YOUR GUIDE TO THE GREAT OWENS VALLEY
If you live here, you already experience the diversity of the great Owens Valley every day. If you’re just visiting here, you probably wish you lived here.
People enjoy fishing and water sports throughout this great valley, go on hiking and horse-packing adventures on land dedicated for outdoor recreation, visit 19th century mining towns and local museums that tell stories of days gone by, ski at nearby world-class mountain resorts, play ball in modern sports complexes, rock climb vertical walls in the Owens Gorge, compete in fishing derbies, and attend the Mule Days celebration.
Mt. Tom east of Bishop in the north end of the beautiful Owens Valley.
The Owens Valley is a great place to play and a wonderfully complex ecosystem to explore. Streams, rivers, and lakes form a riparian corridor that provides lush relief from the broad, arid valley floor. Artesian wells and hot springs dot the landscape. Rock outcrops and canyons abound.
14,495-foot Mount Whitney and the Sierras to the west, and White Mountain Peak at 14,246 feet to the east, dwarf the narrow 4,000-foot high valley. The views are incredible from anywhere here.
One thing that makes the Owens Valley such an enjoyable place is its wide-open spaces. The Department of Water and Power’s policy is to leave most of its properties undeveloped and open to the public.
This Guide to the Great Owens Valley tells the “behind the scenes” story of LADWP’s extensive efforts to protect the open space that distinguishes this valley from other regions in California. It also tells about some hidden treasures in the valley where LADWP has provided opportunities for recreation, agriculture, and tourism – places that you might like to visit.
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The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power manages natural resources and land uses throughout the Owens Valley to insure the health of the Owens River watershed, including public recreation, riparian habitat, wildlife, and agricultural activities. For more information on opportunities to enjoy City of Los Angeles’ lands, visit
www.laaqueduct.com or call us at 760-872-1104.
Don’t miss a map inside that shows many places you can enjoy in the Owens Valley that have benefited from LADWP’s support. You’ll find a tule elk viewing area, fishing holes, sports fields, river and vegetation restoration projects, museums and visitors centers, access to rock climbing in the Gorge and much more.
Click on the links below to explore the Owens Valley and the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power’s many enhancement and restoration projects.
A Shared Resource