This review is for Panum Crater Trail which was a ~2.5 miles round trip that took ~1.5 hour to…read morecomplete. This was an unique hike that takes you to the rim of the crater overlooking Mono Lake as well as to the center of the crater filled with obsidian rocks! The trail was mostly sandy and a little rocky closer to the summit. The best views of Mono Lake are on the rim trail! AllTrails GPX route doesn't take you to the summit. Follow the trail for another ~0.2 miles to reach the summit for a brief view of Mono Lake. Required to drive ~0.5 miles on dirt road. Short video of the hike for those interested! https://youtu.be/VurvIs-_Cnw

STEPH JUDGEMENT: One of my favorite hikes in Mono County…read more I've been back several times now, and my appreciation for this place grows each time. And I've finally managed to remember "Bitch Hill" (a term I coined) on my last visit. For some reason I totally blocked it out from my first visit--maybe because I was trying hard not to be blown off the trail by a freak spring storm--but it's a section on the Rim Trail that's quite steep that'll definitely elevate your heart rate. I always start out with the Plug Trail to see all the rocks, and then go back down and do the Rim Trail for the views of the lake. It's not a long hike, but there is that "hill", lol.

A cool little park, located in the city of Lee Vining. It does have bathrooms, and let's be honest…read morea totally killer view of the lake It's an awesome spot after you've driven the twisty Tioga Pass, or come over the Sonora Pass and need a place to just kick back and relax

As part of our quest to visit all 63 U.S. national parks, we set off on a six week road trip. I…read morehave a personal rule: I only count a national park as "visited" if I actually spend time there, hike or walk through it, and truly experience it. While Mono Lake is not a national park, it became one of the most memorable stops of our journey. On our way from Lassen Volcanic National Park to Death Valley, we made a stop at Mono Lake, which happened to be right at the doorstep of Yosemite National Park. It was the perfect opportunity to explore this incredible area, and we were also able to spend a few hours visiting Yosemite along the way. Wow. Mono Lake was a place unlike anywhere else we had visited. The first impression is simple: it looks like another planet. Mono Lake is a very unique landscape, with its ancient waters and strange limestone formations called tufa towers rising from the shoreline. These formations look almost like sculptures created by nature, and walking among them feels like stepping into a different world. The combination of the lake, the white tufa towers, the mountains in the background, and the changing light creates an almost surreal experience. For me, this visit had an extra special meaning. My favorite album of all time is Wish You Were Here by Pink Floyd, and Mono Lake appears on the inside cover of the album. Seeing this place in person was a wonderful and unexpected gift. It felt like visiting a landscape that had been part of my imagination for decades. We spent time walking around the lake, taking in the silence, the unusual scenery, and the incredible contrast between the desert-like surroundings and the dramatic Sierra Nevada mountains in the distance. Mono Lake may not be a national park, but it absolutely deserves a stop. It is strange, beautiful, peaceful, and unforgettable. Sometimes the places that stay with you the longest are not necessarily the biggest or the most famous, but the ones that make you stop and say, "Wow, I have never seen anything like this before."

Mono Lake is beautiful in its own way. Tufas are very interesting and the reflection in the water…read moreis beautiful. There are nice paths down to the lake and along the shoreline. There's signage explaining why the water levels are where they're at. It's worth a visit if you're in the area.

A cool little park, located in the city of Lee Vining. It does have bathrooms, and let's be honest…read morea totally killer view of the lake It's an awesome spot after you've driven the twisty Tioga Pass, or come over the Sonora Pass and need a place to just kick back and relax

I'm not sure why this little park doesn't get five stars from everyone. Yes, it's small, but the…read moretown (county?) has made great use of the space... * quiet location * convenient to highway 395 and with easy parking * extremely clean, bright bathrooms, open after dark * I felt safe * filtered water dispenser * free L2 car charging * view of Mono Lake * convenient to food and drink - just a two-block walk to Mono Cone (which I also recommend) or a gas station convenience store It's a great little place for a brief bite, a rest, or just to stretch your legs. I stopped here on both directions of my drive up and down Hwy 395. What's not to like?!

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!

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.

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.

Mono Basin is such a beautiful and unique area to explore. There's an easy walking path that takes…read moreyou right to the lake, making it accessible and enjoyable. Along the way, you'll see fascinating volcanic rock formations and helpful signs that describe the surrounding vegetation, which really adds to the experience. Peaceful, scenic, and educational--a great stop for anyone visiting the area!

The southern tufa area has some of the most spectacular formations on the lake. You can't see them…read morefrom the parking area however a short 1 mile walk down a path gives you an awesome view. Yes, it is 5 miles off of the 395 but worth the drive and walk if you have your America, the beautiful pass you'll be able to use it when you park otherwise cost is three dollars a person

This is one of a kind lake . It was formed by underground fresh water . The lime stone formations…read moreare unique. When I first visited this lake many years ago, the lake was a lot bigger than now . We came around 5:30'pm amd the sun was setting . We saw the orange cloud in different shade and golden sun beam was reflected on the lake and he cloud at the same time . It was magical ! I am sad today to find out most of the lake water was re directed to Los Angeles area for other uses . The lake has shrink and the water becomes super salty . That affects the tiny shrimps that live inside the lake , the algae and the seabirds that eats the creatures that live in the water . I hope the situation would improve soon . We create a new problem to solve the existing problem.

We had an excellent day with David. We booked a private tour for my wife and me. We are not so…read moreyoung so David tailored it to our pace and abilities (still made it to the top of Sentinel Dome- well worth the effort!). Literally went from the valley floor to the peak of sentinel dome. His knowledge of the park is outstanding. He picked us up at our lodge and dropped us there at the end of the day- even gave us the picnic we couldn't eat during the trip because clouds blocked the astrophotography portion. He even apologized for the clouds! An all day adventure; we were happily exhausted when we got back to Evergreen Lodge. Highly recommend.

Dave is AMAZING! We had the best day with him on our private tour of Yosemite. He is so fun,…read moreknowledgeable, a great conversationalist and made the day fabulous. I had the best time and felt like we got to really see Yosemite and get to know the park. I would 100% recommend booking with him and his company. Hands down the BEST!!