but much of the recent history of the Owens Valley involves the "theft" of its water supply for use in Los Angeles, and today it is mostly arid. This story is explained in Marc Reisner's book, Cadillac Desert and includes William Mulholland, the Los Angeles Times, and other sordid characters. Recent court rulings and actions by the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power have helped restore water to the river, and with the improving fish habitat it is again becoming one of the finest fly fishing streams in the West.
Cities
- Bishop
- Big Pine
- Independence
- Lone Pine
Nearby
Independence
City / town · 7 listings · 0 mi away
Lone Pine
City / town · 11 listings · 16 mi away
Mount Whitney
Park · 3 listings · 16 mi away
Big Pine
City / town · 2 listings · 26 mi away
Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks
Park · 39 listings · 36 mi away
Olancha-Cartago
City / town · 2 listings · 38 mi away
Bishop
City / town · 19 listings · 40 mi away
Three Rivers
City / town · 20 listings · 45 mi away
My experience
Write about your trip here. Notes save automatically in this browser as you type; back them up from My journal.