Mammoth Day Tours

The Town of Mammoth Lakes is set in the heart of California's Eastern High Sierra, offering visitors the contrasting environments of high desert, lush forests, and lake-studded mountains. Known as one of the world's finest ski resorts, Mammoth Lakes is a full-service, year-round destination. Its central location also makes Mammoth an accessible and flexible half-day and full-day touring area.

There are many day jaunts you can take many of which are part of the National Park Service and the Inyo National Forest. We hope you will want to make your own day tour and combine different elements, such as a hike, a picnic, or find a quick spot to throw in your pole for some of our fabulous trout fishing. The summer activities gateway has a complete list. In winter many of the day tours are still accessible, as they may not get the snow dump that the town of Mammoth gets, or they are below the snowfall level. Check with the Visitors Center to verify what may be open in winter before departing. Have fun, and be safe.

Many of the day tours can be combined to make a complete full day rather than just a half-day because of proximity. But this also depends on how much time you want to spend at each location. Bodie Ghost Town and Mono Lake make a nice day. Bodie can be a very full day as can Mono Lake if you participate in some of the interpretive programs, or if you take advantage of the all the tours available. If you don't spend too much time, you can drive around the June Lake Loop and Mammoth Scenic Loops, but you may want to stop and look at the wildlife. On every trip around the lake we see wild deer.

The sportsman day trip takes in Convict Lake, Hot Creek Fish Hatchery, Hot Creek Geological site is where you go to find the hot springs and if they're open bring your swim trunks. Some of the lakes that make up Mammoth Lakes are in what we call the "Basin" as they are part of the Mammoth volcano heritage. If you want to categorize your adventures, try the Geology Day Trip. Geology day is a full day, and likely two, but stands apart from human built memorials as these sites were created from earthquakes, fissures, and other natural phenomenon. If you want to head down the 395 and experience a more rustic lifestyle, as it was when the Paiute Indians occupied this area, then you should create your own Lone Pine and Independence day trip through this southern portion of the Eastern Sierra.

If you're not into sightseeing, but still want some activities to do, check out the summer activities and winter activities for information on sports and recreational things to do when visiting.