Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Around Mammoth Lakes
Reds Meadow
One of the beautiful and varied landscapes near Mammoth is the Reds Meadow Valley, west
eye-popping views (best at sunset) of the Ritter Range, the serrated Minarets and the remote
reaches of Yosemite National Park.
The road to Reds Meadow is only accessible from about June until September, weather
permitting. To minimize impact when it's open, the road is closed to private vehicles bey-
ond Minaret Vista unless you are camping, have lodge reservations or are disabled, in which
case you must pay a $10 per car fee. Otherwise you must use a mandatory
shuttle bus
(per
adult/child $7/4). It leaves from a lot in front of the Adventure Center (next to the mam-
moth statue) approximately every 30 minutes between 7:15am and 7pm (last bus out leaves
Reds Meadow at 7:45pm), and you must buy tickets inside before joining the queue. There
are also three direct departures from the Village (on Canyon Blvd, under the gondola) be-
fore 9am, plus the option of using the free mountain-bike shuttle between the Village and
the Adventure Center. The bus stops at trailheads, viewpoints and campgrounds before
completing the one-way trip to Reds Meadow (45 minutes to an hour).
The valley road provides access to six campgrounds along the San Joaquin River. Tran-
where the best riverside sites have views of its namesake cascade.
Hot Creek Geological Site
For a graphic view of the area's geothermal power, journey a few miles south of Mammoth
to where chilly Mammoth Creek blends with hot springs and continues its journey as Hot
Creek. It eventually enters a small gorge and forms a series of steaming, bubbling
cauldrons, with water shimmering in shades of blue and green reminiscent of the tropics.
Until recently, soakers reveled in the blissful but somewhat scary temperate zones where the
hot springs mixed with frigid creek water. But in 2006 a significant increase in geothermal
activity began sending violent geysers of boiling water into the air, and the site is off-limits
for swimming until the danger has subsided.
