Last time, we pontificated about Bishop, California’s possible status as the ultimate base camp for adventure. This time we’d like to drive the point further home.
Adventure starts on the very edge of town in the form of the Volcanic Tablelands. Formed 760,000 years ago when a nearby volcano erupted, the Volcanic Tablelands are made from a rock type called the Bishop Tuff, which was the result of hot volcanic ash having cooled and solidified in place. The Bishop Tuff is about 3,000 feet thick.
Though volcanism gave the Tablelands their start, Native Americans, plant and animal life, mining, and recreation give them the personality they offer today.
To access the Tablelands from...
To access the Tablelands from Bishop, head out of town north on Highway 6. You won’t go very far before the highway takes a 90-degree turn to the right. Midway through this turn, you’ll need to make a left onto Five Bridges Road.
Route finding in the Volcanic Tablelands is at least two notches foggier than what we experienced on our way to the Champion Spark Plug Mine. The Champion Mine sits in a distinct canyon. By contrast, the Tablelands stretch for many square miles and feature routes and trails radiating in several directions. With Highway 395 to the west and Highway 6 on the Tablelands’ eastern border, it’s impossible to get extremely lost, but it’s still possible to burn up a lot of time trying to reach an elusive point of interest. Guidebooks are helpful, but we’d suggest supplementing them with a map. Two guidebooks and one map are listed in the source box at the end of this story. They’re not the only sources of information out there, but they’re ones we’ve used and can recommend.
There are no services in the Volcanic Tablelands, but since they’re so close to Bishop, you can explore the Tablelands in the morning, break for lunch in town, and head back out for the afternoon. Did we mention that Bishop might just be the ultimate base camp?
Follow Five Bridges Road through...
Follow Five Bridges Road through a 90-degree left turn and you’ll soon be at the intersection of Casa Diablo and Fish Slough roads. That’s where this interpretive sign stands.
We started out adventure by...
We started out adventure by following Fish Slough Road. Pavement ends: this is always a good sign.
We relied heavily on Tony...
We relied heavily on Tony Huegel’s Sierra Nevada Byways while in the Tablelands. Huegel points out three petroglyph sites right off of Fish Slough Road. They’re hard to miss if you’re looking for them, as each has its own parking corral. Here’s the first of the three, and although it doesn’t look like much at first, a closer look reveals plenty of Native American rock art.
On top of the petroglyphs,...
On top of the petroglyphs, we happened across this divot-marked, flat-faced rock. The divots are what’s left of a grain-grinding site used by Native Americans. Its date likely coincides with the rock art found all around, but we’ll never know for sure.
Site two was a few miles further....
Site two was a few miles further. The Volcanic Tablelands are administered by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). The BLM has placed the barrier to prevent would-be thieves from carting off petroglyph-laden rocks.
Here’s “Newspaper Rock” as...
Here’s “Newspaper Rock” as seen at site two. Look closely: it’s almost completely covered in petroglyphs. Is this nothing more than ancient graffiti, or is it the New World’s ancestral Magna Carta? Either way, it sparks the imagination.
Here’s a petroglyph-laden...
Here’s a petroglyph-laden rock at site three. Look closely and you’ll note the images of at least two familiar-looking critters scratched into the rock. Those are the White Mountains in the background, home to the Champion Spark Plug Mine and the Ancient Bristlecone forest.
At the signed intersection...
At the signed intersection of Fish Slough Road and Chidago Canyon Road, we took a left and headed west. This section, called Red Rock Canyon, had a good road surface when we passed through, but offered several tight bends that would be high-pucker places for a fullsize crew-cab truck.
Dirt bikes and other OHV’s...
Dirt bikes and other OHV’s are allowed on certain designated routes in the Volcanic Tablelands. Fishing and rock climbing are popular pastimes here, too.