Day trip to Mono Basin

Another great day geological/naturalist day trip north of Mammoth is an exploration o the extra-terrestrial Mono basin, Mono Lake and ancient volcanic craters.  For a full day, start at the Mono Basin National Forest Visitor's Center and then trek out to explore the Lake with its tufa towers, and hike to some of the craters.

Mono Basin National Forest Visitor Center

The Mono Basin National Forest Scenic Area Visitor Center provides an excellent introduction to the Mono Basin.

​The Mono Basin Visitor Center is located just off the 395 in Lee Vining, about 30 miles north of Mammoth and has interactive displays that describe Mono Basin's geology, ecology, and human history. I've told you before about my deep love of documentaries... So you know I really loved the Center's film Of Ice and Fire: A Portrait of the Mono Basin which gives a splendid 20-minute introduction to Mono Lake. There are art displays to enjoy, and rangers are present all day to answer your questions. Like any self-respecting Visitor's Center, there is also a bookstore with a great selection of books about the natural and cultural history of the region. Call the visitor center for more information at (760) 647-3044.

Our favorite part of our visit, though, was the hike we took down to the river by just stepping out the back door of the Center. Once you exit, you'll see that there is a low stone wall. Beyond the wall are several short trails with explanatory signs dotting the landscape. For busy kids like mine, hiking and stopping occasionally to read a sign is the must-do way to learn. They learn best when their feet are moving. Be aware, though, that if you plan to hike, you should wear closed shoes. Not flip flops. Ask me how I know.

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​Mono Lake:

​ Mono Lake is located about 30 miles North of Mammoth Lakes, just east of the 395, where it stretches eastward from the base of the Sierra Nevada. The salty waters of this ancient inland sea create and sustain a unique biosphere where tiny brine shrimp and brine flies feed billions of migrating birds each year. Native peoples of this area relied on the larvae as their main source of summer protein.

Easiest access to Mono Lake is at South Tufa off Highway 120 East. Once you exit 395, the turnoff is still several miles (some of it unpaved). But it is well-worth the drive to see the tufa towers in person. At the parking lot, be sure to pay the fee either to an attendant or using a self-service envelope. Then meander among the odd shaped tufa towers-- formed by piling mineral deposits beneath the water's surface when mineral rich spring water mixed with salty lake water. A naturalist tour is offered each day at 6pm during the summer and is also worthwhile.

If you don't want to make a full day of the Mono Basin, at least make this your first stop for sunrise pictures as you head on a daytrip into Yosemite or trek home to points north. 

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​Mono Craters:

The Mono Craters are a 10.5-mile chain of at least 27 volcanic domes, three large glass flows called coulees, and various explosion pits and other ancient volcanic features. The domes of the chain lie on a roughly north–south-trending arc that is concave to the west and located south of Mono Lake. The highest of the Mono Craters domes is Crater Mountain (elevation 9,172 feet or 2,796 m), which rises 2,400 feet (730 m) above Pumice Valley to the west. Associated volcanic features are located in Mono Lake (Paoha and Negit Islands) and on its north shore (Black Point). The coulees cluster north and south of the overlapping chain of domes. Craters exist at the top of most domes and on flat land south of them. (wikipedia)

What does all that mean? Well, it means that if you head north out of Mammoth to the north you can explore several of these craters including Obsidian Dome and others along with June Lake loop.

aerial photo of Inyo craters

For More Information:

Mono Lake Committee
The Mono Lake Committe is a 16,000 member non-profit citizen group dedicated to the protection and restoration of the Mono Basin ecosystem which has been devastated by excessive water diversions by LADWP. The Committee also educates the public, and promotes cooperative solutions to protect Mono Lake.
PO Box 29
Lee Vining, CA 93541
760.647.6595
www.monolake.org