Featured Article
Brought to you by Mammoth Lakes Tourism
Many skiers have heard of the Mammoth Mountain Ski Area, but even as we head to the Mammoth Lakes area for skiing, there are plenty of other activities to keep in mind – in the winter or the summer.
Mammoth Mountain Ski Area boasts 25 chairlifts and two gondolas that access nearly 3,500-acres of skiable terrain. Over 150 runs offer something for everyone with beginner terrain, wide-open bowls, and expert chutes. Mammoth averages 300 days a year of sunshine, making it the perfect place for eight snowparks, three halfpipes, over 100 jibs, and up to fifty jumps. No wonder Mammoth’s parks have led the industry in innovation, quality, and design for more than two decades.
This season, Mammoth Mountain has invested $1-million in COVID-19 related resort enhancements to minimize contact points. Unless you are an Ikon Pass holder, you will need to make a reservation, and walk-up sales of lift tickets will no longer be available. Limiting the number of people on the mountain will maximize physical distancing. Masks are required indoors, in lift lines or on lifts, or anywhere social distancing is not possible.
If you are looking for a quieter, family feel, try out nearby June Mountain. Kids twelve and under ski free (blackout periods apply during holidays). It may be more subdued, but there is no small adventure in the Mammoth Lakes area. June Mountain has 2590-feet (789m) of vertical, 41 trails, and over 1500-skiable-acres, all accessible by seven lifts.
Another great way to play in the snow is to enjoy sledding at Woolly’s Tube Park and Snow Play. Mammoth Mountain receives an average of 400-inches (1,016 cm) annual snowfall. There’s nothing better than having a rope tow to pull you to the top of the hill and nearby cafés for an après hot drink to warm you up.
Mammoth Lakes offers free public transit, community parks, and the Mammoth Lakes Trail System consists of over 300-miles of trails (including an all-weather running track). The Tamarack Cross Country Ski Center offers up 19-miles of groomed trails and thousands of acres of expansive, open terrain that you can use for cross country skiing or snowshoeing.
No matter the adventure you find in the Mammoth Lakes area, access the endless playground by hiring a local guide or expand your limits by taking a ski or snowboard lesson. After a day of outdoor adventure, relax and unwind with a massage at a local spa, or stretch your legs in a yoga class. Mammoth Lakes is a great place to exercise your body, but it’s also a wonderful place to clear your mind and nurture your soul.
As we are social distancing and expanding our footprint into the mountains, remember to learn about the local culture and environments you are entering. You can head up Mammoth Mountain’s summit gondola to the Eleven53 Interpretive Center, where you’ll learn about the area’s geology, wildlife, climate, and natural history through exhibits and learning stations. You can also pledge to support a sustainable approach to moving through the mountains by signing the Mammoth Lakes Promise.
If you are lucky enough to find yourself in the Mammoth Lakes region in the springtime, there is no limit to the number of activities you can pursue – Ski during the day and enjoy a bike ride or fishing in the early evening. Heading up the gondola will only entice you to come back in summer. Views of the Eastern Sierra Nevada Range will inspire you to hike, backpack and camp amongst the forests during the summer months.
Summer is the time to truly discover the wonders of the natural world that surrounds Mammoth Lakes. Spectacular world-class geological features: granite domes, craters, fissures, lava tubes, symmetrical columns of basalt, saline lakes, outcroppings of white quartz and pure black obsidian, warm creeks, and natural hot springs pools fill the surrounding landscape. Day trips from town will gain you access to Yosemite National Park, Devils Postpile and Rainbow Falls National Monument, Mono Lake, Bodie State Historic Park, Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest, and the Mammoth Lakes Basin.
Just as the name states, Mammoth Lakes is majestic in scale and remarkable in its natural beauty. The year-round adventureland of Mammoth Lakes is one of those rare places that you have to see to still not fully believe and where “no way” is never far away. Come for the winter, but also, be sure to come back to stay for the summer.
