Hikes
Crystal Lakes Trailhead 2.7 miles steep incline
Rainbow Falls Trailhead 6 miles, moderate
https://goo.gl/maps/yccmsdSC8vbMi3h38
To get to this trailhead you will be driving through the Minaret Summit Road which is a beautiful drive on its own and will take you past the Devils Postpile Monument. Parking is tough along this road because it is so popular so if the Reds Meadow Shuttle is operating, that may be a good option to consider. You will need to make a reservation and tickets are $15 for adults, $7 for children 3-15 and free for children under 2. Taking the shuttle allows you to visit all the points along the way without having to continually find parking, which is nearly impossible during weekends and holidays.
https://www.mammothmountain.com/summer-activities/adventure-center/devils-postpile
Rainbow Falls Trailhead is at the end of the Reds Meadow Road where you will enter the John Muir Wilderness. You will be walking downhill to the waterfall on sandy soil, which can get dusty when it is dry. This is a fairly easy hike and the reward is the spectacular Rainbow Falls. It is a bit tricky negotiating the rocks and steep terrain to get down to the waterfall but you get a perfectly good view from above without having to risk your ankles. The only hard part is it is uphill going back.
Crystal Lakes Trailhead 2.7 miles steep incline
This is a tough hike if you are not an athlete but it is doable if you take it slow. It is absolutely worth the climb and if you are planning only 1 hike, this is the one to do. It is 2.7 miles with a steep incline at parts to the edge of Crystal Lake but the views along the way are breathtaking. You can see Lake Mary, Lake Mamie and the Twin Lakes (photo above does not do it justice). Once you reach Crystal Lake you can walk all the way around and maybe even dip your toes into the icy waters or if you are a polar bear, take a swim. All of the hikes are pack in / pack out so it is a good idea to pack a snack and lots of water but make sure you take all the trash down with you. I also suggest preparing little zip locks with toilet paper so if nature calls you can take care of that while being able to cleanly dispose of the toilet paper in the ziplock when you get back down the mountain and throw it in a proper trash receptacle.
Rainbow Falls Trailhead 6 miles, moderate
To get to this trailhead you will be driving through the Minaret Summit Road which is a beautiful drive on its own and will take you past the Devils Postpile Monument (https://www.nps.gov/depo/index.htm). Parking is tough along this road because it is so popular so if the Reds Meadow Shuttle is operating, that may be a good option to consider. You will need to make a reservation and tickets are $15 for adults, $7 for children 3-15 and free for children under 2. Taking the shuttle allows you to visit all the points along the way without having to continually find parking, which is nearly impossible during weekends and holidays.
Rainbow Falls Trailhead is at the end of the Reds Meadow Road where you will enter the John Muir Wilderness. You will be walking downhill to the waterfall on sandy soil, which can get dusty when it is dry. This is a fairly easy hike and the reward is the spectacular Rainbow Falls. It is a bit tricky negotiating the rocks and steep terrain to get down to the waterfall but you get a perfectly good view from above without having to risk your ankles. The only hard part is it is uphill going back.
You can also go by horseback at Reds Meadow but to be honest, I’ve done this and it was so dusty and hot because it takes a different trail than the one taken on foot so it does not have trees to canopy your ride. We were looking at hikers and wished we had just done that. It is also timed so when you get to the waterfall, you only have a few minutes to enjoy it.
Sherwin Lakes Trailhead 4.5 miles moderate
This is a good hike for spring or early summer when the lake is full and there are a lot of blooms along the way. The climb isn’t too bad because there are switchbacks.
Heart Lake 1 mile easy
This is a popular trail because it is easy and also it has some cool things along the way. You will pass Mammoth Creek and at the fork you can take a side trip to check out the ruins of the Mammoth Consolidated Gold Mine.
Valentine Lake 10 miles hard incline
Exposed on the way up so it’s hot when it’s the toughest climb. It’s best to go in the early morning, which will be chilly so dress in layers. There is a 2000 ft vertical climb which makes this a challenge even for those in tip top shape.
Horseshoe Lake Trail 1.8 miles, easy
If you are planning on spending time at Horseshoe Lake, you can start by hiking this very easy short trail.
Thousand Island Lake 15.6 miles, ambitious
I’ve not done this hike so I have no insights but it is a well known hike that takes you through geological wonders. It takes 10 hours so you have the time and energy, give it a shot!! Here is a blog post with more details.
This is a great resource for all of the best hikes in Mammoth.
Drives
Minaret Summit Road
This scenic drive is beautiful along the way but it takes you to many landmarks that you should not miss when you are in Mammoth, including Devils Postpile and Rainbow Falls. As you stop at the vista points you will see Mt. Ritter, Mt. Banner, and of course, the Minarets.
Minaret vista
Before entering Devil’s Postpile monument, you can stop at the top of this lookout and enjoy the view of the Minaret Mountains. This is a popular spot to enjoy the sunset so you can pack a picnic and maybe some fermented beverages for a romantic and enchanting experience.
Mammoth Scenic Loop
Lakes and Fishing
All of the Mammoth basin lakes have stocked fish (except Horseshoe Lake).
Lake Mary – this is the largest of the basin lakes and allows motorboats so you can rent a motor boat or a pontoon at Lake Mary Marina. Some people even fish on their kayak but you will need some skills to coordinate paddling while hanging on to a fishing pole.
Lake George – this is the highest elevation of these lakes and is the deepest.
Twin Lakes – this is the first lake to open and last to close. You can rent a float tube and get in the middle of the lake where you will have a great view while taking home some trout.
Lake Mamie – it is the smallest lake of the bunch and is very close to Lake Mary.
Convict Lake
Fish for rainbow trout and brown trout. It ihas beautiful turquoise waters and is surrounded by the Sherwin Mountains so even if you don’t catch anything, you can enjoy the view. You can rent boats at the marina (https://convictlake.com/fishing-in-the-eastern-sierra/). It has an interesting history, the lake is named for an incident in 1871 when prisoners escaped from a prison in Carson City and sought refuge near the lake.
Lake Crowley
Known for really good fishing, it is stocked with a variety of trout including Eagle Lake, scrappy Kamloops and Colemans. There are also the native Lahontan cutthroats and other fish like Sacramento perch, Lock Lavens and Von Behrs.If you don’t fish, you can rent from many places to do a variety of water sports, such as kayaking, water skiing, wakeboarding, wake surfing, jet skiing, and stand up paddle boarding.