Three Days in Mammoth Lakes in July

In my 30+ years of living in California, I had never once visited Mammoth. Boy was that a mistake! At an elevation of 7,880 feet, Mammoth Lakes offers a diversity of activities to fill your day. Filled with hiking, swimming, kayaking, paddle boarding, and more, three days in Mammoth Lakes makes for a fantastic getaway. Although Mammoth’s peak season is during the wintertime, I felt there were a ton of activities during the summertime and it made it an affordable destination! Mammoth makes for a great addition to any California Road Trip. 

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. I may earn a commission at no cost to you!

History of Mammoth

The area of Mammoth sits in Mono County, California, named after the people who originally settled the area thousands of years ago, the Mono people. However, in 1877 four prospectors came to the area in search of gold and set up a mining camp. After about ten year, the camp shut down and many people left the area. Later, the town of Mammoth was officially established in the early 1900s. Throughout the years, it has officially grown into the ski area it is known for today.  

Best Time to Visit Mammoth

The best time to visit Mammoth depends on what types of activities you want to do. Although Mammoth is a winter resort town, that does not mean you cannot have a great time in Mammoth during the summertime. If you prefer to ski and snowboard, I recommend visiting during the wintertime. Summertime offers great weather for hiking, hot springs, and chilling by the lake. Really, there is no bad time to spend three days in Mammoth. We opted to visit Mammoth in July and it was the perfect escape from the heat.

How to Get To Mammoth

Mammoth lies about 5 hours from both San Francisco and Los Angeles, which makes it the perfect place for a long weekend. To get to Mammoth, the closest major airports are San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Sacramento. Although Mammoth contains one small airport, the Mammoth Yosemite Airport, there are not many flights available. This airport offers daily flights to and from Los Angeles and seasonal flights from Denver and San Francisco. If coming from one of the major airports, you will need a rental car to get around. 

From Los Angeles, get on the 101 North to the 170 North, to the 5 North. Once there, take the 14 North to the 396 North to the 203 west. 

From San Francisco, take the 101 south to the 80 east to the 580 east. After that, take the 205 east to the 5 north to the 120 east. Finally, take the 108 east to the 395 south to the 203 west. Note that this route goes through some windy mountain roads, so allow for extra time and make sure you are not driving a huge vehicle. 

Where to Stay in Mammoth

TripAdvisor is a great place to start your hotel search. Search for the best Mammoth hotels here!

Mammoth offers a wide range of places to stay. We opted to stay at the Juniper Springs Resort. It was a Priceline Express Deal, so I got a great price of $125/night! The Juniper Springs Resort had a ski lift right by it, which would be convenient during the winter season and contained a full kitchen. This helped save some money as we were able to cook some of our meals!

There are many other lodges and resorts scattered around town. If you prefer a hotel, options include the Westin and a Best Western. Have a larger group? Check out Airbnb for some other housing options! New to Airbnb? Sign up here to get $55 off your first stay. 

What to See During Three Days in Mammoth

Day 1

Crystal Lake Hike

Cost: Free

Moderate Hike

Distance: 3.1 mile 

Start off day one of three days in Mammoth with a stunning hike to Crystal Lake. Although it is a bit of a hike to get to Crystal Lake, the gorgeous blue water is a fabulous reward for the hike. To get to the Crystal Lake Trailhead, head to the parking lot by Lake George and the Lake George Campground. Get there early for the best parking as the lot is small and it fills up quickly. From there, several signs point the way to the Crystal Lakes Trail. Be prepared for a bit of a hike uphill with many switchbacks. 

Eventually, you will get to a fork in the road. To head to Crystal Lake, choose the left fork. If you want a bit of a longer trail, you can hike out to Mammoth Crest first. However, if you want an amazing view of the six lakes in the area, opt to hike 0.6-miles up the Mammoth Crest trail. It is well worth the extra hike!

Once you get to Crystal Lake, you can opt to hike around the lake or sit and chill. Make sure to bring a swimsuit if you want to swim. The water might be chill but will feel refreshing after a hot hike! Spend however long you want at Crystal Lake before taking the same trail back down. 

Teacher Tip: Bring plenty of water and snacks with you on the hike. Remember you are at a higher elevation, so take your time!

Lunch

Unless you want to drive back into town, there are not a ton of food places in this area. Therefore, pack a sandwich or some other food for lunch. 

Kayak on Lake Mary

Cost: $28 and up

Hours: Last return 6:30pm

This afternoon, rent a kayak, paddleboard, or boat and hang out on Lake Mary. Lake Mary is located right next to the Crystal Lake trailhead. There are two options for renting a watercraft: The Pokonobe Marina or the Lake Mary Marina. We opted to rent a double kayak from the Pokonobe Marina because the price was a bit cheaper. I recommend starting with an hour long rental because Lake Mary is not that large. An hour was the perfect amount of time to spend kayaking around the lake. 

Grab Dinner at Thai’d Up

Cost: $$

Hours: Sun: 5pm-10pm, Mon-Sat: 11am-10pm *Closed 3pm-5pm

Tonight, grab dinner at Thai’d Up. This awesome Thai place serves authentic Thai cuisine. This place is especially great if you have a large group because many of the choices are served family style. We tried the curry and the sweet and sour chicken. Both tasted great! 

Day 2

Devils Postpile National Monument

Cost: $10/car day pass (Free with NP Pass)

Easy to Moderate Hike

Hours: 24 hours, everyday

Today, head to Devils Postpile National Monument. Located about 40 minutes away from Mammoth, this area makes for a fantastic day to spend the day. During the summer months, there is a shuttle that runs from Mammoth to Devils Postpile. It costs $8/person but helps beat the crowds. In 1911, Devils Postpile became a National Monument. The highlight of the park is the rock formation of basalt. This formation dates back to 100,000 years ago and was formed by lava flow. From the parking lot, this is a 0.8-mile round trip hike to see the formation. You can also opt to climb the trail to the top of it. 

The other popular stop in Devils Postpile is the 2.5-mile hike to Rainbow Falls. This 101-foot waterfall is named after the rainbow that sometimes appears in the waterfall. From there, you can also hike another mile to lower falls. Other hiking options include visiting Reds Meadow or Minaret Falls. 

Lunch

Opt to pack a lunch or grab lunch in the Mammoth Village. At the Village at Mammoth, there are 15 different places to eat and many shops to wander around in. 

Mammoth Gondolas

Cost: $27

Hours: 9am-5pm

After spending the morning in Devils Postpile National Monument, head over to the Mammoth Village and ride a gondola to the top of Mammoth Mountain. Not only is the gondola ride itself a fun experience, but you will also get some amazing views of the area. If you buy your ticket online 7 or more days ahead of time, you can save 20% on your ticket. 

Once at the top of Mammoth Mountain, visitors can visit the interactive center, grab some snacks at the cafe, learn about the history of Mammoth, and hike around the area. For the adventurers, you can opt to take the gondola to the top and then hike back down. 

Earthquake Fault

Cost: Free

Hours: 24 hours

The earthquake fault area shows a giant crack in the earth not actually created by an earthquake. This fissure opened up around 600 years ago during a time of volcanic activity that caused steam to blast through the earth and create this crack. Some areas are up to 60 feet deep and 10 feet wide. A short trail wraps around the fault so you can view it from different angles. It will take you around 15 minutes to walk around the entire thing and take pictures. The area also contains bathrooms and picnic tables. 

Grab Dinner at Nik-N-Willie’s Pizza & Subs

Tonight, grab some delicious pizza from Nik-N-Willie’s Pizza & Subs. They have some unique pizzas as well as all the classic choices. The Makin’ Bacon was pretty good! After getting some pizza (or opt to take it with you to eat there), head to the Mammoth Brewing Company for an after-dinner brew. They have tons of different styles of beers.

Day 3

June Lake

Cost: Free 

Hours: 24 hours

Grab some breakfast this morning at SHEA Schat’s Bakery. They have a TON of delicious pastries and baked goods. They also squeeze the orange juice fresh every day. During the summertime, they also make fresh brewed iced tea. Schat’s also offers a wide variety of coffee beverages. Their peanut brittle is some of the best peanut brittle I have ever had! 

Mammoth has tons of lakes in the area to hang out at, hike, or play in the water. Today, opt to spend the day relaxing at June Lake. June Lake has a nice beach to relax on. At the beach, you can swim, boogie board, or opt to rent water devices such as kayaks and paddleboards. There is a ton of space, so make sure to bring an easy up and comfy lounge chairs to relax for the day. 

Later in the afternoon, opt to take the 17-Mile Scenic Loop around June Lake. This takes you past several gorgeous lakes and offers some pretty views of the area. It will take about 20 minutes to drive around the lakes and it offers some awesome views. 

Tonight, grab some dinner in town. Then hit up Shelter Distilling for some unique cocktails. They also have food if you would prefer to eat there. I enjoyed the gin flight from here and I liked that they have a couple of unique liquors such as a coffee liquor as well. 

More Than Three Days in Mammoth?

There are so many things to do in Mammoth, you could easily fill up a week’s worth of activities. If you have more than three days in Mammoth, make sure to check out these other fun things to do. 

Visit Yosemite National Park

Yosemite National Park lies about 45 minutes away from Mammoth. Thus, if you want to add on a few days to visit Yosemite, it is a super convenient location to stay. It is also much cheaper than staying within Yosemite. If you prefer to be a little bit closer to Yosemite, opt to move to the Pines Resort at Bass Lake. 

Mammoth has a public transit bus that runs to Yosemite. This bus is a bit pricey ($52 round trip) but is a good option if you do not have a car. This price also includes the entrance fee to Yosemite. The ride takes about 2 hours and shuttles come about every hour or so. It is much easier to drive in, but an option if you really want to see Yosemite without driving.  

Hot Springs

Mammoth contains a TON of hot springs scattered around the area. You may need to do some research to find the best ones or the least crowded ones, but it makes for a fantastic evening of chilling under the stars. Most of them are natural and free, you just need to know where to look. Buckeye Hot Springs, Travertine Hot Springs, and Wild Willy’s Hot Springs are some of the most popular options. Get there early to claim your spot!

Other Hiking Trails

Besides the ones mentioned above, Mammoth has endless hiking trails. Another popular option is the Twin Lakes trail. This trail connects with Mammoth Mountain and is a 5.7-mile out-and-back trail. It may be strenuous, but it offers rewarding views along the way. Duck Lake, Minaret Lake, and Convict Lake also offer pretty spectacular views along the trail. 

No matter what adventures you choose in Mammoth, there are a ton of fun things to do! Spending three days in Mammoth makes for the perfect mountain getaway and an eventful weekend.

Share this lesson!