The federal government shutdown affects a large amount of public land in our area including the Inyo National Forest, Mono Basin National Forest Scenic Area, Yosemite National Park, and Bureau of Land Management lands. We have compiled the best current information we can gather.
Mono Lake Tufa State Natural Reserve: Old Marina is open. The Mono Lake County Park/State Natural Reserve boardwalk is open, however, there are no services at the Mono Lake County Park. Camping is not permitted at these sites any time of the year.
Scenic Area Visitor Center: Closed for the winter. No permits are available.
Mono Lake Committee Information Center & Bookstore: Open daily 9:00am to 5:00pm.
Bodie State Historic Park: Bodie is a California State Park and is open. Daily hours are 9:00am to 4:00pm.
South Tufa: The South Tufa area at Mono Lake is operated by the US Forest Service. Currently, visitor use appears to be unaffected. Bathrooms are open but not being cleaned or stocked. South Tufa tours are continuing at 1:00pm on Saturdays and Sundays with Mono Lake Committee and California State Parks staff.
Dispersed recreation: General Inyo National Forest and Bureau of Land Management lands in the Mono Basin remain open to self-guided hiking and exploration. Remember to leave no trace if you are using public lands.
Camping: All US Forest Service campgrounds are currently closed for the winter. The nearest private campground open is the Mammoth Mountain RV Park in Mammoth Lakes.
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 (Tioga Pass) remains closed for the winter. Other roads within Yosemite are open. Park provided information and orientation is not available and entrance stations are unstaffed. Additionally, all campgrounds in Yosemite are closed and reservations will not be honored. Hiking trails remain open. Concession run facilities (including lodging, tours, restaurants, stores, and shuttles) also remain open. For more information, view the latest post on Yosemite’s official Facebook page.
We will keep you updated on any change in status regarding the government shutdown at the Mono Lake Committee Information Center & Bookstore (open 9:00am–5:00pm daily) and here on the Mono-logue as well as on Facebook and Twitter.