Mammoth is a great destination in any season, but winter is by far my favorite. Mammoth and the Eastern Sierras are all about getting outdoors, whether it be skiing, snowboarding, hiking or seeking out the best hot springs. Here is my guide to Mammoth and the Eastern Sierras.
How to get there
The easiest way to get to Mammoth is by car, you can get there from LA in under six hours. There is an airport 15 minutes outside of Mammoth, but flights get canceled all the time due to extreme weather. There are flights on Advanced Air into the Mammoth Yosemite Airport from Burbank, Hawthorne/Los Angeles and Carlsbad.
What to do
Mammoth Mountain
Mammoth Mountain has some of the best skiing and snowboarding in California, so good we make the eight hour drive from San Diego to get there. Big Bear just doesn’t appeal to me with the fake snow, the snow at Mammoth is just too good. If you don’t ski or snowboard a ride up the gondola is a must, the views at the top of the minarets are breathtaking. Chairs twelve and fourteen are my favorite for powder and getting away from the crowds. If you’re an avid skier/snowboarder, I highly suggest buying an Ikon Pass. You will save a ton of money on lift tickets and you get discounted food on the mountain.
Mono Lake South Tufa
Mono Lake South Tufa is a must-see located 40 minutes north of Mammoth. I highly suggest going for golden hour after a day of skiing. Mono Lake is an ancient salt lake, the tufa are calcium carbonate deposits. The reason you can see the tufa above water today is because water levels have depleted due to LA county diverting water for drinking water. Tufa can no longer grow once above water and face erosion.
Hot Creek Geological Site
When all the lifts at Mammoth Mountain get shutdown due to high winds, you go to Hot Creek Geological Site. Beware, these stunning turquoise pools are filled with boiling water not safe for swimming. Hiking along the trails here offers gorgeous views of the meandering river with snow-capped mountains in the background.
Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest
The Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest is home to one of the oldest living trees, at over 4,000 years old. Which tree that is exactly is kept a secret in order to protect it. It was kind of fun wandering around the trails trying to guess which tree it was.
We visited in March on our way home from Mammoth. The road was open, but there was snow on the road from a storm two days earlier. On our way up we came across a car that was stuck. She had been stuck there for an hour and couldn’t get anyone to come all the way out to help her. My husband, Matt, and I helped her get the car out of the snowy ditch and she was extremely grateful. While she headed back down the mountain we continued up, since Matt was confident we could make it. Well, we did, and we had the trails all to our selves. Literally, there was no one there.
On our way back down we ran into another car that was stuck. They were in a Subaru and when she saw that we had made it up in a Tesla Model Y she got pissed. Kind of felt like it should have been a Tesla commercial or something.
Alabama Hills
Alabama Hills is located just west of Lone Pine, CA and has some pretty epic rock formations. It is a popular Hollywood filming location for Western movies. Alabama Hills is on BLM land and permits are now needed for free dispersed camping here. We’ve hiked the Mobius Arch Loop Trail a bunch of times and is great when you’re strapped for time, you see a lot of cool rock formations in just 0.6 miles.
Devils Postpile National Monument
Devils Postpile usually opens up to visitors in mid-June, once all the snow melts away, and closes again some time in October. You can take the shuttle from Mammoth Mountain down to Reds Meadow to hike to the hexagonal basalt columns formed from lava flow many years ago. If you want to drive your own vehicle you must drive in before 7am or after 7pm. We hiked from Devils Postpile Trailhead (stop 6) to Rainbow Falls and back to stop 10, where we caught the shuttle back to Mammoth (click here for a map of the area). There is so much to do in the area; fishing, hiking, camping, backpacking and horseback riding.
Where to eat & drink
Mammoth Brewing Company
We go here almost every time we are in Mammoth. Grab a seat outside on a sunny day and enjoy the best beer in Mammoth.
The Yodler
The Yodler has the best lunch on the mountain, as long as you love German grub. It is located near the main lodge right behind the gondola building. Order a stein full of beer and a giant pretzel while you wait for your meal. I’ve been trying to snag the table by the fire for years and have yet to succeed. Just be sure not to eat and drink too much, so you can make it back out on the mountain.
Austria Hof Restaurant
And yet another German restaurant, but a good one at that. Dinner here is a must, located near Canyon Lodge. This is where we were when we found out everything was shutting down due to COVID-19. We didn’t even get to ski that weekend due to wind on Saturday and COVID on Sunday. Let’s just say we had a few extra drinks that night at the bar, since they were our last drinks out for awhile.
Black Velvet Coffee
Best coffee and matcha lattes in Mammoth, stop in to fuel up on your way to the mountain.
Erick Schat’s Bakkery
A stop at Erick Schat’s Bakkery is a must when driving through Bishop. Grab an epic sandwich for lunch and stock up on some bread to bring home. Expect long lines at peak hours, but it is definitely worth the wait.
Where to stay
We like to stay in a condo rental on the blue line near Canyon Lodge. This way we can hop on the bus to the mountain super easily and not have to worry about driving and parking. The larger the group you get, the cheaper the rental will be for everyone. If you want to save even more money you can stay in Bishop and make the 45 minute drive to the mountain everyday. We’ve stayed in Bishop before and the drive to the mountain really isn’t that bad, plus you’re already that much closer to home when you need to drive back to San Diego.
I hope you find my guide to Mammoth helpful. If you liked this blog post, be sure to check out My Guide to Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Park! Don’t forget to book your trip with your favorite travel planner, yours truly.
