If you think winter in Bishop looks like a frozen wasteland? Nope. The valley floor stays mostly sunny, the trails stay open, and the snow stays exactly where you want it: in Bishop Creek Canyon and up the road in Mammoth.
Welcome to Bishop: California’s Best Adventure Hub
Winter in Bishop is shoulder-season heaven. Daytime temps often sit in the 50s and 60s. The air is crisp. The sunsets are rad.
It is the kind of weather where you can climb, hike, bike, soak, eat incredibly well, and find accommodations at reasonable prices. At the same time, you are only 45 minutes from a world class mountain resort: Mammy 🤙🏼
Hiking & Trail Running: Empty Trails and Golden Winter Light
Lower elevation hikes near Bishop stay open all season, and winter brings some of the cinematic conditions from the valley floor.
- Volcanic Tablelands
- Pleasant Valley Gorge
- Tungsten Hills
- The Buttermilks to Horton Lakes
- Bishop Canal
Snow Play in Bishop Creek Canyon: 20 mins to a Norman Rockwell Postcard
Dying to see snow? Drive twenty minutes. Bishop Creek Canyon transforms into an alpine dream. The road closes at Cardinal Village which is a family ran cabin resort that is basically a time machine to a much better time.
- Photography
- Snow play
- Snow Shoeing
- Santa Village (Cardinal Village)
- Ice Skating (Cardinal Village)
- Backcountry access
- pretending you live in a Hallmark movie
You get the snow. You get the snowman You do not get snowed in on the valley floor later.
Bishop to Mammoth: Sunshine to Epic Sking in 45 minutes
Flex. If you want luxury boutique vibes at non peak season mountain town prices we have that too. Yes, it is a 45 minute drive to Mammoth. So what. It’s a beautiful drive. You are an hour plus closer to home (traffic) on Sunday and you do not have to deal with the Mammoth cray cray.
Fly Fishing the Lower Owens in Winter
As we begin to see more daylight in January, the Lower Owens is pure bliss for anglers. Cold mornings, clear water, rising fish, and zero crowds. It is one of the best times of year to fish the river, especially if you like your solitude and snowy alpine peaks on all sides of you.
Mountain, Gravel and Road.
Winter is prime riding season on the valley floor. The Bishop Creek canal, Pleasant Valley Loop, and all the sneaky connector trails stay dry, fast, and wide open. The 395 is not so bad either (ha) and Highway 6 just added a bike lane on the sketchy section. More on Bishop MTB here.
Soaks at Keough’s Hot Springs
Nothing compares to soaking at Keough’s Hot Springs on a cold winter day. The steam rises, the mountains glow, and your muscles forgive you.
Pro pro tip: bring flip flops.
Stay here.
Wayfinder Bishop
The Wayfinder Bishop is rad. If John Dutton from Yellowstone built a hotel, this would be it. It lives somewhere between a Pendleton catalog and a Wes Anderson film without tipping into parody. The jacuzzi is legit and the rooms are straight up adorable and the perfect place to stay in Bishop.
Cardinal Village Resort
We just found out that Cardinal Village Resort, tucked deep in Bishop Creek Canyon, is renting rooms this winter. Snowshoeing and backcountry adventure literally start at the doorstep in this rad, family owned winter wonderland that is an honest to goodness California treasure. Yep, we said that.
Climbing in the Gorge
Winter is peak climbing season in Bishop. Climbers from all over the world flock for our grippy temps, bluebird skies, and endless routes tucked into a canyon that stays warmer than the rest of town.
World Class Bouldering
A mass migration of vanlife kids descend on Bishop (and Black Sheep) every winter as Bishop is one of the most iconic winter bouldering settings on the planet. It might take a minute to warm up but you are often climbing in a t-shirt by noon and grabbing tacos by 2.
Foooood.
Bishop’s food scene is happening. Yep we said it. You can eat your way across town in one weekend and here are all of our favorite spots to eat.
Why You Should Spend a Winter Holiday or Weekend in Bishop
Because it is calm, comfortable, scenic, affordable, and filled with adventure. Call it California’s most underrated holiday basecamp. We do. 🤙🏼
