Hoar frost clings to pine needles on a branch that holds a now open cone.

Tours

Free summer activities at Mono Lake

Summertime in the Mono Basin may just be the most magical time in this strikingly special place. Bright days in the sun, still calm clear water, warm starry nights. It’s a perfect time to make the most of these long…

Canoe on Mono Lake this summer

Are you looking for a fresh perspective on Mono Lake and its beautiful surroundings? Try booking one of our guided canoe tours! These hour-long canoe tours provide multitudes of information on the geology, ecology, and history of Mono Lake, all…

Bird walks begin Friday, May 20

The Mono Lake Committee and California State Parks welcome everyone to attend free, weekly bird walks this summer. After a two-year hiatus, bird walks will occur at 8:00am every Friday at Mono Lake County Park, Saturday at Lundy Canyon, and…
People walking down a path toward tufa, Mono Lake and the mountains are in the distance, the sky is cloudy.

Enjoy a self-guided tour of South Tufa from anywhere

If you’re looking to get the most our of your trip to Mono Lake, a visit to South Tufa is a must. The otherworldly tufa towers combined with the stunning high desert landscape and abundant birdlife makes this area truly…
Six kids swimming in Mono Lake, with one kid floating on their back with goggles on, while surrounded by tufa rocks and with tufa towers in the distance.

8: The future of Mono Lake

“When we try to pick out anything by itself, we find it hitched to everything else in the universe.” John Muir Everyone benefits when there is water in Mono Lake—from Los Angeles residents who rely on Mono Basin streams for some…
Hundreds of small shorbirds bathed in golden light, in flight, on the shore, and in the water at Mono Lake in front of tufa towers.

7: The birds of Mono Lake

The Mono Basin is an oasis for hundreds of species of birds, many of which rely exclusively on alkali flies and brine shrimp for sustenance. The lake is critical habitat for California Gulls, Eared Grebes, and phalaropes. Learn more about…
Hundreds or alkali flies take flight from pupa.

6: A buffet of flies and shrimp

Mono Lake is like an all-you-can-eat buffet of flies and shrimp for the millions of birds that come here. Alkali Flies As you walk along the shore, you may notice swarms of alkali flies buzzing about, but don’t worry, these…
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 tōphus, meaning “porous rock”—forms underwater. Underneath the lake there are fractures which allow calcium-rich spring water to seep through the…