Mammoth Lakes is a perfectly situated springboard to the ultimate in sightseeing adventures.
5 DAYS OF SIGHTSEEING- MAMMOTH LAKES
Mammoth Lakes is a perfectly situated springboard to the ultimate in sightseeing adventures. A national park, national monument, state parks, an official ghost town and the world’s oldest trees are all within easy reach for amazing day trips. See the region’s most unbelievable natural and historic site on a 5-day trip to Mammoth Lakes.
DAY 1 – YOSEMITE VALLEY
Yosemite is easy to access from Mammoth Lakes, and together they make a great pairing on any outdoor enth usiast’s itinerary. To get there from Mammoth Lakes during summer and fall, take the Tioga Pass State Highway 120 to the eastern gate into Yosemite National Park. Yosemite Area Regional Transit (YARTS) offers transport ation for visitors who would prefer to travel by bus fro m outlying communities into Yosemite Valley. For a re asonable fare, you can purchase round-trip tickets for the scenic ride into the park. The bus typically runs from June through September when Tioga Pass (Hwy. 120) is open. Weekend service is available in June and Septem ber with daily trips to and from Yosemite in July and August.Begin your trip touring Yosemite National Park, including Yosemite Valley. Channel your inner Ansel Adams with a stop at Tunnel View to capture the quint essential shot of Yosemite. Feel the spray of Bridalveil and Yosemite falls, walk alongside the towering granite of Half Dome to Mirror Lake and marvel at climbers scaling the vertices of El Capitan.
DAY 2 – HIGH COUNTRY
After exploring Yosemite Valley, head toward the east side of the park. Yosemite’s eastern entrance is just 45 minutes from Mammoth Lakes and accessed via Tioga Pass, the highest highway pass in California (open from early summer to late fall and subject to snow conditions). The area is accessible by car or the Yosemite Area Regional Transportation System bus. Pack a picnic to take with you, as services on the east side of the park are limited. Hike among giant sequoias in the Tuolumne and Merced groves. Then spend time in the spectacular but often-overlooked high country. Choo se an easy hike to a carbonated spring or a moderate scramble up a granite dome. Or use the park’s free shuttle to roam from the pristine shores of Tenaya Lake to the craggy outlooks of Olmsted Point.
DAY 3 – REDS MEADOW
Catch the scenic shuttle from Mammoth Adventure Center to Reds Meadow (no private vehicles allowed), w here you’ll find Devils Postpile National Monument and the 101-foot Rainbow Falls. The nearly 800-acre Devils Postpile National Monument is situated in Mammoth Lakes’ backyard and preserves a columnar basalt forma tion formed by flowing lava about 82,000 years ago. As the lava cooled, it contracted and split into symmetrical, vertical columns subsequently smoothed by glacial ice. Hike along the San Joaquin River to see the unique rock formation. Then, continue on the easy 2-mile hike downstream to Rainbow Falls, named for the colorful rainb ows reflected in the mist by the midday sun. Wrap up your adventure with lunch at the Mule House Café at Reds Meadow Resort before catching the shuttle back to Mammoth Lakes. When you’re back at the Mammoth Adv enture Center, take a Scenic Gondola ride to the summit of Mammoth Mountain and admire the views from 11,053 feet.
DAY 4 – AN ANCIENT LAKE & GOLD RUSH HISTORY