Experience in Panoche Hills/Griswold Hills and Question on BLM land
This past Saturday, I planned to do an astrophotography session and to visit some public lands to see if it might be a viable option for me to do future shoots.
I live in NorCal, and light pollution is significant in the Bay Area. I was willing to drive 2-3 hours if it meant getting access to darker skies. Also, I am trying to find a place where I can leave my equipment out and not be significantly worried it’ll be stolen or messed with if I fall asleep.
I decided to try my luck with Panoche Hills (Plan A), Griswold Hills (Plan B), and if neither previous option worked out, head to San Luis Reservoir (Plan C).
Unfortunately, the area I wanted to visit in Panoche Hills barred motor vehicles due to wildlife preservation. I tried Plan B, heading to Griswold Hills, but noticed that several of the obvious pullouts were trashed or vandalized. While l was looking for something remote, I just didn’t feel safe seeing the trashed areas and whether that was due to bored teenagers or questionable adults. The private lands surrounding blm lands were very beautiful (pictures 1-3).
I ended up ditching Plan B due to safety concerns and went with Plan C, San Luis Reservoir (picture 4). Unfortunately, it was extremely windy with gusts of 30+ mph at the reservoir, so the wind made my telescope shake meaning I could not take any pictures despite the clear skies. 🥲
This was my first time trying to camp in BLM land. I was curious about other people’s experiences on BLM land.
What has it been like for you? Sketchy? Okay? Fantastic? I am trying to figure out if my encounter was more of an anomaly.
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