01
Best overall pick
Diaz Lake Recreation Area
South Of Lone Pine • Scenic Desert Lake Beach • Local Favorite For All-Day Hangs
A broad shore on a desert lake just south of Lone Pine, with room to swim, paddle, and linger under the Sierra skyline.
Diaz Lake is the closest thing to a classic swim beach in the lower Owens Valley, with easy road access and plenty of open shoreline for towels and chairs. On calm days you’ll see locals launching small boats, paddling, or just wading out from the shallows on the eastern edge. Go early or late for softer light on the mountains and to dodge the mid-afternoon wind that often sweeps the valley.
02
Most laid-back swim spot
Klondike Lake
North Of Big Pine • Quiet High-Desert Shoreline • Best For Uncrowded Swims
A modest, wind-sheltered lake north of Big Pine where the low-key shoreline feels far from Highway 395.
Klondike Lake has a simple, no-frills shore that locals use when they want a mellow swim without much company. The water usually warms up earlier here than at the higher-elevation lakes, and the surrounding sagebrush keeps the setting feeling wild. Pack everything you need—there are no services, and that’s exactly what many people like about it.
03
Best for space and big views
Crowley Lake
Near Mammoth Lakes • Wide-Open Reservoir Beach • Great For Boating And Space To Spread Out
A large, wind-swept reservoir with broad, open shorelines where you can spread out, launch a boat, or just watch clouds stack over the Sierra.
Crowley Lake sits at the northern end of the valley and feels dramatically bigger than the small desert lakes closer to Independence. Access points around the reservoir offer informal beachy stretches where people back in trucks, set up shade, and settle in for a long afternoon by the water. It’s breezier and more exposed than other options, so bring layers and expect conditions to change quickly.
04
Best for anglers who still want a shore hang
Pleasant Valley Reservoir
North Of Bishop • Rocky Lakeside Spot For Anglers • Best For Fishing-Focused Days
A narrow reservoir north of Bishop where anglers line the rocky banks and non-fishers claim small patches of shore to sit by the water.
Pleasant Valley Reservoir is better known for trout than tanning, but it still scratches the itch if your idea of a beach day includes a camp chair and a good book. The shoreline is mostly gravel and rock, with enough flat spots to spread out if you don’t mind a less-than-sandy setup. It’s a solid compromise for mixed groups where some want to cast a line and others just want to sit by the water and watch the shadows move across the canyon.
05
Most remote-feeling shoreline
Tinemaha Reservoir
Between Independence And Big Pine • Remote Reservoir Shoreline • Perfect For Solitude And Big-Sky Views
A quiet, seldom-visited reservoir with rough access and a raw, open shoreline that feels far away from town.
Tinemaha Reservoir is where you head when you want water, mountains, and almost no one else around. Access roads can be washboarded and primitive, but the reward is a wide-sky desert scene with the Sierra rising abruptly to the west and a fringe of shoreline to roam. There’s no shade, no amenities, and often no company—ideal if your version of a beach day is pure solitude and a cooler in the back of the truck.