Spring in the Mono Basin: Fishing season opener, campground information, restaurants opening for the season

This post was written by Julia Frankenbach, 2014 Project Specialist.

As temperatures rise and the Mono Basin’s desert peach (Prunus andersonii) shrubs begin to blossom, it’s official: the Mono Basin is waking up for spring! Here is a list of now-opened places to eat and recreate in the Mono Basin.

Fishing season opens tomorrow
Fishing season in Mono County opens tomorrow, April 26. Stop by Beaver’s Sporting Goods (formerly Bell’s Sporting Goods) in Lee Vining to pick up fishing gear and to purchase your fishing license.

Visitor centers
The Mono Basin National Forest Scenic Area Visitor Center has opened its doors for the season. Come to the Visitor Center to enjoy interpretive displays, see a film on Mono Lake’s natural and cultural history, and get fire and camping permits. The Visitor Center is located just north of the town of Lee Vining on Highway 395 and is open Thursday through Monday from 9:00am to 4:30pm; closed on Tuesdays and Wednesdays.

The Mono Lake Committee Information Center & Bookstore is open approximately 360 days a year, from 9:00am to 5:00pm. We are stocking our shelves with new merchandise, so stop by to find a gift, a new book, to watch the Mono Lake Story film, or to see our brand-new baby brine shrimp in the tank.

Bodie State Historic Park
The road to Bodie State Historic Park is now open. Bodie is a beautifully preserved gold-mining ghost town located north of Mono Lake, 13 miles east of Highway 395 on Highway 270. Enjoy wandering through the streets of this authentic ghost town and peering into the windows of buildings left nearly exactly as they were when the last residents left 50 years ago. The park is now open every day from 9:00am to 6:00pm. Admission is $5 per adult (18 and over) and $3 per child; children age 1 and under are free.

Campgrounds
Today, April 25th, several Mono Basin campgrounds open for the summer: Gull Lake, June Lake, Oh! Ridge, and Silver Lake campgrounds (all in the June Lake area) are scheduled to open this morning. Closer to Mono Lake, Lower Lee Vining and Lundy Canyon campgrounds will also open. Click here for a map that will help you to locate these campsites. Please call the Scenic Area Visitor Center at (760) 647-3044 with questions about camping.

Restaurants
The Silver Lake Resort Store & Café, located adjacent to Silver Lake on the June Lake Loop (Highway 158), opens today. Purchase anything from fishing gear to fridge magnets in the store (open each day from 7:00am to 7:00pm), and sit down for coffee and a hearty Sierra-style meal in the café (serving breakfast and lunch every day from 7:00am to 2:00pm).

The Historic Mono Inn, located north of Lee Vining along Highway 395, is a destination for art, live music, and fine dining with beautiful views of Mono Lake. The Mono Inn is now open for dinner Wednesday through Friday from 5:00pm to 8:30pm.

The Tioga Gas Mart is home to the Whoa Nellie Deli—famous for its delicious food despite its surprising location inside a Mobil gas station. The Whoa Nellie Deli is also scheduled to open today and will serve fresh food each day of the week from 7:00am to 9:00pm. The Whoa Nellie Deli will host live music nights out on the lawn starting on May 25 and continuing each Sunday and Thursday night after that.

Nicely’s Restaurant is located in the heart of Lee Vining and serves delicious American diner food. It is now open seven days a week from 7:00am to 9:00pm.

The Mono Cone has reopened for the season—this family-owned fast food restaurant has your classic burgers, hot dogs, fries, shakes, and soft serve.

The Mono Market is the Lee Vining destination for fresh produce, groceries. and take-out meals. Just look for the red building at the south end of town. The Market is open every day from 7:30am to 8:00pm.

Ohanas395 is no ordinary food truck! Come to the orange truck by the Shell Station in Lee Vining for delicious Hawaiian food like Honolulu fried noodles and Hawaiian meatballs. Ohanas is open on Wednesdays and Thursdays from 7:00am to 2:00pm.

Road information
Highway 120 over Tioga Pass leads from Lee Vining into Yosemite National Park. As a result of the low snowfall in the Sierra this year, Tioga Pass is expected to open earlier than usual this season. Snow plows are currently clearing snow from the road and a week ago had made it as far as Porcupine Flat, about half-way through the park.

Highway 108, Sonora Pass, is currently closed due to snow from storms this week. It is likely to reopen sometime within the next week.

While doors are opening and crowds are still low, now is the time to get out and enjoy the parks, roads, and businesses all around the Mono Basin! Happy spring from the Mono Lake Committee.