Mono Lake Tufa State Natural Reserve, Protected limestone formations at Mono Lake, California.
Mono Lake Tufa State Natural Reserve protects otherworldly limestone spires that formed where mineral-rich springs met the lake's alkaline water. The reserve spans both the shoreline and shallow offshore areas where these pale towers rise from the surface.
These formations developed over thousands of years as the lake level shifted and springs continued to deposit minerals. California recognized the area's scientific value and made it a protected state reserve in 1981.
The reserve lies on Mono Lake's south shore, 2 miles north of Lee Vining and 15 miles east of Yosemite. The Kutzadika'a, a Northern Paiute band, took their name from the alkali fly pupae they harvested from the lake, and the Mono Lake Committee now works with park rangers on visitor services.
You can walk the shoreline and out to the towers via marked paths, with the South Tufa area offering the most accessible routes. Bring sun protection and water, as the open landscape offers little shade and the sun reflects off pale rocks.
The tufa towers are limestone columns formed underwater where calcium-rich springs met carbonate-rich lake water; some rise about 3 metres. They became visible only after the lake level dropped from water diversions, and the reserve was created in 1981 to protect them.
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