Mammoth Lakes, California (Village, Mountain, Maps)

On our way out of California, Yosemite’s roads were closed due to weather, so we headed to Mammoth Lakes, CA. We hoped to explore its town, the mountain, and its village.

Since I’d never been to Mammoth Lakes before, I found webcams of the town, the mountain and village, plus all the maps below, to help ensure I had a good feel of the entire Mammoth area…

As we were driving up HWY 395, toward Mammoth, the only thing I couldn’t find on a map of Mammoth was a health food store, so we first stopped in Bishop, CA, to gather food and supplies at the Blue Lupine. I love stopping at healthy food stores and natural groceries.

Since we were camping, we also paused to check on the weather. Mammoth Lakes (7881’ elevation) still had cold nights. But nights in Bishop (4150’ elevation) were much warmer. So we decided to spend our days at Mammoth Lakes and our nights in Bishop, California.

As we headed out of Bishop, toward Mammoth Lakes, the terrain and the views were so beautiful. Sunshine, blue skies, snow caps, dry air. I think this stretch of the road revealed more of the beautiful Eastern Sierra Mountains than anywhere else on this trip.

Views were so beautiful along this stretch, yet it wasn’t always safe to stop (hence, I wish I’d first cleaned the dirt off our auto windows before leaving Bishop, for better photos on the go!).

We arrived in the town of Mammoth Lakes about forty-five minutes after leaving Bishop. We saw van campers, truck campers, small outdoor gear stores, adventurers, and young families. I love the vibe of a rustic mountain town. Simple. Rugged. Independence.

Over a few days, we wandered around town and the trails, a tiny home village, frequenting Elixir for gf vegan deliciousness, and explored the main grocery store which was a bit like an Alaskan grocery store—gritty floors, outdoor supplies, wood, and cases of packaged food everywhere.

Of course, after I saw bear warnings in town, I, um, kept an eye out.

Just a short jaunt away, we headed up to Mammoth Mountain and its village, where late snow still filled the runs. The mountain was beautiful under the sun. Its white meadowy slopes and evergreens looked so peaceful. And I loved that the ski village was small and walkable.

We even saw a few affordable condos for rent, posted on the local bulletin boards.