+ Vons is a convenient grocery stop on your way between NP's and the ski resort here…read more - Though everything here is a lil pricier than back home. . Popular, crowded ambience. + Still, lot of cultural variety dining. + Pleasant town to walk around with your folks, especially at Mountain Center at Mammoth, whether on or off ski season.

My first time here but this place certainly brought back memories of my winter days while living in…read moreCanada. I thought snow is something I'm not gonna missed but hey, at least I'm not experiencing -50 degrees weather here compared to freezing Edmonton. I'm on my first day but I definitely fell in love. I'm definitely not a fan of big cities like Los Angeles but due to my entire family living in LA, I'm sticking around. Mammoth is my kind of city, pretty laid back yet you'll find everything you need. I see myself coming back here for a visit. Now that I've seen winter, I'm looking forward on how this place looks like during summer season.

So this lake is one that very few people know about. However it is a super easy hike to say the…read moreabsolute least. Once you get to the lake, you will be at a place that very few people know about, let alone have ever seen. It is a great pristine lake that is fun to fish at, swim at if you are open to super cold water. It is mostly filled with mountain run off. I have never had a bad time at this lake. Heck as a kid I would come here with my parents and grand parents to get out of town and into nature. The only way up here is basically mountain bike, horseback, or afoot. I have always come here on foot and loved it. A lot of the Mammoth locals come here as a nice way to get out of town and be completely in nature while being a short hike away. This particular lake is filled with great memories for me. I took my daughter here for the first time this summer. She loved it. Heck we even found a trio of deer in the brush on the way down the hill. She was super excited about it. We even made it within bowshot of the deer but were just there to trek. Regardless, nature abounds in this close but remote spot. ;) I dare you to hit it up if you can find it and you dare... Hint: park at the Horseshoe Lake lot and head up the hill a mile or mile and a half and boom... there it is ;)

This campsite was probably the worst I've ever been at. The campground "host" and I use that term…read moreloosely was basically non existent. In previous years, the campground host would have never allowed such egregious behavior from site 29. My parents; who are in their 60s, may not ever camp again because of the patrons in site 29. I hope that you see that getting rid of the old host was a massive oversight and your campground has gone to hell.

Great Camp Ground. Host was very attentive and very friendly with all guests. Kept the place full…read moreof firewood, and quiet at dark. it was absolutely breathtaking looking at the full moon against the Dunderberg Peak (mountain top over the Lake) and sun rises were the brightest orange casted all around appeared to be surreal and illusional but its real! Just absolutely amazing views based on the that alone! Very clean & stocked restrooms. Clean, camping sites, with picnic table, fire ring, and a big bear locker for food. There is ample room for tent camping on most sites too. Great for families, Couples, Gatherings, Pets are welcome on a leash. Some sites are prime with a lake view. We went without reservations on a Tuesday- there were 2 sites left when we arrived at 3pm( lucked out) we wound up in camp site 21- it's the first one on your left as you come inside. It was a great site; except.... very dusty as traffic puts out a lot of dust( in and out cars driving through) and it's on a hill slant. We stayed 4 days and we still managed to have a wonderful time despite those 2 minuses. Great Campground really! Trumbull Lake has great fishing and we will definitely try to go back!!

This was such a wonderful morning spent with Stuart and Sue on the shrimp filled waters of Mono…read moreLake! We booked a tour with our kids ages 11-15 and niece who is 7 and NOT an outdoors kid. Stuart and Sue handled even a sometimes screaming, scaredy kid with calm and grace as we paddled our way around the beautiful scenery. They taught us about the history and geology of the lake as well as it's inhabitants. Would absolutely recommend to anyone!

We really enjoyed Kayaking with Stuart! Very experienced and knowledgeable of the area. You can…read moretell he really enjoys what he does. We enjoyed kayaking on Mono lake, 2.5 times saltier than the ocean. Ancient lake - very special place. Highly recommend!

We didn't see 20 lakes in the basin but enjoying nine peaceful mountain lakes during a single day…read morehike was darn fabulous. Located outside the eastern entrance to Yosemite National Park, 2.5 miles of dirt road is crossed to reach the trailhead at the closed Saddlebag Lake Resort at 10087 Saddlebag Lake Road. As a former resort, the location has lots of parking but since the closed buildings meant no running water and an outhouse toilet. The often-closed Tioga Road (aka Hwy 120) must be open to get to Saddlebag. For a longer and harder hike, the basin loop can be reached by going up Lundy Canyon located north of Lee Vining and might be an alternative starting point if Tioga is closed. The loop can begin by heading left across the dam, but we went right around eastern side of Saddlebag Lake - the largest and only man-made lake of the hike. The western side is rocky talus while the eastern trail around Saddlebag Lake is longer but has a more comfortable walking surface that was preferred by people fishing in the lake. The remaining lakes appear at regular half-mile intervals with each having their own flavor. The first set of lakes were small and serene Hummingbird Lake, deep and eerie Odell Lake, and classically graceful Lake Helen. We then took a worthwhile and brief side trip down to Lundy Canyon to the cascading Lundy Canyon Falls. We resumed on the loop to see our favorite Shamrock Lake with multiple little peninsulas poking into the lake which was followed by narrow inlet-like Excelsior Lake, cliff-sided Steelhead Lake below the Sphinx-ish Shepherd Crest, unremarkable Wasco Lake, and meadowy Greenstone Lake before returning along the opposite side of Saddlebag Lake. Maps showed two trails between Steelhead and Wasco Lakes. The western trail is incomplete but also led to the best geology with bold green layered rocks. Our hike was 9.3 miles to circle around nine lakes and one waterfall. The elevation varied from 9,900' to 10,400'. Never steep, the terrain rolled up and down which felt like a 1000' elevation change hike. The paths were mostly exposed with few trees. Located in a true basin, the lakes were surrounded by peaks and ridges. Icy snow pockets that survived the summer ensured water flow through the creeks and lakes.

Hiked this as an overnight backpacking trip with 2 friends in late July, it was the most beautiful…read moreamazing hike I've done and seen in a very long time. Drove up from San Diego the night before and tried to get a camping spot at ~7K feet altitude to get adjusted but all the campsites were full, so ended up camping overnight at disbursed camping down the road (still up at altitude, just no facilities and no fires allowed). Woke up in the morning and made a quick stop at Whoa Nellie Deli to use the bathroom, fill up on water etc. And then drove the very rocky road up to the trailhead. I have a Subaru Impreza, all wheel drive but not a lot of lift, so it was doable, but would have definitely felt better in an SUV, although I also saw a Prius in the parking lot so any car can make it I guess. Parked in the parking lot, there are bear boxes there to leave everything from your car that you're not bringing with you on your backs (also bring a bear canister if you're doing overnight!). Then we headed out. We hiked around the north side of Saddlebag lake, which was beautiful, and a little more crowded as a lot of day hikers just hike that lake. We then took the turn off to the right to head up to the rest of the lakes. On day 1 we did about 6 1/2 miles. We kept passing beautiful lake after beautiful lake. There was a point where we were hiking down a pretty steep climb and it started hailing on us! I was relieved we were hiking down at that point and not up with our packs on. I'd recommend having alltrails map downloaded as there are literally no trail markers, there would have been really know what to know which way to go without it. So we kept hiking and climbing, up and down, around more and more lakes. And then we setup camp for the night around Greenstone Lake. Night 1 was Friday night and was very quiet, no other over-nighters around. Night 2 was a Saturday, and it got a bit more crowded. Nothing too crazy, but there were definitely others in sight and ear-shot. We setup for 2 nights, and then did a day hike the next morning up to Conness Lake which was actually possibly the most beautiful lake I've ever seen in my entire life. I even went swimming in the freezing water! On our last day we woke up in the morning, packed up, and hiked out the remaining 3ish miles back around the bottom of Saddlebag Lake.

A 5 star worthy hike! To get to the trailhead, drive all the way to end of Lundy Lake. There,…read moreyou'll see a small dirt road. Take that all the way to the parking lot at the end. The actual beginning of the trailhead begins just up from the outhouse. After a short distance, you'll come to a fork. You can go straight (which I recommend) and after a 30 second walk you'll reach what I dubbed as, "Lundy Pond". You'll get a commanding 360 view from the beach. Hard to beat. When you're finished taking in the view, head back to the fork and take the main trail that leads to Lundy Canyon. This isn't a difficult hike as some would have you believe. As long as you're in decent shape and have just a bit of hiking experience, you'll do fine. I've seen everyone from small children to elderly folks on this trail. Be sure to take this trail all the way to the Cascades. It was simply gorgeous and worth the extra effort. All told, I did about 6 miles round trip. Highly recommended.

Visited 10/10/21 and WOW! If you want a nice, peaceful hike this is a great spot. It's not as well…read moreknown as Mammoth, Rock Creek, Little Lakes valley, etc, so you won't have to deal with crowds, but it's still a beautiful hike that's just 5 miles off the 395. The road starts off paved and becomes dirt. Some parts look intimidating but it's very do-able in a 2WD sedan as long as it hasn't had heavy rains or snow. I have a 2WD SUV and made it just fine....just drive slow as there are rocks and dips. The fall colors are amazing here!

Owner and manager very nice people. Family atmosphere,…read morecabins have a good view of June Lake. Boats and other equipment well Maintained . Just a pleasant nice stmodphere.

Big Rock Resort is a great place to visit! I had an awesome trip! Beautiful location with…read morefishing, hiking, shops, and a local brewer!

MONO BASIN VISITOR CENTER, NATIONAL FOREST SCENIC AREA, Lee Vining, CA, July, 2026. We were in Lee…read moreVining, CA on July 4, 2026, and were very pleasantly surprised to find this Visitor Center open on Independence Day. We were in Lee Vining, on our way to the Tioga Pass entrance to Yosemite National Park and, to be honest, we didn't know a lot about the Mono Basin area. What a helpful find! There were indoor exhibits, and a ton of information available from rangers and from dozens of informational sheets. Interestingly, beginning in 1941, stream diversions by the Los Angeles Dept of Water and Power caused the lake level to drop 45 vertical feet, severely threatening the health of the Mono Lake ecosystem. Mono Lake is now on the rise, but not yet there, to 6,392' above sea level in order to balance the needs of both people and the environment. The Visitor Center also has a nice Gift Shop (where I added to my collection of refrigerator magnets and got a cancellation stamp in my NPS Passport), has a nice viewing area of the lake from the back deck or from a short path, and restrooms that are accessible from inside or outside (even when the Visitor Center is closed). Parking is free and plentiful. Next stop (at the recommendation of the rangers: Mono Lake Tufa State Natural Reserve!

This visitor center, located north of Lee Vining to the east of Hwy 395, is a must stop no matter…read morewhat time of year you pass by. While the visitor center is opened seasonally, they have restrooms in front that remain open year-round and have been clean and well stocked every time I've visited. I believe they close overnight--so please check first. The visitor center has a beautiful gift shop, a ranger desk where you can get all your local exploring and curiosity questions answered, a kids coloring table, places to sit, a film, and natural history exhibits. There is also a vast and beautiful back patio space which provides ample viewing options of Mono Lake, the tufa, and the surrounding mountains and hills. There is a nature trail you can follow with better views of the lake. Cell service is spotty in this area, but there are a few spots in the parking lot where the service comes through. I have really enjoyed visiting here during different times of year. Every time I do, I learn something new from the volunteers and staff... They have always been able to help me identify a new animal I've spotted or give me "insider" information about a new adventure worthy of embarking on.