Visit Mono Lake This Summer

A very unique lake to visit this summer is Mono Lake. It is located in California just a few miles from Yosemite National Park, and a few hours south of Reno, NV. At roughly 760,000 years old, the lake is probably the oldest lake in the country and is home to unique formations known as tufa.

Mono Lake is left over from a prehistoric lake that covered most of northwestern Nevada. The lake has no out going waterways, so all the water that comes to the lake through the tributaries stays there and leaves only by evaporation. While the water evaporates, the minerals stay behind which leaves the lake with a unique chemistry. The easiest to observe is the salt contained in the lake. The lake is currently 2.5 times as salty as the ocean.

The salt content makes it difficult for any fish to survive in the lake. At times, fish have been planted in the lake, but they have never lived very long. The only sea life that can be seen are the brine shrimp and algae. Depending on the season, Mono Lake can be home to at least 80 species of migratory birds.

With the expansion of Los Angeles the waterways feeding the lake were redirected for use in the big city. This caused the water level of the lake to drop significantly. The state of California has been allowing more of the water originally intended to flow to Mono Lake to go to its original destination which has resulted in a slowly rising water level. Eventually the lake will be back to its desired level which is around 6400 feet above seal level.

Boats are allowed in the lake, but with the lack of fish not many are ever seen. Also, the lake is so salty and filled with other minerals that it is a little bit slippery and slimy to the touch which makes it not very desirable to swim in.

The best reason to visit the lake is the scenery. The snow capped mountains out to the west, and the unique tufas make it a very photographic spot. Tufa is simply limestone, however due to the unique chemical make up of the lake, the limestone is formed in skinny yet tall sculptures that extend like upside down icicles from the surface of the lake. Since the water level is low, the tufas are out in the open on the shores of the lake. To get up close and personal with the tufas, take Hwy 120 east around the south side of the lake. This is the spot where the most visible tufas are located. There are signs all around that tell you not to touch them, so please do not disturb the tufas.

Visiting the unique scenery around Mono Lake is worth the time if you are in town visiting Yosemite or Reno. If relaxing with no distractions is your idea of fun, spending your entire vacation in the nearby town of Lee Vining will probably be the most relaxing vacation you could ever want.