As lawmakers in the House and Senate work toward reopening the federal government, the shutdown remains in place, affecting large amounts of land in our area. The following update is compiled by the nonprofit Mono Lake Committee and represents the best current information we can obtain.
Mono Lake Tufa State Natural Reserve: This is a good time to remember the importance of our State Park at Mono Lake which is open and active. Two major lake sites (Old Marina and the north shore County Park boardwalk) are state park run, open, and are welcoming visitors every day. Ranger Marquart is on duty.
Scenic Area Visitor Center: Closed. No wood permits or
wilderness permits are available.
Mono Lake Committee Information Center & Bookstore: Your friendly non-profit facility in Lee Vining is OPEN daily 9:00am to 5:00pm every day to help visitors, show the Mono Lake Story film, and much more.
Bodie State Historic Park: Bodie is a California State Park and is open. Daily hours are 9:00am to 5:00pm.
South Tufa: The South Tufa area at Mono Lake is operated by the US Forest Service. There is a small sign posted stating “This recreation site closed.” It also says “no fees are due.” Visitor use appears to be unaffected. Bathrooms are open but not being cleaned or stocked.
Fall colors: Fall colors are at their peak in local aspen groves. Almost all sites are accessible despite the shutdown.
Dispersed recreation: As best we can determine, general Inyo National Forest and Bureau of Land Management lands in the Mono Basin remain open to self-guided hiking and exploration. This is different from the policy in Yosemite. Remember to leave no trace if you are using public lands.
Camping: All US Forest Service campgrounds are closed, including those operated by concessionaires. The Mono Lake Committee is directing Mono Basin visitors to local private campgrounds or the Lundy Canyon campground (which is county-operated; however, there is no potable water). Spaces are available! Local camping options are: Mono Vista RV Park, Lundy Canyon campground, Crowley Lake Fish Camp, Mammoth Mountain RV Park.
Dispersed camping: As best we can determine, even with the closure in place, dispersed camping is still allowed in areas such as south of Mono Lake and east of Highway 395. Cookstoves that are contained in a camper or RV are allowed; NO campfires or outdoor use of stoves allowed.
Help the Inyo! During the closure, all visitors on Inyo National Forest lands should “pack it out” and clean up after themselves. Plan ahead as bathrooms on forest lands are closed or unstocked. This is good stewardship and will make the eventual reopening of our public lands as quick as possible.
Yosemite National Park: Highway 120 remains open though the park itself is closed. No stopping or recreating in the park is allowed. We have heard reports of parked vehicles being ticketed in Tuolumne Meadows.
Yosemite Valley is closed past the El Capitan Crossing. At El Capitan Drive motorists will be turned away. However, this means Highway 120, 140, and 41 are all accessible and connected for travel.