Green grass with fluffy seed heads lines the shore of a lake, tufa formations are in the water offshore.

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Yellow fog rises from Mono Lake, obscuring the darkened tufa towers.

5: Mono Lake’s unique water

Have you ever gone for a swim in Mono Lake? The lake is 2.5 times saltier than the ocean so you can easily kick back and float in the water. But why is this a salt-water lake? Because Mono does not…

About 60 people holding handmade signs supporting Mono Lake and the Mono Lake Tufa State Reserve cheering and waving and showing a lot of spirit and joy while standing on the small platform at County Park overlooking Mono Lake.

4: The water story

Where you stand now is the management level for Mono Lake—6,392 feet in elevation above sea level. One day, Mono Lake’s water will again reach this level, but ensuring this was a long struggle. In 1976, a group of researchers, including…

Shoreline of Mono Lake looking west towards the Sierra Nevada with tufa towers reflecting on the glassy lake and the sky is pink, purple, and blue.

3: Tufa

Examine the tufa in front of you. What does it remind you of? What does it feel like? Tufa—from the Latin tĹŤphus, meaning “porous rock”—forms underwater. Underneath the lake there are fractures which allow calcium-rich spring water to seep through the…

Tufa along the shore of Mono Lake with bright green marsh vegetation in the foreground.

2: Plants of the Mono Basin

Can you find these three common plants of the Mono Basin? Rubber Rabbitbrush: Known for its bright green color and vibrant yellow flowers in late summer, this shrub dominates the area. As you walk down the path, look to your left and notice the…

Tufa towers emerging from Mono Lake at sunset with blue skies and unusual clouds lit up in soft pink with beautiful soft light on the tufa towers reflected in the lake's surface, and you can even see some of the rocky shoreline under water.

1: Welcome to Mono Lake!

Mark Twain once called Mono Lake the “Dead Sea of California,” but that could not be further from the truth. Mono Lake is a fountain of life—important for over 300 bird species, trillions of endemic brine shrimp, and many other creatures.…

Mono Lake Committee staffer standing with their back to Mono Lake talking to a tour group, tufa and scattered clouds are in the background.

South Tufa Self-Guided Tour

 Tap play below to listen on headphones. Welcome to the Mono Basin—a gorgeous, otherworldly landscape with huge, sweeping views of the high desert all around and the magnificent Sierra Nevada above. Mono Lake, this expansive terminal lake which defines this…

A report from Tioga Pass

Like we did last year, yesterday my husband and I ventured up Highway 120 West on bikes and skis to check out the snow conditions at Tioga Pass. Caltrans has plowed the road clear of snow all the way up…

Tioga Pass Run registration opens soon

We’ve finally made it to mid-April, the typical start of the Highway 120 West, or Tioga Pass road, plowing season. With that in mind, it’s time to start training for the 44th annual Tioga Pass Run! Participants of the Tioga…

Four people paddle in an aluminum canoe with tufa formations and gray mountain peaks streaked with snow in the distance.

Reserve your spot on a Mono Lake canoe tour

Reservations are now available for this summer’s Mono Lake canoe tours. Tours happen every weekend from mid-June through August and include Labor Day this year, Monday, September 1. Canoe tours are a wonderful way to experience Mono Lake. Glide through…