Mammoth Lakes, Mountain resort town in Mono County, California
Mammoth Lakes is a town in Mono County sitting at 2,402 meters in the Sierra Nevada. The area includes several glacial lakes, wide pine forests, and rocky peaks surrounding the central town core.
Four prospectors found gold traces at Mineral Hill in 1877 and founded the first settlement called Mammoth City. The site later developed into a winter sports hub after mining largely ended in the 1880s.
The Paiute and Mono lived in this area for centuries, using the lakes and forests for hunting and gathering. Place names and trails still recall their old routes and trade connections across the mountains.
The area receives an average of 206 inches (523 centimeters) of snow per year, so travelers should check weather and road conditions before arrival. Winter gear is often needed from November through May to move around safely.
The town sits inside the Long Valley Caldera, which formed 760,000 years ago through a massive volcanic eruption. This geological basin still influences the hot springs and mineral-rich soils found in the area today.
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