It is hard to go to the Mammoth area and not
hike. Some of the following trails are recommended short hikes.
Panorama Dome is a 1/2 mile hike. The trails starts in a forest then
reaches the top of a plateau and affords excellent views of the town of
Mammoth, the Owens Valley and Crowley Lake. You can access the trailhead
just past the turnoff to Twin Lakes on Lake Mary Road.
Crystal Lake/Crystal Crag is a 1.75 mile hike.
You can access the trailhead to the right of the parking lot
entrance at Lake George. The trail climbs above lake George giving you good views.
Mammoth Crest is a 3 mile hike. Note: part of this trail is the same as
the above mentioned Crystal Lake trail. However,
the Crystal Lake trail splits to the right about a mile down. Take the
right trail and you will get good views of the Minarets and Mammoth
Mountain.
T.J Lake/Barett Lake is a 1/4 or 1/2 mile hike if you go all the way to Barett Lake. This trailhead is to the left of the parking lot entrance
at Lake George.
Emerald Lake to Sky Meadows. If you hike just to Emerald Lake it is a
3/4 of a mile or if you go all the way to Sky Meadows it is 2 miles. The
trailhead begins at southwest side of the Coldwater Creek parking lot.
Duck Lake is a bit more of a hike. It is 5 miles but you don't have to
go all the way, as you can stop at lakes along the way such as Arrowhead
Lake, Skelton Lake or Barney Lake.
Mammoth Pass Trail to McLeod Lake
is a 1/2 mile hike. The trailhead
begins at Horseshoe Lake. Just before the lake the trail forks, the left
fork takes you to McLeod Lake, the right fork takes you to Red's
Meadows, which is another 3.5 miles. NOTE: The Horseshoe Lake area has
been emitting dangerous levels of carbon dioxide since 30,000 foot
subterranean earthquakes happened back in 1989. Warning signs are easily
seen and the most dangerous areas are roped off. Look for the dead
trees.
There are certainly many other hikes in the Mammoth area. If you have
been on some, please email me dave@pon.net
with your experiences.
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Dave's Pick