mt. whitney fish hatchery

Worth the short drive! Lots to learn about the local area. A shady peaceful spot to watch the fish and relax under the trees.

This is a large fish hatchery. They process large numbers of small fish and stock local streams. They are located in and around a historic building. Their volunteer staff are very helpful and informative.

What an amazing stop over off the 395!! There are little machines which contain fish food for 25cents for a handful so you can feed the adult trout. So many beautys in that pond!!! Inside they have a very awesome museum including a pool of young rainbow trout.

Even if one isn't really interested in fish hatcheries, this is a neat place to stop. The place is no longer used for hatching fish and instead is open because of the historic and beautiful grounds. The main building is a grand stone constructed building that looks more like a European winery than the headquarters for a fish hatchery. There is a pond in front that is beautifully landscaped and filled with fish that one can feed with food that the gift shop sells. There is a small tour lead by volunteers who nicely explain the hatchery, how it once worked, and why it is no longer used as one. This is a great picnic spot!

A beautiful old building saved by the local people who saw it as a historical and beautiful spot. It is a wonderful place to stop just off the highway for a picnic lunch and a tour through the building. The docents are very informative and interesting to talk with. The location is very serene and beautiful for a relaxing respite when traveling.

Allow several hours here. Obviously once a Federal operation, like so many other fish hatcheries, this one has been abandoned to the State of California to fend for itself on. But, the state and a corps of dedicated volunteers keep this place going. Allow several hours!

Many years ago while doing a driving vacation along the 395 we stopped here for a nice picnic lunch and decided to do it again. The building still looks beautiful even after the big mudslide they had. The grounds are well maintained but if you are there in the summer months, bring bug spray the mosquitoes were everywhere.

Thirty or so years ago we would stop by on our annual drive up for the trout opener at June Lake. Our kids always enjoyed stretching their legs, feeding the lunker trout in the display pond and looking at the hatchery operations. It was a shame when it closed. However the Friends of the Mt Whitney Hatchery have done a wonderful job turning the facility into an informative and educational experience. Do not miss the video of the history of the hatchery and the early years of planting trout in California lakes and the rescue and protection of the Golden Trout, the state fish of California

Very interesting place. Learned a lot about trout! The building is beautiful and the grounds are nice. Had fun feeding the trout in the pond at the front. Boy do those babies jump!

You can visit Thursday through Monday from 10am to 4pm. The lobby, with new displays, and the Friends Gift Shop, are open and staffed by the Friends of the Hatchery. Tours of the building are available by the Friends during these hours. The Friends have a trough of trout available to visitors for close viewing in the north end of the building which eventually will become an interpretive center. The hatchery grounds have never looked better. Bring a picnic and enjoy this unique historic location.Stop by when you travel along Highway 395 or reserve a day for your special occasion, wedding or family reunion. For reservations or to make a donation: Contact Bruce Ivey at Friends of Mt. Whitney Fish Hatchery at: PO Box 193, Independence, CA 93562; or e-mail trout@suddenlink.net. The Friends of the Hatchery, donations of cash and equipment, and many volunteers, along with State and County prisoners, have spent eight months and thousands of hours of labor restoring the hatchery grounds.Check out the new rest rooms adjacent to the parking lot. The Lobby area has been remodeled. The large display pond in front of the Hatchery building has been cleaned and restored and with a partial water supply restored, brood trout are swimming again in the pond. The Department of Fish and Game is operating two troughs within the building to experiment with hatching eggs and raising some small trout. This is necessary to determine how well this limited supply of water will maintain consistent temperatures flowing through the mud flow area with no vegetation to shade the water.Just leave your fishing poles at home as no fishing is allowed for obvious reasons. You might just find Bruce Ivey in the gift shop chatting with friends. We missed him on our last visit to the hatchery, but will call before our next stop at one of the best tourist attractions in Owens Valley.