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Mono County

Lee Vining

Mono Basin Scenic Area Visitor Center

Discover
Places to see

United States

California

Mono County

Lee Vining

Mono Basin Scenic Area Visitor Center

Mono Basin Scenic Area Visitor Center

Recommended by 6 hikers

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    Best Hikes to Mono Basin Scenic Area Visitor Center

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    1. Mono Lake Trail Loop — Mono Lake Tufa Natural Reserve

    4.76km

    01:20

    100m

    Easy hike. Great for any fitness level. Easily-accessible paths. Suitable for all skill levels.

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    Easy

    Easy hike. Great for any fitness level. Easily-accessible paths. Suitable for all skill levels.

    Easy

    Intermediate hike. Great for any fitness level. Mostly accessible paths. Sure-footedness required.

    Intermediate

    Tips

    April 14, 2017

    Central visitor center serving the entire Mono Basin area. Usually closed in winter (Dec-Mar) with great info about Mono Lake, permits, and the trails in the adjacent Sierra Valleys between Tahoe, Yosemite, and Bishop.

    Displays explain the unique biology of the salty, alcaline water, the purchase of all water rights of the valley by the water-hungry city of Los Angeles and the drastic dropping of lake water levels after completion of the celebrated Mulholland system of canals and pipe tunnels that dried out the lake and the entire Owens valley downstream in favor of the far-away metropolis. Legal battles led to small compromises in the 1990s to raise lake levels slightly and keep minimal water for local use, but it is far from sufficient to restore the damaged natural balance.

      January 12, 2019

      The alkaline salt lake at Lee Vining is a biotope of its own. Due to the high salt content and pH, there are many rare specialized animals, such as u.a. the salt flies. However, the city is disturbed by the city of Los Angeles in its natural sense, as the city taps into the freshwater inflows. As a result, the water level has dropped. Now begins a rethinking, hopefully in time.

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        Elevation 1,990 m

        Weather

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        Sunday 28 September

        20°C

        8°C

        44 %

        If you start your activity now...

        Max wind speed: 5.0 km/h

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        Location: Lee Vining, Mono County, California, United States

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