Mammoth Lakes and Devils Postpile

Before we left, I solicited ideas of things to see on Highway 395 through California and received lots of good tips.    One surprise was Mammoth Lakes and the Devils Postpile area.   When we arrived at the Visitor Center by Mono Lake we picked up a Visitor Guide to the area.    The tufa hike at Mono Lake and the June Lake Scenic Loop stops were all successes so we decided to stay another day and check out the sights in the Guide around Mammoth.     The drive to Mammoth mountain is pretty pine forest with mountain views.   The town of Mammoth Lake and the nearby Mammoth Mountain resort are all very 'chic'.   They reminded me of Whistler and it was fun to see.    Our first real stop was the Minarets overlook.    Expansive views with a short trail to different perspectives.

Next stop, Devils Postpile National Monument.   The drive from the Minaret Overlook was one narrow, twisty, steep, scary road.   Fortunately, the one lane stretch had pull outs and we didn't meet any big vehicles.   But it was worth it.   The hike to the monument was through pines and aspens that glowed yellow with the sun and 'quaked' when the wind blew.   The monument was fascinating but not as awe inspiring as the Devils Tower.   Down the trail is Rainbow Falls which still had lots of water in it even though it has been very dry here for months.    We even saw the rainbow and captured some of its color in pictures.

From there, we drove to the Mammoth Lakes recreation area which would be a great place to return in the summer and camp.    There are tons of small lakes, short and long hikes, and miles of paved bike/walk trails.    Along with some fantastic views of the mountains.