Lee Vining Things to Do

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A nice little stop just outside Lee Vining. Has a boarded walkway to the lake but there are other trails that have access to more of the Tufa. Basically these are limestone outcroppings in the lake that form from the natural spring water and lake water.

The visitor center is a must. The park ranger staff are very knowledgeable about the area and very helpful about locations of many of the track campsites.

Thereis a $3 fee to park at the trailhead.

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This lovely park has a wonderful play ground, especially if you have kids it offers a wonderful relief for them to get out of the car to stretch and burn off any excess energy. My big kid had a good time spending some time on the playground equipment too! Plus there are restrooms!

Lee Vining Chamber of Commerce
PO Box 130
Lee Vining, CA 93541

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Located in the Mono County Park.

The plaque reads: In the summer of 1863, member of a field party working on Josiah Whitney Geological Survey California camped on the shore on Mono Lake a short distance from this location.

William H. Brewer, field party member and later professor of
agriculture at the Sheffield Scientific School, described the tufa's
formations on the lake shore in his journal entry of July 11 1863:

Along this shore many curious rocks stand up from
the water, of lime tufa, made by springs in former
times. They are fantastic shapes, often worn by
the water into the form of huge mushrooms, ten to
twenty feet high.

This property was purchased by the City of Los Angels
in 1944, and in 1979 was lease to the
County of Mono, whose Department of Parks
and Recreation maintains the park facility.

This land is provided for your enjoyment by the
Los Angeles Department of Water and Power.

Lee Vining Chamber of Commerce
PO Box 130
Lee Vining, CA 93541

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The most accessible is Panum Crater which is 500 years old, and consist of rhyolitic and lava dome. You can hike it using the Rim Trail. There is also a shorter trail that climbs to the top of the plug dome which offers beautiful views of the Sierra Nevada and the Mono Basin. There is no shade, so bring lots water and sunscreen. Dress accordingly during Winter too. .

The other Mono Craters are a 17-km-long chain of rhyolite domes that are estimate 600 to 40,000 years old. The most recent eruptive episode occurred between A.D. 1325 and 1365, during which time there were several explosive eruptions and five separate lava flows that oozed onto the surface, including Panum Dome and North Coulee flow.

Mono Lake Tufa State Natural Reserve
1 Visitor Center Drive
Lee Vining, CA 93541

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Now do not be alarmed if your not an insect person. They are thick during summer, but only hover towards the ground looking for food near the shore in pools. So watch your toes!...LOL..just kidding!

Here is some good information I jotted down from a brochure: Mono Lake has been called a dead sea, but it actually abounds with life. Few animals can tolerate Mono’s salty, alkaline water, but these few species thrive in astronomical numbers. The food chain begins with green algae, a microscopic one-celled plant. Algae uses decayed organic matter and sunlight to grow. In the winter, when the algae blooms, the lake may become pea soup green.

Two animals feast on the algae—the brine shrimp and the alkali fly. Alkali fly females can actually walk into the lake in an air bubble and lay their eggs on pieces of rock or tufa. An egg becomes a larva and then a pupa before the adult fly finally emerges. The pupa stage of the alkali fly was collected by the local Kuzedika Paiute Indians and used as a food source and trade item. The half-inch long brine shrimp can be seen in Mono Lake from April through October.

At the height of the summer season, an estimated four trillion shrimp swim in Mono’s waters. As winter approaches the adult brine shrimp begin to die off, but not before they lay eggs that will overwinter in the lake-bottom mud. The eggs hatch out as the lake water warms in the spring. Mono’s shrimp (Artemia monica) are thought to be a unique species that has adapted to Mono’s special conditions. Mono’s shrimp and flies provide a plentiful food supply for more than eighty species of migratory birds that visit the lake each spring and summer. Particularly notable bird species include three migrants: Wilson’s and red-necked phalaropes and eared grebes, and two nesting species: California gulls and Snowy plovers.

The small, graceful phalaropes are delightful to watch as they pick alkali flies off the surface of the lake or snatch them from the air. From 80,000 to 100,000 phalaropes visit Mono Lake in July and August. They winter in warmer South American climates. Eared grebes visit Mono Lake in astonishing numbers. An estimated 1.5 million of them make a spectacular sight during the fall migration from August through October. Grebes can be seen diving for food in the lake, but are never seen on land as their legs are designed for swimming rather than walking.

About 50,000 adult California gulls fly to Mono Lake from the coast each spring to nest, where food and island California Gull, Alkali Fly, Brine Shrimp, Algae Detritus (decayed organic matter) nesting sites are plentiful. Approximately 90% of the California population of this species are born at Mono Lake. Endangered snowy plovers nest along the windswept alkali flats of Mono Lake’s eastern shore. Approximately 100 Snowy plovers nest along the windswept alkali flats of Mono Lake’s eastern shore.

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When we were there we saw a couple out Kayaking and it was a most lovely day for it too. From the park site: All types of boating are permitted on Mono Lake, although access is restricted to all islands between April 1 and August 1 each year to protect the nesting gulls. It is advisable to stay near shore while boating, and to be alert for sudden high winds. We recommend launching canoes and kayaks at Navy Beach, on the south shore, where a parking lot is close to the water. For those with boats too large to carry, an unimproved launch ramp is available near Lee Vining Creek.

Stop by the Scenic Area Visitor Center (Mono Lake Tufa State Natural Reserve) for directions.

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You might notice this when your traveling North on Hwy 395 or if your going to the South Tufa area, you cannot miss or hopefully you don't. It sits off the road safely at least.

Grave of the Unkow Prospector:
On this site is the grave of the unkown prospector a reminder of the great sacrifice made by our ancestors, when they explored and settled the western frontier. And especially to the memory of each and all of the pioneers of Mono County whose resting place is unkown only to God May They Rest In Peace.

Dedicated Sept. 13, 2003.

Lee Vining Chamber of Commerce
PO Box 130
Lee Vining, CA 93541

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The plaque reads: During the Cold War, Mono County was home to one of many remote facilities used by the US Military to test new weapons and weapons systems. A "secret military installation" operated by the US Navy was located along the south shoreline of Mono Lake. During the 1950's and 1960's several branches of the US Armed Forces utilized this test facility to conduct various research. Numerous top-secret exercises were actually performed here during what was called "seismic testing." However with the expansion of other nearby bases, growing public safety and environmental concerns, this facility soon outgrew its usefulness. In May 1962 all operations ceased and soon thereafter the facility was abandoned. Although many scientists, technicians, soldiers and sailors worked at this installation for many years, all that remains today of their activities are a few remnants and the name "Navy Beach."

This monument and plaque dedicated as a California sesquicentennial event on September 11, 1999. By Bodie Chapter E Clampus Vitus and US Forest Service Mono Lake R.D.