Sunrise light on a grove of tufa towers emerging from the water of Mono Lake with soft green and dusty-red wild grasses in the foreground, Canada geese in the shallow water with reflections of the rocky towers, and desert hills in the distance.

Guided canoe tours on Mono Lake begin this weekend

Sunrise light on a grove of tufa towers emerging from the water of Mono Lake with soft green and dusty-red wild grasses in the foreground, Canada geese in the shallow water with reflections of the rocky towers, and desert hills in the distance.

This post was written by Julie Curtis, 2014 Mono Lake Intern.

As summer at the Mono Lake Committee comes in to full swing, everybody is eagerly awaiting the start of canoe tours. As a returning Mono Lake Intern to the Committee, I am clued into the excitement all new interns are likely experiencing.

The 2014 interns practice their paddling skills on Mono Lake. Photo by Erv Nichols.

On canoe tour days (Saturdays and Sundays) the early mornings are no deterrent—I know the exhilaration that will occur from being up close and personal with this unique lake. No one can truly understand quite how many brine shrimp inhabit Mono Lake until you witness a cloud of them floating among the lake’s currents with numbers up in the millions. You will never understand the magnificent wonder of tufa towers until you are on the lake’s surface looking up at them while learning these they were created by no more than two different types of water.

Mono Lake Intern Robbie shows off his brine-shrimp-catching skills, a crucial part of leading canoe tours. Photo by Erv Nichols.

We have another great group of seasonal staff gearing up for the upcoming canoe tour season. Lead by our wonderful returning Canoe Coordinator, Julia, and the guidance of our great canoe “admiral,” Gary, we are set to take on the next three months of canoe tours. If you have yet to experience the wonders of Mono Lake from out on the water, it is not too late! Start planning your vacations to the Mono basin for this summer with canoe tours in mind.

Mono Lake Interns Robbie, Adam, and Lily learn the lay of the land (water) during canoe training. Photo by Julie Curtis.

Tours start this Saturday, June 28 and will occur through Sunday, September 7 every Saturday and Sunday at 8:00, 9:30, and 11:00am. Check out the canoe page to find out more information. Can’t wait to see you all out there on the water!

Canoe Coordinator Julia and Admiral Gary pilot their canoes across Mono Lake’s salty surface. Photo by Julie Curtis.

4 Comments

  1. Is there anywhere in Lee Vining to safely and comfortably leave one’s dog if going on a canoe tour, such as a kennel?

  2. We would like to reserve space for 2 on the 9:30 am guided canoe tour this Sunday June 29th. How long is the tour?

    Look forward to seeing you,
    Roger and Barbara Holman

  3. We would like to reserve space for 2 on a guidedcanoe tour this Sunday, June 29th, 9:30 am.

  4. Hi Barbara and Roger—we’d love to see you this weekend! To reserve a space in the canoe tour on Sunday morning, please either give us a call at (760) 647-6595 or follow this link to sign up online: https://www.monolake.org/visit/canoe. The tours last for about an hour on the water.

    Bronya, there aren’t any kennel facilities in Lee Vining—the closest kennel would be in Mammoth Lakes, which is 30 miles south of Lee Vining. A quick Google search will bring up three or four.