And just like that, summer is here. The mercury hit 100 degrees this week in Bishop, and up high, the snow is melting fast. Whether you’re from close by or cover a lot of ground to get to the Eastside, there’s no better way to experience all our landscapes and ecosystems than by making ourselves at home outdoors. Camping seems really simple: you grab a tent, stoke a fire, and look up at the stars. But being a responsible camper means being prepared and knowledgeable about how our actions affect the landscape, communities, and wildlife around us. So where do we start? The Eastern Sierra Sustainable Recreation Partnership recently put together a list of guidelines for campers, starting with choosing your site. Using established campgrounds—ones equipped with bathrooms, fire rings, [...]

We’re hiring bookstore sales associates for the 2020 summer season. We are currently seeking enthusiastic and professional sales associates to join our retail team for the 2020 summer season! The ideal candidate has retail experience, exceptional customer service and interpersonal skills, and a passion for the Eastern Sierra. Positions will be available  at our visitor center bookstores in Lone Pine, Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest, Mammoth Lakes, and Mono Basin. To apply, email your resumé to .

February 2020 marks the 50-year anniversary for the creation of the Eastern Sierra Interpretive Association (ESIA) and its partnership with the Inyo National Forest, which began on February 20, 1970. ESIA is the first independent organization in the United States offering interpretation to operate under a Participating Agreement with the U.S. Forest Service for education purposes. As one of the oldest nonprofits in the region, ESIA was established in 1970 by visionary citizens interested in helping the U.S. Forest Service provide interpretive education relevant to the unique surrounding landscape, sharing with the public the importance of the Sierra public lands. According to archived historic documents written by ESIA’s founder, Rocky Rockwell, “The organizers of ESIA were primarily from the Chalfant Press, here in Bishop.” ESIA began cooperating “with the U.S. [...]

Manzanar National Historic Site is honored to host author/entertainer Kinji Inomata for its 2020 Day of Remembrance program at 1:00 pm, Saturday, February 22, 2020. Organizations and communities across the country host Day of Remembrance events to mark the anniversary of President Franklin Delano Roosevelt signing Executive Order 9066 on February 19, 1942. While never specifically mentioning Japanese Americans, the executive order allowed the US Army to forcibly round-up and incarcerate more than 110,000 Japanese Americans—two-thirds of whom were US citizens—in Manzanar and nine similar camps around the United States. Kinji Inomata’s family experience was the exception. Kinji’s talk Taming Prejudice and Defeating Executive Order 9066 will highlight the story of his grandfather Kenji Inomata, the only known Issei (first generation immigrant from Japan) to remain officially free on the [...]

ESIA is hosting the Annual Authors and Artists Series. The first program of the new year will be held in Mammoth Lakes, February 27, 2020 featuring an author talk with Joe Reidhead, author of Half Dome: The History of Yosemite’s Iconic Mountain. Joe Reidhead will discuss the history of Yosemite’s Half Dome, focusing on the intersection of the monolith’s story and the stories of the people drawn to it, tracing this granite mountain’s story through the ages, from 500 million years ago to the present. Half Dome: The History of Yosemite’s Iconic Mountain will be available for purchase onsite. Immediately following the talk Reidhead will be available for autographs. The program is scheduled for February 27, 2020, at 7:00 p.m. in the U.S. Forest Service Auditorium at the Mammoth Lakes [...]