Mono Lake
Mono Lake ( MOH-noh) is a saline soda lake in Mono County, California, formed at least 760,000 years ago as a terminal lake in an endorheic basin. It stands 7 mi northeast of Lee Vining. Weather is mildest over June and August, with 77–84°F highs.
A lake, 7 mi northeast of Lee Vining
One of the most looked-up attractions in the U.S.
About 96K people a year read its Wikipedia article, more than for 96% of the 7,799 attractions we track.
Winters are cold
January nights drop to 18°, with about 70" of snow a year. When to go ↓
Lee Vining is the nearest base
Lee Vining is 7 miles southwest, with 9 places to stay. Where to stay ↓
A day trip from Fresno
Fresno is about 96 miles southwest (straight-line). Where to stay ↓
Best months: Jun and Aug
June and August are the mild months, with highs of 77–84°. When to go ↓
Written from NOAA 1991–2020 normals, Overture places to stay, Census town figures, Wikidata and Wikipedia.
Warm months and cold ones
Pick a month for Mono Lake from the weather below.
Mono Lake
Mono Lake ( MOH-noh) is a saline soda lake in Mono County, California, formed at least 760,000 years ago as a terminal lake in an endorheic basin. The lack of an outlet causes high levels of salts to accumulate in the lake which make its water alkaline.
The desert lake has an unusually productive ecosystem based on brine shrimp, which thrive in its waters, and provides critical habitat for two million annual migratory birds that feed on the shrimp and alkali flies (Ephydra hians). Historically, the native Kucadikadi people ate the alkali flies' pupae, which live in the shallow waters around the edge of the lake.
- Type
- Lake
- Area
- 69 square miles
- Elevation
- 6,378 ft
- Listed
- California Point of Historical Interest (1967)
- Wikipedia readers
- 96K a year
Overnight near Mono Lake
Close by, places to stay are in Lee Vining (9) and Mammoth Lakes (84).
Lee Vining
The closest town with somewhere to stay.
628 people · 27% vacation homes
7 mi southwest of Mono Lake
Compare 6 towns
| Town | From Mono Lake | Drive | Places to stay | People | Typical home | Safety |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lee Vining 27% vacation homes | 7 mi southwest | 10 min | 9 4 motels · 1 lodge or cabins · 3 campgrounds · 1 RV park | 628 | $435K | — |
| Mammoth Lakes 57% vacation homes | 27 mi south | 40 min | 84 48 hotels · 2 motels · 5 inns & B&Bs · 16 lodges & cabins · 2 hostels · 10 campgrounds · 1 RV park | 6,867 | $867K | C |
| June Lake 70% vacation homes | 19 mi south | 30 min | 25 5 hotels · 1 motel · 9 lodges & cabins · 8 campgrounds · 2 RV parks | 209 | — | — |
| Bridgeport 25% vacation homes | 20 mi northwest | 30 min | 13 3 hotels · 1 motel · 2 inns & B&Bs · 2 lodges & cabins · 4 campgrounds · 1 RV park | 303 | $347K | — |
| Virginia Lakes 100% vacation homes | 14 mi west | 20 min | 5 1 hotel · 1 lodge or cabins · 3 campgrounds | — | — | — |
| Twin Lakes 100% vacation homes | 21 mi northwest | 30 min | 2 1 hotel · 1 campground | — | — | — |
Getting there
Nearest airports with airline service
Next door to Mono Lake
Each of these is within 49 miles.
Big draw34 mi National ParkYosemite National Park4.3M visitors a year
Big draw34 mi MountainHalf Dome
126 mi Ski areaMammoth Mountain153 runs · 2,962 ft vertical
43 mi LakeHetch Hetchy
227 mi National MonumentDevils Postpile National Monument100K visitors a year
31 mi LakeConvict Lake
37 mi WaterfallYosemite Falls
49 mi MountainWhite Mountain PeakPhoto credits
Yosemite National Park: Thomas Wolf, www.foto-tw.de, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Half Dome: Jon Sullivan, Public domain · Mammoth Mountain: Hike395 (talk · contribs), CC BY 3.0 · Hetch Hetchy: Vulpinus2, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Devils Postpile National Monument: Frank Kovalchek from Anchorage, Alaska, USA, CC BY 2.0 · Convict Lake: The original uploader was Geographer at English Wikipedia., CC BY 1.0 · Yosemite Falls: King of Hearts, CC BY-SA 4.0 · White Mountain Peak: JonathanLamb (talk · contribs), CC BY 3.0
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Visiting Mono Lake
What town is Mono Lake near?
Lee Vining, CA, about 7 miles southwest.
When is the best time to visit Mono Lake?
June and August, with highs of 77–84°.
How far is Mono Lake from Fresno?
About 96 miles southwest of Fresno, as the crow flies.
What is the closest airport to Mono Lake?
Mammoth Yosemite (MMH), about 29 miles away. The nearest big hub is Fresno Yosemite (FAT), about 94 miles.
Where should I stay near Mono Lake?
Lee Vining (7 mi, 9 places to stay), Mammoth Lakes (27 mi, 84 places to stay) and June Lake (19 mi, 25 places to stay).
Local know-how from Lee Vining
Tips will appear here once someone posts in Lee Vining’s Town Square.
Sources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · NOAA climate normals · U.S. Census.