Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Sights & Activities
South Tufa
NATURE RESERVE
Tufa spires ring the lake, but the biggest grove is on the south rim with a mile-long inter-
pretive trail. Ask about ranger-led tours at the Mono Basin Scenic Area Visitor Center. To
get to the reserve, head south from Lee Vining on Hwy 395 for 6 miles, then east on Hwy
120 for 5 miles to the dirt road leading to a parking lot.
Navy Beach
BEACH
The best place for swimming is at Navy Beach, just east of the South Tufa reserve. It's
also the best place to put in canoes or kayaks. From late June to early September, the
Mono Lake Committee
( 760-647-6595;
www.monolake.org/visit/canoe
;
tours $25; 8am,
9:30am & 11am Sat & Sun)
operates one-hour canoe tours around the tufas. Half-day kayak
tours along the shore or out to Paoha Island are also offered by
Caldera Kayaks
(
760-934-1691;
www.calderakayak.com
; tours $75;
mid-May-mid-Oct)
. Both require reserva-
tions.
Panum Crater
NATURAL FEATURE
Rising above the south shore, Panum Crater is the youngest (about 640 years old), smallest
and most accessible of the craters that string south toward Mammoth Mountain. A panor-
amic trail circles the crater rim (about 30 to 45 minutes), and a short but steep 'plug trail'
puts you at the crater's core. A dirt road leads to the trailhead from Hwy 120, about 3
miles east of the junction with Hwy 395.
Black Point Fissures
NATURAL FEATURE
On the north shore of Mono Lake are the Black Point Fissures, narrow crags that opened
when lava mass cooled and contracted about 13,000 years ago. Access is from three
