Eastern Sierra And Death Valley Camping With Privacy: Your Guide To The Most Private Campsites Near Mammoth Lakes, Tuolumne Meadows, Death Valley, And Beyond

by Kimberly Wilkes, Patrick Wilkes (Photographer)

Your Ultimate Guide To Finding The Most Peaceful Campsites In The Eastern Sierra And Death Valley Do you like privacy when you're camping? Do you hate camping a few feet away from people who talk loud into quiet hours? Or maybe you don't want a neighbor's light blocking your view of the stars at night. On recreation.gov, it's impossible to know for sure exactly which campsites have the most privacy or are farthest away from the neighbors. Some campsites look like they're too close together, but they have a hill, rock formation, or lots of vegetation in between and have plenty of privacy. Other sites look like they're far apart, but they're in an open meadow in clear view of the neighbors. You might end up reserving a space you thought had lots of privacy only to discover your neighbors are a little too close for comfort. And for first-come, first-served campgrounds, knowing the location of the really good spots means you can beat the crowds to the choice campsites. That's why Kimberly and Patrick Wilkes looked at 3,416 campsites in the Eastern Sierra and Death Valley in order to find out which ones have the most privacy—then they critiqued and rated each privacy-worthy site. The most comprehensive camping travel guide for the Eastern Sierra and Death Valley, the book is the only one of its kind on the market because it describes the privacy of individual campsites, not just the campground as a whole. Kimberly and Patrick will help you carve out your own slice of serenity in the Eastern Sierra and Death Valley by showing you exactly which campsites are the most peaceful and private near Mammoth Lakes, June Lakes, Hope Valley, Sonora Pass, Twin Lakes/Bridgeport, Tuolumne Meadows, Convict Lake, Mount Whitney, Grandview Campground, Death Valley—and everything in between. Campers should buy this travel guide • It will reduce your risk of camping too close to a loud neighbor because it points out the campsites that have lots of elbow room. When you buy this travel guide, you'll know how far away a given campsite is from its neighbors. While the book can't guarantee you'll be entirely out of sound's reach or that you'll never have a rowdy neighbor, it'll help you find a spot that will minimize the noise—meaning you're more likely to get a good night's sleep and have a peaceful visit. • It will make reserving a campsite on recreation.gov a lot easier. It will save you time because you won't have to scrutinize the map to figure out whether or not the neighboring campsite is too close or too visible. You'll know which campsite is the best choice for you, so that when you arrive you won't be disappointed that it's less private than you envisioned. • You'll find out about two campsites where you never want to pitch a tent during the monsoonal rain—or risk waking up in a flood. • You'll know which campsites are plagued by road noise—and which roadside campsites are so nice it may be worth bringing along ear plugs. • For most campgrounds, you'll discover whether Verizon cell service is available--info not found online. • Anglers will find out the best campsites where you can fish a few steps away from the picnic table. The handy guide at the end of the book lists each of these campsites. The paperback version features black and white photos of select campsites. The Kindle version features color photos for Kindles that have color capability as well as links to every campground, restaurant, hiking trail, and activity mentioned in the book.

554 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 10, 2017

Reviews

[Joshua · Rating 3 out of 5]

So much potential in the title but with some odd choices inside. Take for instance the description of Lower Pine Grove campground, which the authors found to be “more like a parking lot than a campground [ . . . ]. We could not find any campsites with privacy here,” and yet the place is granted two pages of printed real estate. Wait, what was the title of the book? Why even include locations that don’t fit the suggested criteria?

Meanwhile, nary a map is offered within the book’s 462 pages, leaving one to guess the boundaries of each region in the books table of contents. A map would have been a vastly more valuable form of information than the many campgrounds that don’t even qualify to be included. Nice idea, poorly executed.