We did a trip to Sherman Pass last year around the last week of July going from the Kernville side. The drive up out of the Kern River area has some nice views. The main highway across the pass is paved while the other roads in the area are dirt. There are a number of campgrounds in the area but we boondocked the two nights that we were in the area. We actually paid our campground fee for the second night but then left since it was obvious that most of the campers had trail motorcycles...we didn't think that we'd have a quiet evening in the campground.
For the first night, we turned off onto a dirt road to a trailhead to Dome Land Wilderness (possibly Road 22S40) and found a large flat area to camp at the trailhead. After giving up our campsite the second night, we took another dirt road and pulled off in a flat area when we figured that we were far enough from the main road to be by ourselves.
There is more information at:
http://www.maturango.org/janetmuseum...y_Meadows.html
Upon dropping down the eastside to Highway 395, we headed north toward Lone Pine and spent a couple of nights camping at Whitney Portal Campground...very nice and very quiet since most of the campers are acclimating before a climb of Mt. Whitney. They go to bed very early!