Buttermilk Country

2 Reviews

Location Bishop, CA

Rating Easy,

Length 16.3mi

Time 4hrs

Guide Trail # 27

Vehicle Types

Vehicle Types Defined

Overview

Crosses scenic foothills below towering Sierra Nevada Mountains.

Tour scenic foothills below towering Sierra Nevada Mountains. Drive legal side roads to hiking trails into John Muir Wilderness. Watch for cars on Buttermilk Road for the first 4 miles going to a popular bouldering area near Waypoint 02. Overnight camping is allowed on numerous marked national forest side roads, but not on City of Los Angeles land. Many great roads for green-sticker vehicles to ride. We saw no signs prohibiting greensticker vehicles from using 07S01.

Rating

Easy

Trail Ratings Defined

Variety of dirt roads ranging from smooth gravel to narrow, rocky two-tracks. Challenging, optional side trips on network of marked forest roads (see MVUM). Main route suitable for stock, 4WD, high-clearance SUVs.

Stats

Length

16.3mi

Time

4hrs

High Point

9,172ft

Best Time To Go

May-October

Hot in summer.

Current Conditions

(760) 873-2500Inyo N.F., Mammoth R.D.

Check the Weather

No updates yet.

Provide an Update

Free GPS download

Download tracklog and waypoints for this trail only.

Click here to preview guidebook.

Trail Updates

10/31/2019
Submitted by Matthew
Ran this trail and it is in good shape and makes for an easy run with some great views of the Eastern Sierras. Trail rating is pretty accurate. Enjoy!

Reviews

GaryAuth says

We are an older couple who still enjoy getting out there, but we are not gung-ho 4 wheelers by any...See More
Andersen And says

Great trail, however, this is not "easy" - it is moderate. While the first part of the trail is indeed...See More

Leave A Trail Review Recommend a New Trail

Cancel Review

×

GaryAuth says

We are an older couple who still enjoy getting out there, but we are not gung-ho 4 wheelers by any stretch. Our vehicle is a stock 2016 Ford F150 4X4, and we did the trip in early October, 2017. It was clear, warm, and dry. The Buttermilk Country loop trail starts out easy with a wide, flat, sandy approach to a popular bouldering area, not far after leaving the highway. Once past this area, we saw not another vehicle on the route! We passed thru foothill pinyon pine, up into dense evergreen forest, then back down again. Surprisingly, we had cell phone service almost all the way. The views are spectacular, passing near the base of Mt. Tom and a couple of other thirteen-ers. We saw a herd of deer near the top of the route. There are a number of side roads (many not marked) so you must pay attention to your FunTreks directions, and/or set your GPS to lat/long to verify your position. Mainly an easy (but narrow) two track, we switched into 4 wheel in some difficult steep spots and stream crossings. One such crossing ponded up and it was difficult to judge the depth because of the color of the water, so I got out a probed with a stick - only about a foot deep. We passed a couple of inviting campgrounds (empty) for those who really want to get away from it all. For me, the most difficult section was on the way back down where we had to negotiate a steep, narrow ridge line (I slipped into 4 wheel and manual shift to keep it in second gear to control my descent speed). Although labeled "EASY" by FunTreks and other guide books, for us it was exhilarating and once back on Bishop Creek Road, we b-lined it to Mountain Rambler to celebrate a fun adventure.

×

Andersen And says

Great trail, however, this is not "easy" - it is moderate. While the first part of the trail is indeed easy, the trail becomes progressively more difficult and towards the end is rocky and narrow. While none of the parts are hard or technical, don't make the mistake of showing up in your Honda Pilot with street tires - a good set of All Terrains absolutely required since a puncture put you into serious trouble going downhill on very narrow shelf roads.

by Webolutions Digitial Marketing Agency

Trail Information Prevails.  The information provided by Funtreks is not intended to replace the information provided on any trail or road, such as travel direction, time-based restrictions, animal restrictions, mode of transportation restrictions, trail blocks, trail signs, police or park ranger instructions, etc.
Cautious Riding.  Always travel vigilantly according to trail conditions and in accordance with local laws. 
No Warranty of Accuracy.  The information provided by Funtreks is always fluctuating and may be inaccurate, incomplete or outdated.  Funtreks does not provide any warranties to such information’s timeliness, credibility or reliability.  All information and content provided by the Funtreks service (the “Service”) is made available for informational and planning purposes only, and is not intended to be relied upon in situations where precise location information is needed or where erroneous, inaccurate, time-delayed or incomplete location or trail data may lead to death, personal injury, property or environmental damage.  The results you receive from the Service may vary from actual trail conditions due to factors that can affect the accuracy of the data, such as, without limitation, weather, trail and traffic conditions, and geopolitical events.  For your safety, always pay attention to your surroundings and observe current trail conditions and signage.
Location-Based Service.  Some features of the Service make use of detailed location and trail route information, for example in the form of GPS signals and other information sent by your mobile device.  These features cannot be provided without utilizing this technology. 
Internet Connection.  The connection required to use the Service, and any associated charges (e.g., mobile data charges) incurred by your use of the Service are your exclusive responsibility and made solely at your expense.  Transmitting and receiving real-time updates to and from the Service requires an online (e.g., Wi-Fi, 3G, 4G, 5G) connection between your cellular device and the Internet.  The expenses of such a connection are as prescribed by the agreement between you and your communications service provider (such as your cellular provider), and according to its applicable terms of payment.

Public Data.  The Service utilizes some public data for map displays, updates and trail information.  The Service, its database, Funtreks trademarks, the design of the maps and other things integrated into the Service are owned by Funtreks, and are not public data.
Limitation of Liability.  FUNTREKS PROVIDES THE SERVICE AND THE CONTENT INCLUDED THEREIN FOR USE ON AN “AS IS” AND “AS AVAILABLE” BASIS.  FUNTREKS HEREBY DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES AND REPRESENTATIONS, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, WITH RESPECT TO THE SERVICE, INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMITATION, ANY WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, FEATURES, QUALITY, NON-INFRINGEMENT, TITLE, COMPATIBILITY, PERFORMANCE, SECURITY OR ACCURACY.  Without limiting the above, Funtreks disclaims any warranties relating to the accuracy of the Service, the trail maps, content, trail conditions, directions, or navigation routes presented or displayed in or by the Service.  For instance, existing trails may be missing from the Service and/or trails listed on the Service may be nonexistent.  You acknowledge and agree that you assume full, exclusive and sole responsibility for the use of and reliance on the Service, and that you further acknowledge and agree that your use of or reliance on the Service is made entirely at your own risk.  You further acknowledge that it is your responsibility to comply with all applicable laws and regulations while using the Service.  Funtreks does not warrant that the Service will operate in an uninterrupted or error-free manner, or that it will always be available or free from all harmful components, or that it is safe, secure from unauthorized access, immune from damages, free of malfunctions, bugs or failures, including without limitation, hardware failures, software failures, and software communication failures, originating either in Funtreks or any of its providers.  FUNTREKS, INCLUDING ITS OFFICERS, DIRECTORS, SHAREHOLDERS, EMPLOYEES, SUBCONTRACTORS AND AGENTS WILL NOT BE LIABLE FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGE, OR ANY OTHER DAMAGE OR LOSS (INCLUDING LOSS OF PROFIT AND LOSS OF DATA), COSTS, EXPENSES AND PAYMENTS, EITHER IN TORT, CONTRACTUAL, OR IN ANY OTHER FORM OF LIABILITY, ARISING FROM, OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE USE OF, OR THE INABILITY TO USE, THE SERVICE, OR FROM ANY FAILURE, ERROR, OR BREAKDOWN IN THE FUNCTION OF THE SERVICE, OR FROM ANY FAULT OR ERROR MADE BY FUNTREKS STAFF OR ANYONE ACTING ON FUNTREKS’ BEHALF, OR FROM YOUR RELIANCE ON THE CONTENT OF THE SERVICE, OR FROM ANY COMMUNICATION WITH THE SERVICE, OR WITH OTHER USERS ON OR THROUGH THE SERVICE, OR FROM ANY DENIAL OR CANCELLATION OF YOUR USER ACCOUNT, OR FROM RETENTION, DELETION, DISCLOSURE AND ANY OTHER USE OR LOSS OF YOUR CONTENT THROUGH THE SERVICE.  IN ANY EVENT, YOUR SOLE REMEDY WILL BE LIMITED TO CORRECTING SUCH ERRORS OR MALFUNCTIONS.