California Highway 395 Camping｜Another Close Bear Encounter! 🐾

Over the Labor Day long weekend, I was lucky enough to snag a campsite at Twin Lakes! So on Friday afternoon, we headed straight for Mammoth Lakes. 🚗💨 But with traffic, the drive took seven hours—we arrived at the campsite at 10 PM, only to realize we’d forgotten the key to our rooftop box! All our camping gear—tent, sleeping bags, sleeping pads—were locked inside. 🔑😅 Luckily, we managed to book a last-minute hotel room. The next day, we drove south to Bishop and bought the cheapest tent and sleeping bags from Big 5. We ended up staying at the campsite for two nights! ⛺️ The campground was really nice—right next to the lake, where you can go boating and fishing. 🎣🛶 You can even rent boats and bikes at the entrance. It’s also close to the town of Mammoth Lakes, so it’s easy to restock supplies. There’s no cell service at the campsite, but you’ll get signal just a short drive away. The downside? We encountered wildfire smoke during our stay—air quality wasn’t great, especially on the last day when the sky turned hazy and gray. 🌫️ The campground is also not far from Wild Willy’s Hot Spring—you can take a dip, though it’s become a popular spot now, pretty crowded! 🏞️💦 Now for the highlight: On the second morning, we found bear paw prints on both sides of our car! 🐻🐾 Clearly, a bear had walked all around the vehicle. Our car was parked extremely close to our tent—one corner of the tent was almost touching the bumper. Then we remembered hearing car horns honking in the middle of the night—no doubt it was because of this bear! Thankfully, after our scary bear encounter in Tahoe a few weeks ago, we’d locked all food and scented items (even toothpaste and skincare) in a bear-proof container. 🧴🚫 Just thinking about it gives me chills—while we were sound asleep, a bear walked past our tent, circled our car, and then left… and we had no idea! This bear left us a clear reminder with those big paw prints—almost like a message! No wonder the ranger told us bears visit this campground almost every day. Lately, the rate of bear encounters has been really high! Have you ever had a wildlife encounter while camping? What’s your favorite—or scariest—outdoor story? Share your own camping adventures and tips below! 👇💬 #BayAreaCamping #MammothLakes #WeekendGetaway #BearEncounter #TwinLakes #Highway395 #LaborDayWeekend #CampingFail #WildlifeAlert #BearSafety #OutdoorAdventure #SierraNevada #CaliforniaCamping #LakeLife #CampingGear #SmokySkies #HotSprings #AdventureStory #CampfireStories #NatureLovers #BePrepared #WildernessVibes #ExploreCalifornia #CampingHacks #BearAwareness #MemorableTrip #ScaryButCool #ShareYourStory #SafeCamping #AdventureLA