Visitor Information
Mammoth Lakes Resort and Region Information
Mammoth Lakes, California is a year-round destination resort community located at an elevation of 7,500 feet in the Eastern Sierra Nevada. The permanent population is approximately 7,100; however, during the peak winter season the population often increases to about 35,000.
This region is characterized by its mountains, lakes, streams and forests. Unlike the gentle, rolling escarpment west of the Sierra crest, the eastern slope of the Sierra plunges dramatically to the valley floors. This is probably the characteristic of the Eastern Sierra most obvious to the first-time visitor. This is the area that inspired John Muir (founder of the Sierra Club), and where photographer Ansel Adams did much of his work. In fact, both the John Muir Wilderness and the Ansel Adams Wilderness border the town of Mammoth Lakes.
Mammoth Mountain Ski Area, one of the top ski and snowboard resorts in the nation, offers 3,500 skiable acres with 150 named trails, 27 lifts, 2 Panorama Gondolas, 3 terrain parks, 3 pipes (including the #1 rated pipe in North America) 3,100 feet of vertical drop from its 11,053-foot summit, an average 400 inches of snow and up to 250 days of sun-filled skiing per year. Mammoth is renowned as a mountain biking destination, and hosts the Kamikaze Downhill bicycle races. The Mammoth area is also known for some of the best hiking, camping, and scenery in the world. Other popular activities nearby include golf, horseback riding, rock climbing, kayaking, hot-air ballooning, snowmobiling, four-wheeling, and on and off-road motorcycling. Additional nearby attractions include Yosemite National Park, Mono Lake, Devil's Postpile National Monument, and Bodie State Historic Park.
The Mammoth Lakes area enjoys a milder and sunnier climate than most mountain resort communities. The average winter temperature is 35 compared to 24 in Vail, Colorado, 30 in Breckenridge, Colorado, 27 in Park City, Utah, and 24 in Whistler, British Columbia. Due to the area's western location and natural geography, the weather patterns usually come from the North and do not linger. This is reflected in the average 300 sunny days in a year. The average summer temperature is 76°, with cool evenings characteristic of the mountainous location.
Much more regional information can be found at www.visitmammoth.com