Drive about 28 miles south of Lee Vining on Highway 395 to Route 203. Turn right on Route 203 and drive about 2.8 miles to the town of Mammoth Lakes. Hiking, backpacking, camping, skiing, photography, fishing, and scenic driving. Motel rates change seasonally. Mammoth Lakes Ranger District, PO Box 148, Mammoth Lakes, CA 93546.
Some people come here because it's an easy walk for the family.
Others like the view of 12,275-foot Mount Morrison. But if you like looking at the geology around a lake, this is a special place. Tiny fossils found at the base of Mount Morrison have been determined to be 500 million years old. And the metamorphic rock layers and formations in the hillsides next to the lake are among the oldest in the Sierra, dating back some 350 million to 400 million years. Look for sandstone, marble, phyllite, and chert.