Mammoth Lakes Tour Itineraries

Bodie State Historic Park: Bodie Ghost Town is the largest unrestored ghost town in the West. Bodie produced gold and silver from 1877 to 1888, and the town grew to 10,000 residents. Once notorious as the wildest town in the West—with its saloons, bordellos, gambling houses and opium dens—the town is now preserved as a California State Historic Park with weathered buildings, a museum, mine tours and a visitor center. Located 1 hour and 15 minutes north of Mammoth Lakes on U.S. Highway 395, turn right on State Highway 270, a partially paved, well-maintained road 13 miles from the Bodie entrance. An admission fee is required. Don’t forget your camera, sunscreen and water.

Mono Lake: Mono Lake is a majestic body of salt water covering 60 square miles. It is an ancient lake, over 700,000 years old, and is two and a half times saltier than seawater. Mono Lake sustains a unique biosphere where tiny brine shrimp and alkali flies provide food for millions of migrating birds. Mono Lake is also home to the unique tufa towers that have formed in the lake, making the landscape truly fascinating. The perfect way to learn about this fragile habitat is through the interactive displays at the Mono Basin Scenic Area Visitor Center just 20 miles south of Bodie on U.S. Highway 395 in the town of Lee Vining.

June Lake Loop: The June Lake Loop drive is approximately 15 miles of dramatic Sierra peaks and alpine scenery with a chain of gorgeous lakes. Grant Lake, Silver Lake, Gull Lake and June Lake all nestle in a steep, horseshoe shaped canyon. There is fishing, hiking, boating, horseback riding, camping, stores, restaurants and the world-class Double Eagle Resort and Spa. The scenic loop begins 10 miles south of Mono Lake off U.S. Highway 395 on State Route 158. The road then rejoins U.S. Highway 395 as you head south toward Mammoth Lakes.

Please Note: The mandatory shuttle runs through September 5, 2022. After that time, visitors can enter in their own vehicle. Starting on October 1, 2022, please be prepared for up to 30 minute delays due to tree work along the road. The road will close for the season on October 11, 2022.

A mandatory shuttle and fee are required to get into Reds Meadow Valley. Pick up the shuttle at the Mammoth Mountain Adventure Center. The shuttle system is in place to allow the valley to recover from intense use it received in the 1970s, and it has protected the area from the additional degradation that would result from a high numbers of visitors combined with limited parking. The steep and narrow access road into the valley would also become a major traffic safety hazard during peak visitation periods without the shuttle service. A fee is charged to support the shuttle. For more information, call the California Welcome Center – Mammoth Lakes at 760-924-5500.

Devils Postpile: Devils Postpile is a unique geologic feature, formed 100,000 years ago by an eruption of lava. The lava cooled uniformly, leaving surface cracks resulting in six-sided basalt vertical columns. Devils Postpile is a short, easy half-mile hike from the trailhead. The National Park Service offers interpretive tours, a ranger station, picnic area, restrooms and a campground.

Rainbow Falls: The San Joaquin River tumbles over an abrupt 101-foot lava ledge, sending rainbows of color into the mist. The best time to experience the rainbows is midday, when the sun is highest. You can walk another 3 miles past Devils Postpile to the Rainbow Falls trailhead. From there, it is a 1.25-mile, moderate hike to view the falls.

Reds Meadow Resort & Pack Station: Reds Meadow Resort has cabins, motel rooms, a general store and the Mule House Café. Resort services include backcountry supply package delivery, showers, summer entertainment, barbecues and wagon rides. Reds Meadow Pack Station offers guided hour-long, half-day and full-day horseback rides. Custom multi-day, week-long and full-service pack trips are also available. Advance reservations required. Reds Meadow Resort & Pack Station is located 1 mile past the Rainbow Falls trailhead. For more information, call 760-934-2345.

Hot Creek Geologic Site: Hot Creek is a place to marvel at geology in action. What remains of the ancient Long Valley Caldera blast is an area of fascinating geological wonders of bubbling hot springs, geysers and fumaroles (gas vents) creating colorful sulfur deposits and formations. The chamber of hot magma lies about three miles below the surface of the earth in this area. The brilliant pools are scalding hot and water temperatures can change rapidly, so entering and swimming in the water is prohibited. Restrooms are available. Located about 10 miles south of Mammoth Lakes off U.S. Highway 395. Take Airport Road (east) past the airport turnoff. You will pass the Fish Hatchery and continue on a partially paved road about 3 miles to the parking area for Hot Creek, then it’s an easy 1 1/2-mile hike down to Hot Creek.

Convict Lake: Convict Lake is named for the result of an ambush encounter on September 17, 1871, when a group of inmates escaped from prison in Carson City; Sheriff George Hightower eventually caught up with the convicts and a shootout took place. Robert Morrison, a Benton merchant, Mono Jim and other posse members encountered the convicts on the present Convict Creek. In the encounter, Morrison and Mono Jim were killed, and the convicts escaped only to be captured later in Round Valley. The towering peak above the lake was renamed Mt. Morrison and the smaller one below it Mono Jim. Convict Lake is popular for camping and fishing. Take a two-mile hike around the lake with views of rugged mountain scenery and sheer cliffs, as well as the oldest rocks in the Sierra Nevada Range. The Restaurant at Convict Lake is widely recognized as one of the finest restaurants in the Eastern Sierra, offering sumptuous continental cuisine, an award-winning wine list and a martini bar. Located 10 miles south of Mammoth Lakes off U.S. Highway 395, turn west on Convict Lake Road.

Crowley Lake: Crowley Lake offers some of the most exciting trout fishing in California. Crowley Lake is a man-made lake that’s 12 miles long and 5 miles wide. The lake is a large reservoir that supplies water and power to Los Angeles. Although famous for trout fishing, Crowley Lake also offers various other water sports such as kayaking, water skiing, wake boarding, wake surfing, kite surfing and stand-up paddle boarding. Crowley Lake Fish Camp, the only concession on the lake, is operated in cooperation with the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power. All visitors, boats and campers must access the lake through Crowley Lake Fish Camp. Crowley Lake Fish Camp offers a full-service marina with 200-plus private slips, a fleet of 84 rental boats, rental cabins, full hook-up RV sites, dry camping sites, a tackle shop and convenience store. Located 13 miles south of Mammoth Lakes off U.S. Highway 395, turn east on Crowley Lake Drive.