Mono Lake Tufa State Natural Reserve — Attraction in Mammoth Lakes

Mono Lake Tufa State Natural Reserve is a CA State Park. Located on the eastern slope of the Sierra Nevada Mountains and along CA Hwy 395 (near Lee Vining), it protects the ancient Mono Lake and its strange 'tufa towers.' Made from calcium-carbonate, the tufa towers are created when the fresh waters from springs interact with the highly alkaline lake water. The resulting tufa formations are truly amazing.

A good place to start your visit would be at the Mono Basin Scenic Area Visitor Center, a small fee is required. It includes many exhibits about the natural, geologic and human history of the Mono Basin area. State Park rangers are on hand to help answer questions concerning the park.

During summer (late June through Labor Day), ranger-led Naturalist talks occur at the South Tufa Area three times a day (10:00 am, 1:00 pm, 6:00 pm).

Similarly, bird walks occur from mid-May through Labor Day on the boardwalk, Fridays and Sundays at 8:00 am.

Summer adventures here include hiking, boating, photography and swimming. Because of the high salt content of Mono Lake's water, extra buoyancy can bring a unique experience. Just make sure you don't have any cuts or abrasions as the salt water will sting.

Speaking of stinging, on one visit, a very strange looking fly (?) bit me. The result was a fever, feeling very crappy and a couple days in bed in Las Vegas. In the summer, this place is hot with no shade. Protect yourself from sun exposure and, maybe, large...

Mono Lake (/ˈmoʊnoʊ/ MOH-noh) is a saline soda lake in Mono County, California, formed at least 760,000 years ago as a terminal lake in an endorheic basin. The lack of an outlet causes high levels of salts to accumulate in the lake which make its water alkaline.

The desert lake has an unusually productive ecosystem based on brine shrimp, which thrive in its waters, and provides critical habitat for two million annual migratory birds that feed on the shrimp and alkali flies (Ephydra hians).2 Historically, the native Kutzadika'a people ate the alkali flies' pupae, which live in the shallow waters around the edge of the lake. When the city of Los Angeles diverted water from the freshwater streams flowing into the lake, it lowered the lake level, which imperiled the migratory birds. The Mono Lake Committee formed in response and won a legal battle that forced Los Angeles to partially replenish...

My family and I stopped by the reserve with a limited amount of time to explore. What we did see was beautiful and interesting. We didn't have an opportunity to hike to the larger tufa formations, which were a distance away. We didn't see the boardwalk on the right side of the parking lot and took the route on the left side of the parking lot near the pay station. I would suggest not doing this as it took us to the waters edge where in some places, the ground was soft and mushy. For those of us who mis-stepped, we got our shoes muddy. Also, it did not smell very good and there were swarms of alkali flies. I would suggest observing from a short distance and utilizing the board walk. With that being said, I would still like to return to further explore and to hike on the designated trails. the tufa formations are definitely interesting. I would still definitely recommend this place due to...