Almost all year in Southern California, it averages 73 degrees with sunny skies. Originally from MI/NY, Steve and I are accustomed to different seasons and were ready for a change. The fall season is a beautiful time to spend in nature as the leaves change colors and temperature becomes more crisp. We knew that by seeking out fall, we would have to leave LA proper and found that a short 5 hour drive away, Mammoth was changing colors.
Mammoth has been on our list of places to visit and never thought to visit before the snow season opened up. While it’s on our list to go back and visit Mammoth Mountain when it opens for the winter season, I had seen and read articles about visiting Mammoth in the fall as there are less crowds and the colors change. It didn’t take much more convincing for us to book a room at The Village Lodge with just one week in advance for the weekend.
The Drive – Saturday
We started our drive on Saturday morning at 5:40am with our car packed with food and various warm jackets. Embarking on road trips that start too early in the morning will mean that we would most likely have to make a stop for breakfast since we are not used to eating before 6am and just wouldn’t be able to. We made one stop in the city of Mojave for breakfast and was still able to make it to our first stop – Convict Lake, just before 11:00am.
The drive from LA to Mammoth was a breeze as there was essentially no traffic with just 3 different freeways to take. From the 405N, you will cut over to the 14N, landing on the 395N which will take you all the way up to the lakes. The whole drive up will be scenic as you come across various small towns, rock formations and lakes. As you get closer to any lakes you’re looking to visit in Mammoth, there will be plenty of road signs to direct you. There will be a few signs for other lakes before you get to Convict Lake but once you turn left and drive into the mountain, it won’t take long for the view to stun you.
Convict Lake
At Convict Lake, the first stop you’ll see on the right is the Convict Lake Resort and the restaurant they have there on site. There’s also parking for the trail head of Convict Lake if you intend on hiking on their trail. We walked to walk around but wasn’t necessarily planning on a full hike so we continued down the road towards the lake. Once you reach the lake, turning right will only be for those with boat slips or perhaps even looking to rent a boat. Otherwise you’ll turn left and notice a small parking lot with cars parked on the side. If all of those spots are taken, no worries because just a little further is a day use parking lot with plenty of spots and space between cars. This day use parking lot also connects to the campground.
From the parking lot, you are able to just walk down the lake. The walk around the lake is paved and short so it’s great for those looking to get a scenic view on your walk. You’ll notice many people fishing down by the water and a few boats out in the lake. The blue water is calm and will contrast the white mountain year round, however the yellow leaves on the trees add a hint of fall that is sure to wow.
Twin Lakes
Since we had driven all morning, we didn’t want to venture too far from The Village Lodge so we could be close for check in time. While there are many lakes in the area, Twin Lakes was the next closest as we headed north. As you head back towards the 395, make a left to continue north for about 4 miles. From there, the 203W will lead you into the downtown Mammoth Lakes area where the small town is full of restaurants, shops and beautiful views.
The 203 turns into Main St. and as you past the shops and Mammoth Brewery, the road will turn into Lake Mary Rd. The entrance to Twin Lakes will on your right and there will be parking at the bottom near the resort. From here, you will see the first bridge that you can walk across that will give you the snow dusted mountain view. Continuing thru the bridge will be a trail that takes you around the lakes and you’ll discover a small forest chapel in the woods that can be used for wedding ceremonies.
Steve had found a small trail that took us up the mountain and we were completely winded after just a few steps up that steep hill. We are fairly active so we couldn’t figure out why we felt that way at first. We realized that we have been living at sea level here in LA and Twin Lakes is at the elevation of 8,563′. Elevation sickness can happen around 8,000′ or higher so it’s a good thing to keep in mind as you walk around Mammoth.
We headed back towards the bridge after our walk up the mountain and noticed there was another bridge across the lake. You’ll find it by walking by into the parking lot and into the trail that goes around the camping site. Even tho we weren’t that much further than the first bridge, the views were completely different. We heard some waterfalls and set off to get closer. The walk towards the falls will take you deeper into the camp sites where it can be reserved or first come first serve. Since it had snowed the day before, it was helpful to have on boots that are waterproof and easy to walk in.
Horseshoe Lake
We had a couple more hours before check in time at the lodge so we headed back towards Lake Mary Rd to check some more lake basins. Horseshoe Lake was at the end so we figured we could start there and make our way back up. Like all the other other lakes, Horseshoe Lake was incredible. There was a slight beach there and it was fascination to see how the CO2 affected the trees in the area. The visual of crisp lake next to an area of white trees that were once alive is a site to be seen.
There was plenty of parking here and we couldn’t help but notice how many more dogs were at this lake compared to the others. One of the locals we had talked to mentioned the tree stumps (pictured here of us sitting on one), was actually covered in water last week and that the water has just started to recede.
Mamee Lake
Heading back up towards Lake Mary Rd., Lake Mamee will be on your right. We were a bit tired from getting up early and walking around the lakes in high elevation so we didn’t actually stop to take photos at this lake. Parking wasn’t as convient and the lake seemed smaller so we admired the view from the car as we drove by. There is a small parking lot the right or you can pull over to the side of the road for the views.
Lake Mary
Lake Mary is one of the larger lakes and we pulled over on the side of the road for some quick photos. The snow from the day before was actually still lingering on the side of the road as we pulled over. We didn’t notice any parking lots but since we were just stopping and going, we pulled over next to a few other trucks which must have belonged to a few people fishing at the bottom of the lake.
The Village and the Lodge
Staying local and somewhere convenient is usually important to Steve and I. During the wintertime, many people chose to stay in The Village as it’s close to the mountains and just steps away from restaurants, loding and entertainment. Even tho the mountain isn’t open yet, The Village is still a quaint and cozy area to be in.
Check in time for the lodge is 4pm so we stopped by a coffee shop on Main St. and went to Vons since we had about 1 hr before check in to refuel and grab some groceries. We headed back to The Village Lodge and the check in process was simple – we parked in the front of the main building and moved it as soon as they gave us our information. The underground parking garage is well organized by the building you’re staying in and is very safe and will be great during the winter time.
The resort does offer studios, 1 bedroom, 2 bedrooms and more. We found a decent price on the 1 bedroom from their actual website and booked directly. We do typically book most of our hotels on Expedia but for this trip, it was easier to book directly on the website. The 1 bedroom had a full kitchen, separate bedroom, balcony, fireplace and a large bathroom. Knowing there was going to be a full kitchen, we bought groceries to cook our own dinner for the evening and prompted to sit by the fireplace for the rest of the night.
Before we started cooking and stayed in for the night, we did walk around The Village which was decorated with lights and plenty of ski shops and restaurants to choose from. There is an outdoor fireplace right next to the scenic gondola which we did see a few families sitting at. Mammoth Brewery was also just a couple minute walk down the street so we headed over to check it out. Steve grabbed a drink from the first floor and we sat on the 2nd floor admiring the mountains from the picture windows. Since it is still off season, the brewery wasn’t extremely packed and it really allowed us to admire the venue.
It was a high of 55 degrees F throughout the day and by the evening, it was closer to 40 degrees F. We were excited to be walking around in some of the warmer jackets and gear we haven’t worn since moving to LA. We were also most excited about the fireplace in our room since there is no reason to sit by a fireplace in the warm LA weather. The fireplace wasn’t lighting when we first arrived and the front place said they would send someone right over. They weren’t joking about sending someone truly right over as within minutes, a maintenance worker was at our door to fix the fireplace.
We only planned to stay one night since it was a short weekend roadtrip but the convience, customer service and beautiful room makes us really excited to plan a trip back to stay here after opening day. If you’re looking for a place to stay in Mammoth, I don’t think I could recommend this place enough!
Breakfast and Coffee – Sunday
Check out was at 11am so we slept in, packed our things and checked out around 10:45am. We wanted to find a local breakfast/lunch spot and Steve had found Base Camp Cafe which was off Main St in a plaza. The food tasted very homemade which is something I really enjoy in a good breakfast spot and the interior decor was very woodsy and decorated with snow brands on the ceiling.
We had gone to Black Velvet Coffee the day before and gotten their coffee so we had to stop again on our last day. It’s a local coffee/wine spot that has a very open and bright floor plan with good music. The barista seemed to know most of the visitors coming in and the crowd was a mixture of visitors to the city and some working on their laptops. We grabbed a latte the first day and it was a good latte so it only made sense that we grabbed another latte before we ventured out to June Lake.
June Lake
From the coffee shop, we headed back to the 395 towards Lee Vining. It’s another scenic route as you head into the June Lake area which is about 20 miles north of The Village. June Lake will on your left as you go down 158. After the small shops, you’ll come across a sign with a camera on it. If you choose to go right, you’ll end up driving thru a scenic route or heading down towards the beach area. If you go straight, you can pull over to the side of the road to capture photos of the lake.
Silver Lake
Driving down the road during the fall, the leaves are changing and if you want to take photos, there are plenty of places to pull over and do it. Do take note that there are a few signs stating you can’t stop due to private property. Silver Lake was the busiest we had come across with families and photographers and there is a campground at Silver Lake that you’ll see as you get closer to the water.
Grant Lake
The drive between Silver Lake and Grant Lake were equally as beautiful with the leaves. We stopped to take photos and couldn’t help but notice how peaceful the whole loop was without many tourists. Grant Lake was very interesting. It was large and stuck out amongst the vast mountain range. It almost seemed at parts that it was drying out but with it being one of the largest lakes on the loop, we did spot a few cars unloading kayaks and a few cars closer to the water hanging out.
Back to LA
We finished breakfast/lunch around noon and started to head over to June Lake Loop at that time. With our constant stops to take photos and linger, we still finished the loop around 1:40pm. We did not go hiking or climbing as this was more for us to stop and see the fall leaves and water. We wanted to get back to LA before it got too late and knew it was going to be about a 5 hour drive. Sure enough, it took us 5 hours and we only hit traffic once we got to the Sherman Oaks area allowing us to get home by 7.
Overall, a Saturday/Sunday trip to Mammoth is very do able and planning ahead will allow you to see and do what you’re looking for. Our intent for this trip was get a glimpse of fall temperature and scenery so our itinerary was packed more for viewing than hiking.
Mammoth Mountain has one of the longest ski seasons starting in November and typically ending in June. During this vast period, Steve and I intend on making our way back to snowboard and can’t wait. This area was beautiful as we caught fall right past peak and know that it’ll just as beautiful during the winter and summer. Many roads close depending on winter condition so be sure to check road closures before you head out to these lakes!
Note – we visited the weekend of 10/21. The reports of fall for the weekend of 10/28 show it’s past peak and the chance of seeing the fall colors this time may not be as likely. The Mono County website is a great resource as is the Visit Mammoth website to check current conditions before you go.