Page 157 - 2017 Travel Guide to California

FLY FISHING AT MAMMOTH LAKES,
opposite; winter ski and board fun at
Mammoth Mountain, right; Mammoth
Lakes is mountain bike heaven, bottom.
Winter Sports
As the name suggests, Mammoth Mountain
ski resort is gigantic, with terrain
descending from multiple peaks providing
runs suitable for all levels of skiers. The
resort creates more than a dozen terrain
parks for snowboarders, and hosts regular
competitions for those who just want to
watch. Tamarack Ski Center and the Mam-
moth Lakes Nordic Trail System are
destinations for cross-country ski enthusi-
asts. For non-skiers, Mammoth Lakes also
connects visitors with dogsled rides, snow-
mobiling, snowshoe tours, fat-tire snow
biking and even snowcat rides to scenic
picnic spots. Small kids too can come to
enjoy Mammoth’s tubing park, festive
winter parades with mascot “Woolly” or a
scenic gondola ride. June Mountain, a 20-
mile drive from Mammoth Lakes, is a
laid-back location for downhill fun (and
kids 12 and under ski for free!). If it’s too
cold outside, check out Mammoth Rock ’n’
Bowl with its bowling lanes, golf simulator,
bar and restaurant, or maybe even partake
in the Eastern Sierra Brewery Tour of three
local microbreweries.
NATALIEJEAN/SHUTTERSTOCK; MINARET PHOTOS. OPPOSITE; MAMMOTH COUNTY TOURISM
spotted in the area, including the horde of
50,000 California gulls nesting at Mono
Lake each year.
Spring Activities
Often considered just a “shoulder season”
between skiing and fishing, spring around
Mammoth Lakes offers great deals on
lodging and activities for those looking for
some late-season sunny skiing (Mammoth
Mountain often stays open past Memorial
Day), or some early biking and fishing.
Some people try for the “spring triathlon”
of skiing, biking and fishing in a single day.
Spring is also a good time for birding, when
visitors can see many of the 300 species of
local and migratory birds that have been
Fall Colors
Fall foliage is a treat for the eyes around
Mammoth Lakes. Enjoy hiking through the
colors in the crisp fall air on the Mammoth
Rock Trail or the Heart Lake Trail, or even
stay for a couple of days amidst the trees at
the Sherwin Creek Campground. Go for a
drive around winding mountain roads of the
June Lake Loop to see the spectacular colors
in groves of aspens and cottonwood trees
below towering pine forests. You can soar
above the colors on helicopter tours. Or go
back in time and join a multi-day horseback
ride down from the hills. For a spooky Hal-
loween, or any quiet day, visit the ghost
town within Bodie State Park, the aban-
doned remnants of a gold mining settlement
about 60 miles north.
2017 T R AV E L G U I D E TO C A L I F O R N I A 155