Welcome to Certified Unreal

You’re about to experience Earth at its most incredible. Seventeen geological locations, all Certified Unreal and all within a short drive of Mammoth Lakes, CA.

From steaming geothermal features and ancient lava formations to glacier-carved lakes and dramatic mountain landscapes, this region is defined by some extraordinary terrain that you don’t need to fully understand to fully appreciate.

Explore each of these wonders using the interactive map below.

Interactive Map

Guides

How to Use The

Interactive Map

Hit the “Let’s Go” button below to explore the Eastern Sierra’s geological history like never before. This interactive map takes you through Certified Unreal locations shaped by fire, ice, water, and time, from ancient volcanic forces to dramatic landforms still evolving today.

Each stop brings the landscape to life with Certified Unreal case notes, stewardship guidance, and access information, giving you the story behind the scenery and everything you need to explore responsibly. Ready to see one of the most geologically active places in North America in a whole new way? Let’s go.

Location Guides

Hot Creek Geologic Site: What to Expect & How to Visit

Standing at the rim of Hot Creek Gorge, you can watch Earth's interior at work. Superheated water forces its way to the surface through cracks in volcanic rock, mixes with the cold alpine stream below, and fills the canyon with steam and color.

Earthquake Fault Mammoth Lakes: What to See & How to Visit

The split-apart rock of the Mammoth Lakes Earthquake Fault testifies to the Earth’s mighty forces, and serves as a record of a dramatic period of geologic unrest.

Guide to Reds Meadow

Located just 40 minutes from central Mammoth Lakes, Reds Meadow is known for its Devils Postpile National Monument, 101-foot Rainbow Falls, and the Ansel Adams Wilderness. The valley scenery is filled geological wonders, the meandering San Joaquin River, towering pine trees and spring wildflowers.

Devils Postpile National Monument: What to See & How to Visit

Encompassing the Devils Postpile basalt formation, 101-foot Rainbow Falls, and miles of Sierra Nevada backcountry, Devils Postpile National Monument is one of the most geologically extraordinary places in California—and it's 40 minutes from downtown Mammoth Lakes.

Inyo Craters: Ancient Volcanic Explosions Near Mammoth Lakes

Six hundred years ago, groundwater met partially molten rock deep beneath this forest and the result was catastrophic. The explosion that followed shot rock miles into the air, wiped out the surrounding trees, and carved three deep volcanic craters into the landscape north of Mammoth Lakes. Today those craters hold turquoise mineral lakes at the bottom of 200-foot walls of…