[Press Release (8/24/2020) from Inyo National Forest and Inyo County]

Significant progress has been made this summer on the South Lake Road Reconstruction, including full depth pulverizing, drainage work and paving at some parking lots up at South Lake. As the project moves into paving and striping, extended closures are required to complete this work.

August 16 will be the last day that overnight parking is permitted at Bishop Pass Trailhead.

On August 17, the Bishop Pass Trailhead parking lot will close to overnight parking and vehicles left overnight will be towed. This will include the Bishop Pass Trailhead parking, boat trailer parking, and some of the day use parking near South Lake. This will allow for fog striping, parking lot striping, and will be used for a turn-around for paving trucks. It will close intermittently to day use parking as well.

There is no parking along the shoulders of the road anywhere along South Lake Road.

Hat Creek Construction must provide 40 day-use parking spaces in the area. However, this is a popular recreation destination for boating, fishing, and hiking, these spaces will fill up quickly.

Visitors should plan that parking, which is difficult in a normal year, will be substantially reduced. There is no parking permitted along roadside shoulders during the construction project.

Tyee Lakes Trailhead parking remains closed to both day and overnight parking.

Overnight parking is still available at the dirt parking lot north of Tyee Lakes Trailhead. It is a three-mile walk to the Bishop Pass Trailhead via the trail behind Willow Campground that continues near Parcher’s Resort and connects to the trailhead on the east side of South Lake Road.

Three-hour closures are planned at Four Jeffrey Campground (This includes the entrance and the camp loops) The closures will run from 8am – 11am and 1pm-4pm, with delays of up to 30 minutes from 6am-8am & 11am-1pm & 4pm-8pm. Hat Creek Construction is planning these closures
for the following days:

• 9/2/2020 through 9/3/2020
• 9/9 through 9/10/2020

The campground will remain open. However, campers at Four Jeffrey will need to plan to enter and exit the campground around this schedule, RRM, the concessionaire who manages Four Jeffrey Campground and the contractor will work with campers to ensure vehicles are safely out of the
roadway where work is taking place.

Some loops may be closed completely, on an alternating basis, to allow for safe and timely completion of this work. Staying at other campgrounds during these dates is advised to avoid any inconvenience and the noise and dust that comes with construction.

The construction schedule will be Monday – Friday, 6:00 am to 8:00 pm. Expect up to 30-minute delays. Flaggers and a pilot car will manage traffic, allowing alternating two-way traffic.

Motorhomes and trailers are not recommended past Four Jeffrey’s Campground unless you have a reservation with Creekside Resort, Bishop Creek Lodge, or Parcher’s Resort during this period since there is no safe turn-around past this point.

Local businesses and services along South Lake Road remain open and accessible.

There is no way to complete a project of this nature without it having a significant impact on visitors to the area. Accessing the area may be, at times, difficult and frustrating. If you have any flexibility in
your plans, please consider a visit to South Lake/Bishop Pass destinations in another year.

Hiker Shuttles: Eastern Sierra Transit Authority (ESTA)’s Bishop Creek Shuttle is running twice daily.