Mammoth Lakes

Play at the top of California

TWO HOURS NORTH of Mount Whitney, the Continental United States’ highest point, and only 45 minutes from Yosemite’s east entrance, the Mammoth Lakes region is an epicenter for outdoor activities throughout the year.

Summer Fun

Up in the hills and meadows of the Eastern Sierra mountain range, hikers and bikers can explore the extensive Mammoth Lakes Trail System, whether it be for rugged multi-day adventures or a gentle walk through a park. Golfers enjoy extra-long drives in the high elevations of Sierra Star and Snowcreek Golf Courses. The Mammoth Lakes area is well known for fishing, so much so, that many local motels feature fish-cleaning facilities. Fly fishing in streams, and lure-based fishing in lakes (including Convict, Crowley and several lakes in Mammoth Lakes Basin) gives everyone a chance to try their specialty or pick up a new skill. The full “grand slam” of trout—rainbow, brook, brown and golden— await your arrival. Or you can skip the fishing, and simply paddle a kayak, canoe or stand-up paddle board through the lakes and take in the scenery, or even try out a floating historical tour of Mono Lake. Explore the wonders of geology at Devils Postpile National Monument and gaze at its towering basalt columns, then cool off in the spray of the hundred-foot-tall Rainbow Falls just downstream. Summer is also festival time, the calendar filled with music events and food and drink gatherings, including the combination of “blues and brews” for Mammoth’s Festival of Beers and Bluesapalooza each August.