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.
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