20 Gorgeous Lakes To Visit In Mammoth, California

1. McLeod Lake

Trail Highlights:

• Length: 1.8 miles out and back
• Elevation Gain: 347 feet
• Difficulty: Easy
• AllTrails Route: McLeod Lake Trail

If you’re looking for an easy lake to visit within Mammoth Lakes Basin, I highly recommend starting with the McLeod Lake Trail. This trail is less than 2 miles long round trip, so it’s a great little adventure for families with kids or dogs.

The trailhead for this lake starts at the Lakes Basin Path / Horseshoe Lake Trailhead next to Horseshoe Lake. The trail follows a gentle forest path that ends at a small alpine lake. Once you reach the lake, you can extend the hike by going on a quick loop around the entire lake.

2. Horseshoe Lake

Trail Highlights:

• Length: 1.8-mile-long loop
• Elevation Gain: 114 feet
• Difficulty: Easy
• AllTrails Route: Horseshoe Lake Trail

Horseshoe Lake is a unique lake within the Mammoth Lakes Basin. Here you can go on a short loop that goes around the entire lake, featuring barren landscapes and many fallen, dead trees.

After an earthquake in 1989, high amounts of carbon dioxide gas were released in this area, killing the trees around the lake. Be sure to keep an eye out for any hazard warnings and avoid high CO2 emission areas.

Once you head further into the trail, the surrounding landscapes will turn into a healthy alpine forest again and stay like that for most of the hike.

3. Convict Lake

Trail Highlights:

• Length: 2.5 mile long loop
• Elevation Gain: 170 feet
• Difficulty: Easy
• AllTrails Route: Convict Lake Loop

Convict Lake is one of the most gorgeous lakes to visit off Highway 395, just a 15-minute drive south of Mammoth Lakes town. This lake is a popular summer destination for camping, fishing, swimming, boating, and hiking.

For first-time visitors, I highly recommend hiking the 2.5-mile-long Convict Lake Loop that goes around the entire lake. Many people visit this area in the fall season, when you can enjoy gorgeous yellow and orange fall colors all around the lake.

4. Twin Lakes

Twin Lakes are picturesque lakes at the heart of Mammoth Lakes Basin. These lakes are located just a 10-minute drive outside of Mammoth Lakes town, making them a very popular stop for visitors.

The best place to view these lakes is from the Twin Falls Overlook just off Lake Mary Road. This viewpoint offers a clear vista of Twin Lakes and the surrounding forest.

If you’re looking for a place to stay in the area, the Tamarack Lodge & Resort is a highly popular lakeside retreat located right next to Twin Lakes. 

5. Barney Lake

Trail Highlights:

• Length: 5.1 miles long out and back
• Elevation Gain: 1,167 feet
• Difficulty: Moderate
• AllTrails Route: Barney Lake Trail

Barney Lake Trail is one of my favorite wilderness hikes in Mammoth Lakes. This hike is a bit on the longer side, so plan to set aside several hours to complete it.

The trek starts at the Coldwater Campground and follows the Duck Lake Pass Trail. The hike ends at the turquoise Barney Lake, which looks especially stunning on a bright, sunny day.

If you have extra time to spare, I recommend stopping by the nearby:

• Arrowhead Lake
• Skelton Lake
• Emerald Lake

6. Crystal Lake

Trail Highlights:

• Length: 3.2 miles out and back
• Elevation Gain: 839 feet
• Difficulty: Moderate
• AllTrails Route: Crystal Lake Trail

Crystal Lake Trail is a stunning day hike in Mammoth that provides a lot of bang for your buck.

Along this short yet strenuous 3-mile hike, you can enjoy views of Lake George, Lake Mary, and the surrounding Mammoth Lakes Basin. The trail ends at Crystal Lake, an icy alpine lake that is known for its pristine, clear water.

Many people bring their fishing gear and fish off the rocky shoreline around the lake. Crystal Lake is popular for catching rainbow, brook, and golden trout hybrids.

7. Mono Lake

Although Mono Lake is located 30 minutes north of Mammoth Lakes, many people visit Mono Lake as a day trip from Mammoth, so it’s well worth mentioning on this list.

Nestled against the picturesque backdrop of the Sierra Nevada Mountains, Mono Lake offers a serene place to escape the Mammoth Lakes crowds. Here you can walk around the quiet shores of the lake and observe unique formations in the lake called tufa.

One of the best locations for viewing these petrified limestone formations is in the South Tufa Area. There is a short interpretive trail that offers excellent vantage points of the striking tufa towers.

8. Lake Mary

Located just outside of Mammoth Lakes town, Lake Mary is one of the largest and easiest lakes to access in this area. Here you can go on a short yet scenic drive along the Lake Mary Loop Road, enjoy camping, boating, fishing, and other fun outdoor recreational activities.

During the summer season, you can rent pontoons, motor boats, kayaks, paddleboards, and canoes from the Pokonobe Marina. There is also a small general store where you can rent fishing rods or stock up on camping goods if you forget something and don’t want to drive all the way back into town.

Despite offering lots of water activities, Lake Mary is one of the few lakes in Mammoth that does not allow swimming. Along with Twin Lakes, Lake Mamie, and Lake George, Lake Mary serves as a freshwater source for the Mammoth Lakes region, so swimming here is prohibited.

9. Lake George

Situated right next to Lake Mary, Lake George is another easy alpine lake to visit in Mammoth. Located at an elevation of 9,250 feet, this is one of the highest drivable lakes in Mammoth.

Lake George is also the starting point for several popular Mammoth day hikes, including the Crystal Lake Trail and the TJ Lake Trail.

While canoeing and kayaking are permitted, this is another Mammoth Lake that does not allow swimming or motorized boats.

10. June Lake

June Lake is a small community about a 25-minute drive north of Mammoth. I love to visit this area to escape the big Mammoth crowds and enjoy a bit of solitude outdoors.

Here you can visit several alpine lakes, including June Lake, Gull Lake, Silver Lake, and Grant Lake, which are all located off Highway 158. June Lake Beach is a great spot to stop for a picnic, walk along the shoreline, and enjoy the stunning mountain views.

11. Crowley Lake

Trail Highlights:

• Length: 4.2 miles round trip
• Elevation Gain: 518 feet
• Difficulty: Moderate
• AllTrails Route: Crowley Lake Columns

Crowley Lake is a large lake 30 minutes south of Mammoth. Here you can visit a unique geological wonder – the Crowley Lake Stone Columns.

The hike to reach Crowley Lake Columns is 4.2 miles long round-trip. These types of stone columns can only be seen in a handful of places around the world, so it’s definitely worth the effort to visit them!  

Read Next: 50 Interesting & Unique Places To Visit In California

12. Skelton Lake

Trail Highlights:

• Length: 3.4 miles out and back
• Elevation Gain: 853 feet
• Difficulty: Moderate
• AllTrails Route: Skelton Lake Trail

Skelton Lake Trail is an excellent day hike that I’ve done many times in Mammoth, including an overnight tent camping trip. This is my go-to hike if I don’t have any other plans in mind.

The Skelton Lake Trail is an easy 3-mile-long hike that leads to a pristine alpine lake. This hike is not too long so I often bring my dog here to get a good hike in and swim in the lake.

The Skelton Lake Trail starts at the Duck Lake Pass Trailhead, next to the Coldwater Campground. This trailhead can be easily accessible from Mammoth Lakes town within a short drive.

13. TJ Lake

Trail Highlights:

• Length: 1.5 miles out and back
• Elevation Gain: 314 feet
• Difficulty: Easy
• AllTrails Route: TJ Lake via Lake George

TJ Lake is one of the lesser-known lakes in Mammoth. This is a great little hike if you’re looking for a bit of solitude away from the crowds.

The TJ Lake Trail starts at Lake George Campground. The trail passes several lakes, including Lake George, Lake Barrett, and ends at TJ Lake. Once you reach the lake, you can walk along the shoreline or jump in for an icy cold (but refreshing) swim.

Overall, the trail to the lake is fairly easy, but there is one steep uphill climb along a narrow forest path that gains 200 feet of elevation in just 0.2 miles.

14. Heart Lake

Trail Highlights:

• Length: 2.4 miles out and back
• Elevation Gain: 561 feet
• Difficulty: Moderate
• AllTrails Route: Heart Lake Trail

Heart Lake is a hidden little gem in Mammoth. This hike leads to a small alpine lake that’s shaped like a heart.

The trailhead starts at the end of the Coldwater Campground. The Heart Lake Trailhead is not marked on Google Maps, but there is a wooden trailhead sign that you’ll see next to the parking lot.

At the beginning of the trail, you have the option to go on a quick detour to the Mammoth Consolidated Gold Mine, where you can see historic buildings and other remnants of a gold mining community that operated in Mammoth from 1927 to 1933.

15. Sherwin Lakes

Trail Highlights:

• Length: 4.3 miles out and back
• Elevation Gain: 885 feet
• Difficulty: Moderate
• AllTrails Route: Sherwin Lakes Trail

Sherwin Lakes Trail is a gorgeous alpine hike that not many people know about. Located on the outskirts of Mammoth Lakes town, this is a secluded wilderness trail that doesn’t get as busy as some of the other day hikes in this area.

When I hiked this trail, I ran into mostly locals taking their dogs for a hike.  The trail ends at Sherwin Lakes, where you can take a rest break and dip your toes in to cool down. These lakes have a greenish-blue tint that looks especially stunning on a sunny day.

16. Arrowhead Lake

Trail Highlights:

• Length: 2 miles out and back
• Difficulty: Easy

If you’re looking for an ultra-short trail that leads to an alpine lake, consider hiking to Arrowhead Lake in Mammoth (not to be confused with Lake Arrowhead in the San Bernardino Mountains).

Start at the Duck Pass Trailhead and take the Duck Pass Trail for 1 mile until you see a sign for a detour to Arrowhead Lake.

This side trail is quite steep, so be sure to watch your step. It ends at the Arrowhead Lake shoreline, where you can enjoy the gorgeous scenery.

17. Emerald Lake

Trail Highlights:

• Length: 1.7 miles out and back
• Elevation Gain: 387 feet
• Difficulty: Easy
• AllTrails Route: Emerald Lake Trail

Another easy hike nearby is the Emerald Lake Trail. The trailhead starts in the same parking lot and follows a short path through a pine forest to a small, picturesque lake.

This lake is known for its emerald-green color that stands out against the jagged mountains in the background.

Hiking Tip: Bring insect repellent for the trek. This hike follows a creek that attracts many mosquitoes and bugs in the summer season.

18. Duck Lake

Trail Highlights:

• Length: 10.3 miles out and back
• Elevation Gain: 2155 feet
• Difficulty: Hard
• AllTrails Route: Duck Pass and Pika Lake Trail

If you’re looking for a longer day hike, the Duck Lake Trail is one of the most epic hiking routes in Mammoth that passes several alpine lakes.

This is a challenging day hike that is often inaccessible until late summer due to snow, so be sure to plan accordingly. I recommend wearing waterproof hiking boots and packing a set of microspikes for the icy sections along the Duck Pass.

The trek to reach Duck Lake is about 8 miles long. You can also extend the hike to Pika Lake for a total of 10 miles round trip.

19. Minaret Lake

Trail Highlights:

• Length: 13.3 miles out and back
• Elevation Gain: 2400 feet
• Difficulty: Hard
• AllTrails Route: Minaret Lake

Minaret Lake is one of the first lakes that I ever visited in Mammoth. Minaret Lake is a gorgeous alpine lake with the Minaret Peaks in its background. This lake is located deep within the Inyo National Forest wilderness, so you won’t encounter many people here.

This is a difficult, long trail that I recommend splitting up into 2 days while backcountry camping along the way. I was lucky enough to secure a wilderness permit and camp near Minaret Lake overnight.

20. Inyo Craters

Trail Highlights:

• Length: 1.6-mile long loop
• Elevation Gain: 314 feet
• Difficulty: Easy
• AllTrails Route: Inyo Craters Trail

Inyo Craters Trail is a short and interesting wilderness hike that leads to two small volcanic lakes in Mammoth. The Inyo Craters Trail is 1.6 miles long, although it does extend to 3 miles during the winter season due to road closures.

These craters were formed 550-650 years ago by explosive steam eruptions from the ground. The craters have water collected at the base of them in a turquoise color that looks striking in the summer season. I visited these craters in the winter when most of the water was covered in snow.

Map Of Best Lakes In Mammoth Lakes, California:

Map Tip: Click on each location to see more details!

I hope this list has helped you discover a few new lakes in Mammoth to add to your summer travel plans!

Looking for more things to do in the Mammoth Lakes area? Be sure to check out these posts next:

• 15 Incredible Things To Do In Mammoth Lakes In Fall
• 15 Best Things To Do In Mammoth Lakes In Winter
• 15 Best Hikes In Inyo National Forest, California
• How To Visit Hilltop Hot Springs In Mammoth Lakes
• 12 Best Places To Stay In Mammoth Lakes

This post is written by Laura. Hi, I’m a California local and the founder of the California Wanderland travel blog. I currently live in Ventura County and help 50,000 readers a month discover things to do in Central California! Read more about me here.

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