Located in Bridgeport, CA the town itself is a charming mix of around 500 local residents and
hundreds of other people visiting from all over the world, all depending
on the time of year. In the winter months it's a sleepy little town,
with only a few permanent residents staying over during the cold season.
However, winter here has its own rewards to offer, including some of
the most scenic and spectacular back-country terrain to be found anywhere
in the High Sierra. Hundreds of miles of trails are available for cross
country skiing, snowshoeing, and snowmobiling. The East Walker River is
open to fishing year-round. Its trophy sized brown and rainbow trouts
enjoy the cooler water temperatures and light angling pressure, and
fishermen who brave the cold have all the best spots on the river to
themselves. Come spring, Bridgeport turns into a vibrant, active
community. The trails and wilderness are still available, but the
solitude of the mountains might have to be shared with others. Luckily,
this part of the Sierra Nevada Range remains isolated, untouched, and
ready to be explored.
In summary, the town of Bridgeport, situated at 6463 feet and
surrounded by some of the tallest mountains in the country, is the
hidden gem of the outdoor enthusiast. Located less then one hour from
Mammoth Lakes and Yosemite and only an hour and a half from South Lake
Tahoe, the town provides an incomparable base location for many
adventures. The numerous lakes and rivers, including the Bridgeport
Reservoir, East and West Walker River, Owens River, Virginia Lakes, Twin
Lakes, Topaz Lake, and the many wonderful creeks including Robinson,
Green, Virginia, Lundy, Lee Vining, Rush and Hot Creek, to name a few,
offer some of the best fishing to be experienced anywhere in the world.
Paradise Shores Camp is located near Bodie ghost town. We're one of
the closest lodging facilities (20 miles drive) to Bodie, Ca.
Now a well known ghost town, Bodie in its heyday was a booming
community comprised of about 8,000 residents and 2,000 buildings. It was
gold, first discovered in this area around 1859, that drew people to
this god-forsaken desert location, where many a miner's wife and child
perished during the bitterly cold winters, either in childbirth or from
influenza. The old gravestones in the town's cemetery tell the sad tale
of their hard lives and early demise. One miner's wife wrote to her
friend back home, "Goodbye world, I'm going to Bodie." Established in
the late 1800s, Bodie prospered as a thriving mining community until
the mine played-out and most of its residents decided to follow the
gold-mining boom as it spread across the West to newly discovered claims
and newly erected boom-towns. Eventually the town was abandoned and
left to its slow decay.
In order to preserve the historic town in an authentic state of
"arrested decay," the State set aside Bodie as a State Park in 1962. As
a result, this piece of California gold-fever history has become a
world-renown tourist destination attracting about 200,000 visitors every
year. With many of the original buildings still in place, a walk
through the park is an experience that will transport you back in time
to the mid-1980s. Even if you do not participate in one of the
informative tours offered by the rangers and only explore the park
yourself, you will be struck with wonder at the uniqueness and
authenticity of this place. It is a "must-do" visit if you find yourself
traveling through this area. Make sure to bring your camera and stick
around for the sunset, as the pictures can be just magnificent.
.jpg)
.jpg)
