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Photo courtesy of Mammoth Mountain Ski Area
Summertime is an adventure paradise for fishing, hiking, mountain biking and climbing.
Sierra Star Golf Course
Sierra Star sits at 8,000 feet and is the highest course in California. Open to the public, between June and October it offers comfortable, relaxed and enjoyable golfing for all levels. It's the only 18-hole resort golf course in Mammoth.
Scenic Gondola Rides
The scenic Panorama Gondola provides uphill access for mountain bikers on Mammoth Mountain. It's also a good choice for the trip down: ride the Gondola or take one of several hiking trails. Panorama Gondola seats 8 people per cabin. View the Minarets, incredible rock spires that are a favorite centerpiece of the Eastern Sierra landscape, Mono Lake, and 400 miles of peaks that average 12,000 feet in elevation. The Scenic Gondola gets open for rides during the month of June.
Biking
A great way to enjoy the breathtaking scenery of Mammoth is mountain or road biking. There is a network of trails, paved and unpaved roads that offer the biker an unlimited number of environments and views to discover. Mountain Bike Park has more than 80 miles of ski slopes that get transformed into groomed zigzagging single track trail.
Road bikers will find plenty of asphalt routes to choose from, whether it be peddling around town, gearing down to puff up Minaret Road to the Mammoth Mountain Main Lodge and on up to the breathtaking Minaret Vista, or ride the scenic stretches of U.S. Highway 395. The Gondola provides uphill access for mountain bikers, along with the Bike Park shuttle, which begins its route at the Village at Mammoth.
4WD SUV Off Road Adventures
Your off highway road adventure will give you an opportunity to explore some of the most beautiful parts of the state. Visit some of the out-of-the-way charms of a ghost town, historic gold mine or geologic sites such as Hot Creek, Inyo Craters and Obsidian Dome. Take the Owens River - Hot Creek Road, The Lookout Loop or the Deadman Creek Trail. There's something for everyone and roads for all levels from beginning to the most challenging.
Hot Air Ballooning / Scenic Flights
Take in the picturesque beauty of Mammoth Lakes and the Eastern Sierra aboard a hot air balloon. Mammoth Balloon Adventures offers one hour Sierra sunrise ride. If you would rather ride a plane Mammoth Air Charter will offer you an enjoyable aerial view of Mammoth Lakes, Mammoth Mountain Ski Area, Yosemite National Park and the Eastern Sierra.
Canoeing and Kayaking
There's numerous lakes and streams in the Mammoth Lakes Basin and surrounding areas that offer excellent canoeing, kayaking and paddle boating. You can also take a guided kayak tour and learn about the history of Mono Lake. Crowley Lake offers amazing mountain scenery.
Fishing
Mammoth Lakes not only offers amazing views, but also amazing fishing. Mono County fishing season starts the last Saturday in April and ends on November 15th of every year. There are several fishing derbies held throughout the season. The Department of Fish and Game stocks many of the lakes, rivers and streams for great trout fishing.
Mammoth Lakes Basin also receives heavy summer plants of trophy-sized Rainbow trout, some weighing in at the 10 lb to 12 lb range. Mammoth Creek is full of pan-sized Rainbows or wild Brown trout. Convict Lake also offers Rainbow trout and Brown trout and is located approximately 7 miles south of Mammoth Lakes. Crowley Lake is full of fishermen battling the elements and the big trout. Crowley Lake is located about 12 miles south of Mammoth Lakes.
From Rock Creek Lake to Long Lake you'll find an abundance of Golden, Brook, Rainbow, Brown and Cutthroat trout. Rock Creek in particular has some of the most exciting creek fishing in the region, as it's been reported that trout up to 5 pounds or more have been pulled out of the creek's waters.
Take time to discover the June Lake Loop with its four glistening lakes - June Lake, Gull Lake, Silver Lake and Grant Lake. All the lakes are stocked with trophy-sized Rainbow trout. Rush Creek is the perfect place to test your fly-fishing skills. Some of the best fly-fishing is along the San Joaquin River in the Reds Meadow area. Hot Creek offers catch-and-release fishing with barbless hooks.
Sightseeing
Devils Postpile National Monument is a work of fire and ice at its best! About 100,000 years ago the columns of basalt were formed, when lava flow slowed and began to cool and crack. Temperatures deep inside the lava bed produced six-sided columnar joints, an ideal configuration within a cooling mass. Columns of four, five or seven sides indicate some degree of temperature shift when the Postpile was formed. A short trail leads to the top of the columns, where the distinct hexagonal pattern of the Postpile is easily visible, polished to a shine by later glacial activity.
Rainbow Falls
Take the easy 1.5-mile walk to Rainbow Falls from the Red's Meadow area and enjoy the beautiful rainbows of color as the San Joaquin River gushes over a steep 101-foot drop.
Hot Creek State Fish Hatchery
Hot Creek State Fish Hatchery raises about 3 million trout each year for planting in Sierra Nevada lakes and streams, and over 20 million eggs for other fish hatcheries throughout the state. The warm springs of Hot Creek provide ideal temperatures suitable for incubation of trout eggs and continual development of trout to planting size. The Hatchery is located three miles south of Mammoth Junction and it is open daily. No charge.
Hot Creek Geological Site
Three miles south of Mammoth Junction you will find Hot Creek, a natural wonder of live hot springs and fumaroles (gas vents) which heat a cold mountain stream. Visitors need to be careful around the pools and seeps as they contain scalding water, and the temperature in the creek fluctuates greatly. Swimming is not allowed.
Convict Lake
Convict Lake is located 10 miles south of the Mammoth Junction on US 395, and two miles west. It is the site of the 1871 gun battle between escaped convicts and a sheriff's posse. It offers camping, hiking, boating, fishing and horseback riding.
Mono Lake
This ancient inland sea is located about 30 miles north of Mammoth. It is known for its bird population, scenic value and delicate tufa formations. Take one of the tours of the shoreline, nature walks or slide shows that the Mono Lake Tufa State Reserve offers.
Mammoth Lakes Basin
Twin Lakes, Lakes Mary, George, Mamie and Horseshoe are located along Lake Mary Road. These lake beds were scooped out of solid rock by glaciers and are popular for boating, fishing and photography. Horseshoe Lake is the only lake where swimming is allowed. The other lakes supply domestic drinking water.
Bodie State Historical Park
Bodie is located 35 miles north of Mammoth Lakes and 13 miles east on Hwy. 270. It used to be a gold-mining town in the late 1800's, and is considered one of the wildest mining camps of the Eastern Sierra. Nominal fee charged. No food or water services provided.
Yosemite National Park/Tioga Pass
Located about one hour from Mammoth Lakes, Yosemite National is open to visitors once the snow is cleared from Tioga Pass in late spring. An additional two hour drive through the spectacular Tuolumne Meadows brings you to the Valley floor and Half Dome, El Capitan and Yosemite Falls. The Park charges an entrance fee.
Earthquake Fault
Located off Hwy. 203 on the way to Mammoth Mountain, this sizable crevasse is a system of fractures formed during a series of strong quakes when the Inyo Craters and Inyo Domes erupted centuries ago.
Inyo Craters
One of the last volcanic events in the Mammoth-Mono area, about 550 to 600 years ago, resulted in Inyo Craters, just north of Mammoth off the Mammoth Scenic Loop. In the explosion, the pasty mass stayed well below the surface, heating rock and groundwater to a dangerous degree and causing a large blast. Today, rainwater and melting snow form small lakes at the bottom of two of these huge pits, one 200 feet deep and the other 100 feet deep. The third crater is on top of Deer Mountain, located 400 yards north of the middle crater.
Lookout Mountain
Lookout Mountain rises to 8,352' and it is located near the northern edge of the Long Valley Caldera. It provides a 360° panoramic view of the Mammoth Lakes area, that includes Crowley Lake, the White Mountains, Glass Mountain, Mono Craters, Mammoth Mountain and the crest of the Sierra Nevada.
Obsidian Dome, Wilson Butte, Devils Punchbowl
Located a few miles south of June Lake Loop along Hwy. 395, near Deadman Summit is Obsidian Dome. It is a mile-long mound of black glass, reaching up to 300 feet high. You can climb up the mound and see the different composition of the obsidian, which is not a consistent black. The rock can be quite sharp, and it is the same material used by the Paiute Indians to sculpt arrowheads, spearheads and knives. Wilson Butte is located along Hwy. 395 just north of Obsidian Dome, and Devils Punchbowl is east of Hwy. 395 below the June Lake junction.
