
Getting to Mammoth can be just as much fun as staying here. We are located in a stellar area: the Ansel Adams and John Muir Wildernesses. Along the drive there are some awesome points of interest.
Travel Tioga Pass through Yosemite National Park in the summer or via Lake Tahoe in the winter. With mountains, valleys, waterfalls, and meadows all around, pull over to take a breather. Soak in the scenery and maybe stay for a while!
Stop to see the intrigues of Mono Lake and take the June Lake loop drive, too.
Here are some places in order from south to north worth checking out:
Death Valley: (open year round; best in spring) This National Park is one of the hottest places on Earth, the lowest point in the Western Hemisphere (282 feet below sea level) and the driest place in North America (less than two inches of rain a year). It is known for beautiful wildflowers, sand dunes and unique history. Find it by taking I-15 from Southern California, through Baker to State Route 127. Visit Death Valley National Park.
Mt. Whitney: (spring, summer and fall) At 14,494 feet, this is the tallest mountain in the lower 48 states and the most frequently climbed peak in the Sierras! Access it 13 miles west of the town of Lone Pine, which is located on Hwy 395, about 90 miles south of Mammoth.
Alabama Hills/ Lone Pine: Hike around some incredible rock formations. You may even recognize them from the movies, because Hollywood loves to shoot Westerns here.
Manzanar Historic Site: This used to be easy to miss, but now Manzanar is home to a new interpretive center that contains an important part of California (and American) history. It's six miles before Independence, along Hwy 395.
Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest: (May through October) The trees in the Bristlecone Forest, popular subjects for filming and photography, are 4,000 years old.
After passing the town of Bishop there are constant scenic spots along the way up the grade. You'll see the town of Paradise, and at Crowley Lake, Mammoth lies just in the distance.