Mammoth Mountain ski resort is located at Inyo National Forest in the east of Sierra Nevada Mountain Range in eastern California in the United States. Yosemite National Park is located to the west of Mammoth ski area. The resort elevation is 2,424 metres while the top elevation is 3,668 metres.
Mammoth History:
Dave McCoy, a hydrographer for Los Angeles Department of Water and Power had established Mammoth after seeing the consistent snow-cover on the mountains here. In 1953, the US Forest Service gave McCoy permission to start a ski area at Mammoth.
Skiing at Mammoth:
Mammoth has a total 3,500 acres of skiable area. There are 150 runs here (the longest being 5 km). The lift system at Mammoth comprises among others, 28 lifts, 3 gondolas, 23 chairs. A quarter of the runs here are labeled as ‘easy’ while two-fifth has been designated for the ‘intermediate’ and the rest for the advanced. Skiing season at Mammoth runs from mid November until June or later.
Mammoth Activities:
- Snowmobiling
- Cross-country skiing
- Snowcat tours (Minaret Summit Lunch Tour, Minaret Vista Sunset Tour, Parallax Snowcat Dinner)
- Sleigh rides
- Ice skating
- Dog sledding
- Snow tubing
- Special events like Mammoth Invitational, De La Soul Concert and Roxy Chicken Jam
- Child care:
Small World Child Day Care (only child care facility at Mammoth). Ski and snowboard combination packages are available for children from 3-6 years of age. - Shopping:
High-end fashion, technical gear and some of the shopping items found at the shops located in the village, lodges and Mammoth’s downtown . - Snowcat dinners on Friday and Saturday nights
- Après ski:
Mammoth is known for its good après-ski. The ‘Swiss-style’ Yodler pub is a popular destination here. Yodler’s signature fish tacos is also worth a try. - Eating out:
Chinese, Indian, Italian, Japanese besides Californian cuisines are available at Mammoth. The Lakefront Restaurant, Talons Restaurant are to name a few good eateries here.
Mammoth Accommodations:
- The Lodges at Snowcreek Resort
- Creekhouse
- Westin Monache Resort
- Juniper Springs Resort
- Mammoth Mountain Inn
- Woodwinds
- Tamarack Lodge & Resort
How to Get to Mammoth:
- By air:
Mammoth Yosemite Airport (13 km) is the nearest airport. Mammoth has linking flights to cities like Reno, Los Angeles, Portland, Seattle and San Jose. - By road:
By road, Mammoth is reachable from all directions via the north-south US Hwy 395, running along the eastern edge of California’s Sierra Nevada Range. - From Southern California:
via I-5 north to State Route 14 north to US 395 north to State Route 203 - From San Francisco:
via Yosemite National Park (in summer) and Interstate 80 to Hwy 50 to Kingsbury Grade cutoff to US 395 south to State Route 203 (in winter). - From Nevada/Lake Tahoe:
via US 395 south to State Route 203 - From Las Vegas:
via US 95 north to Hwy 266 west
Getting around:
Free public transportation is available in the resort. The Red Line service operates from 7:00 am to 5:30 pm every 15 minutes. The first uphill bus leaves from Snowcreek at around 7:00am while the first downhill bus departs from Main Lodge at 7:00 am. The last bus from Main Lodge departs at 4:30 pm.
