Lakes
The lakes of Mammoth receive less attention than the mountain, despite being pretty, easily reached, and close to the Sierra Nevada backcountry, next to trailheads for several paths into the John Muir Wilderness.
At the main junction in the middle of town,
Lake Mary Road forks south, first passing (after 2.3 miles) the shallow
Twin Lakes then climbing to the next and largest (Lake Mary), looping all the way around the shore. Two spur roads lead to other smaller lakes, most westerly being
Horseshoe Lake, one of several locations in the Mammoth area where large numbers of pine trees have been killed by recent carbon dioxide emissions from underground vents - activity associated with the nearby Long Valley Caldera, the remains of an ancient volcano. Other evidence of the continuing geological instability of this region was a 6.1 magnitude earthquake in 1980, an event that caused local property prices to fall sharply and led the town to construct an alternative access route to US 395 (
Mammoth Scenic Loop), to be used for evacuation if the main road was blocked. This road passes through thick pine woodland for 6 miles, part of the Inyo National Forest, and has many side tracks leading to places suitable for free camping.
Nearby Sites
Besides the Sierra Nevada wilderness areas to the west and south, Mammoth Lakes is also close (within an hour's drive) of many other interesting sites, and because it has the best selection of hotels anywhere in the area, the town is the natural place to stay for those not camping. Notable attractions include
Bodie State Historical Park,
Devils Postpile National Monument and
Mono Lake.