42 |
MARK TWAIN |
DISTANCE: 1.0 mile round-trip
HIKING TIME: 30 minutes
SEASON: year-round
DIFFICULTY: easy
Immense Mono Lake is three times as salty as the ocean and 80 times as alkaline. At about 700,000 years old, it is one of the oldest lakes in North America, and it’s set between the snow-capped Sierra to the west and desert plains to the east. Mark Twain visited in 1863 and was fascinated by the lake’s tufa formations, which are formed when calcium in underwater springs combines with the lake’s salty water. Tufas grow upright, swelling into shapes as much as 6 feet high, pushed up from the water. You’ll get to see and touch them on this hike.
The trail leads from the parking lot to the lakeshore, following a wooden boardwalk much of the way. There are no junctions to negotiate, but the strange appearance of the tufa towers will slow your progress. This trail is popular with birdwatchers; the lake’s resident brine shrimp feed gulls, loons, grebes, pintails, and many migratory birds.
The trail ends at the lake’s edge, but you can continue wandering along the shoreline. Photographers wait here at sunset to capture the perfect image. Retrace your steps when it’s time to go.
From Mammoth Lakes, drive 3.0 miles east on Hwy. 203 to U.S. 395. Take U.S. 395 north for 20 miles to the Mono Lake South Tufa/Hwy. 120 east exit. (From U.S. 395 south, the Mono Lake South Tufa exit is 5.0 miles south of Lee Vining.) Turn east and drive 4.6 miles and turn left onto the dirt road signed for South Tufa Area parking. Drive 1.0 mile to the parking area and trailhead.
