Mammoth is a year round destination- Hiking and biking in the summer and skiing and snowboarding in the winter.
Mammoth is a huge resort- 28 lifts. They do a great job of keeping the runs groomed and have terrain for everyone from the first day beginner to the bulletproof expert. Mammoth Mountain also has the biggest and best terrain parks in the region.
Winter Life here is simple
Eat
Ski/Snowboard
Jacuzzi
Eat
Sleep
Repeat
That being said;
Check the calendar of events before you go- there's always something going on both at the slopes and in town.
Holidays are when some of the biggest events are, but the lines can get really long.
I recommend going midweek if possible- you'll have the slopes to yourself.
One winter activity that I enjoy is making the drive out to the Hot Springs by the airport. This is ideal on a clear night, as the stars are bright and simply magical.
Me landing a "Medium" size jump at Mammoth Mountain
Ski Rental
Footloose is my go-to place. That being said, if you ski even somewhat frequently I would recommend just buying your own equipment, you'll be able to find lightly used stuff almost as cheap as a day or two's rental.
This is the infamous signpost and view from the top of Mammoth Mountain
Best food at Mammoth
One of my favorite things about Mammoth, is that while it has a small town feel, that doesn't equate to a crappy dining scene.
Toomey’s – At the Village, This restaurant serves good food with big portions. I like both salads they offer, and Ribs and the Fish and Chips.
Burgers: Just across the street from Toomey’s. I really like the Patty melt here.
Pita Pit- Located in the Village, this place is a bit cheaper than the on-mountain food (around $8 for a pita) and perfect for a late lunch, especially if you are passing through the Village anyways to catch your bus. It’s connected by the Village Gondola to Canyon Lodge so makes it an accessible place, even if you’re planning to take a few more runs after.
Mammoth Rock Brasserie – If you can overlook the awkward entry, via a bowling alley, and you want to splurge a bit, this restaurant has pretty nice French food. I like the escargot and filet mingon
Yodler- I love the Huge Pretzel, The Beet and Goat cheese salad, The Yodler burger and The Chicken Snitzel sandwich
Bravo Burgers- This is actually located in Adelanto (right off the 395 When driving from OC/LA to Mammoth) I *HIGHLY* recommend the XXL Chocolate Milkshake (make sure you get an XXL one!)- It’s my favorite! I also like the carne asada quesadilla here, although it's almost more like a burrito it comes with a lot of stuff in it that's not normally in a quesadilla.
Thrift Shopping
I love the two thrift stores in town- they usually have decent ski gear and much more
The Cast Off- has irregular hours/days
Second Chance Thrift Shop
Summer:
Rainbow Falls- This is my favorite waterfall at Mammoth, it’s an easy/moderate hike (5 miles round-trip) to get here and you can get right up under it. The water is frigid snowmelt, but if it’s a hot day you’ll want to swim.
Lower Rainbow Falls- You can swim at Rainbow Falls, but it’s going to be somewhat crowded, and the rocks are mostly jagged. If you want to just lay down, soak in the sun, and have a more relaxed swimming experience, go to Lower Rainbow Falls instead. Here you will find that the rocks (especially at the top of the falls) are flat, comfortable, and very warm from taking in the sun, making for a perfect place to lie on to warm up after swimming. The waterfall isn’t as huge but it’s very nice and the fact that it’s much more comfortable to lay down here, makes it my favorite spot in the area to just stop and hangout for a while.
Devil’s Postpile- Columnar Jointing- If you find this natural phenomena interesting, check out my blog on Giants Causeway in Northern Ireland, and Garni Gorge in Armenia, which all share similar geological formation.
Earthquake Fault- You’ll only need a few minutes here, but it’s worth checking it out if you’re interested in plate tectonics.
Hot Springs by the airport- there are many different hot springs, one group being Whitmore tubs.
Here's some pics from the Devil's Postpile to Rainbow falls hike.
Mammoth Lakes Loop- What's the difference between all these lakes?
Twin Lakes- These are the only ones you can easily visit during winter. We’ve seen Coyotes walking out over the frozen lake. In the summer, it’s a great view of Twin Falls.
Twin Falls- You can view these waterfalls from the bottom or the top, some people climb down them from the top- It’s fun to hike down to a place in the middle and picnic there.
Lake Mary- This is the largest lake and my favorite area of it is the shallow area where there are stumps cut off and poking out of the water- especially interesting when the water level is very low.
Lake George- This is my personal favorite Lake, the cliffs behind it are amazing. You can walk around it and on the side opposite the parking lot, there are cliffs that you can jump into the lake from
Lake Mamie- You can overlook Twin Falls and peek over to Lake Mamie, sometimes there are some huge fish here!
Horseshoe Lake- Very nice to walk around, Just near it is a place where all the trees have died because of some gas emissions from the volcano, One year there was a large spiral made out of rocks. I don’t know if it’s still there.
Convict Lake- Ok, this isn't actually in the Mammoth Lakes Loop, but regardless, This lake has a nice path around it, which will take you over boardwalks where the river is flowing into the lake. I really like this walk.
While you’re in the area (Day Trips):
Mono Lake Tufa State Natural Reserve – This is the most dramatic scenery around the lakes edge, especially when the level of the lake is very low. It’s so much fun to wander around and definitely a photoshoot opportunity. This is the most accessible area, however there are other interesting parts all around the lake.
Bodie- This Historic Ghost town is very interesting to visit! From Mammoth, I would recommend visiting Mono Lake and then continuing onto Bodie all in the same day.
Bristlecone Pine Forest- These are BEAUTIFUL, ancient trees. There are two hiking loops to choose from and neither is that easy. I would only recommend coming here if you have a decent amount of time to spend. I did the shorter loop and felt like it was worth the drive up the mountain, however would have liked to do the longer loop if I had more time. I had to carry my dog the whole way- so be careful coming here if you think it’s going to be just a viewpoint- you’ll be walking up and down relatively steep hills.
Where to stay
Chateau Blanc #23 is an ideal home base for exploring all Mammoth has to offer. Ideally located on the Red Line at stop 6 (a free bus service that will take you directly to both the Village and Main Lodge) It is an older complex, so it's built with lots of space and opens up to really nice views of the mountains. This remodeled unit combines the best of both worlds- the outdoor space that the new complexes don't have, with modern amenities inside. There is a pool (heated in summer) and a jacuzzi (heated year round) from which you have lovely views of the Sherwin Mountains. The complex is very close to Von's and walking distance to the bowling alley and an array of restaurants.
Deliveries at Mammoth- Not recommended
Be aware that if you want to order something online and have it delivered to you in Mammoth, You need to address it to "General Delivery"at the post office, as USPS will only deliver it to the post office, and you'll have to pick it up from there. I would recommend calling USPS to make sure you've got your package addressed correctly before submitting your purchase order.
If you don't write "General Delivery" You'll be able to track your package all the way to Mammoth Lakes and then all the way back to it's origin. Your package will be loaded right back onto the truck and returned.
UPS will deliver to your doorstep however, Many companies will switch (such as from UPS to USPS) and this may cause your package to be returned to sender.
I don't recommend trying to have anything delivered (USPS or otherwise) to you at Mammoth unless absolutely necessary.
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