Events

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

Mono Lake South Tufa Tour

Join a naturalist-guide for a walk among strange tufa towers, bubbling springs, birds, wildlife, brine shrimp, and the behind-the-scenes story of the most unusual lake in California. This guided, one-hour walk includes hands-on activities, and an overview of the human…

Horse manure removal at South Tufa

Two work days in February at South Tufa and Navy Beach have helped clear the trails of stud piles (piles of horse manure) from the recent rapid and dramatic expansion of horse activity on the south shore of Mono Lake.…

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…

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 tours offered daily

The Mono Lake Committee continues our decades-long tradition of offering South Tufa tours this summer! Join us on your next trip to Mono Lake where a guide will introduce to you to the natural and human history of the Mono Basin. You’ll explore the fascinating geology of the…

A paved road lined by pine trees, a yellow sign warning of horses is on the right.

Wild horse herd reaches South Tufa

Wild horses, previously seen rarely and only in remote parts of the Mono Basin, have experienced rapid population growth in the past five years—so much that they have expanded far beyond their home territory near the Nevada state line and…

People carrying boards into place on a path toward Mono Lake, mountains are on the horizon under a clear blue sky.

Weathered section of South Tufa boardwalk replaced

A portion of the boardwalk at South Tufa received a long-awaited facelift—the cracked and weather-beaten section was replaced with a new, sustainably-sourced redwood walkway. The old wooden boardwalk, first assembled in the early 1990s, was originally part of the David…

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…