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Mono Lake Tufa State Natural Reserve
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MONO LAKE TUFA STATE NATURAL RESERVE
MONO LAKE TUFA STATE NATURAL RESERVE
Lee Vinning, California   93541

Phone: 760-647-6331
Email: park email button icon
The reserve was established to preserve the spectacular "tufa towers," calcium-carbonate spires and knobs formed by interaction of freshwater springs and alkaline lake water. It also protects the lake surface itself as well as the wetlands and other sensitive habitat for the 1 ? 2 million birds that feed and rest at Mono Lake each year.

Mono Lake is a majestic body of water covering about 65 square miles. It is an ancient lake, over 1 million years old -- one of the oldest lakes in North America. It has no outlet.

Throughout its long existence, salts and minerals have washed into the lake from Eastern Sierra streams. Freshwater evaporating from the lake each year has left the salts and minerals behind so that the lake is now about 2 1/2 times as salty as the ocean and very alkaline.
Visitors Center
The Mono Basin Scenic Area Visitor Center is a great place to start your visit to this area. The center is located just off Highway 395, north of Lee Vining and includes a variety of exhibits about the natural and human history of the Mono Basin. Visitor center staff stand ready to help you plan your explorations of Mono Lake and the Eastern Sierra. The Visitor Center is closed Dec. 1 - March 31.
Camping
The State Natural Reserve is surrounded by the Mono Basin National Forest Scenic Area, operated by the Forest Service. There are no campgrounds in the State Natural Reserve or the Scenic Area. Dispersed camping is permitted in most of the Scenic Area above the exposed lake bed lands. Campfire permits are required. Established campgrounds are located nearby in Lundy Canyon, Lee Vining Canyon, and the June Lake Loop.
Boating
All types of boating are permitted on Mono Lake, although access is restricted to all islands between April 1 and August 1 each year to protect the nesting gulls. Boaters must not approach within 200 yards of Osprey nesting sites located on offshore tufa towers April 1st through Sept. 1st. It is advisable to stay near shore while boating and to be alert for sudden high winds. We recommend launching canoes and kayaks at Navy Beach, on the south shore, where a parking lot is close to the water. For those with boats too large to carry, an unimproved launch ramp is available near Lee Vining Creek. Stop by the Scenic Area Visitor Center for directions or for more information.


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Mono Lake Tufa State Natural Reserve is


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Area Campgrounds
June Lake RV Park
155 Crawford Street
June Lake, CA
760-648-7967
Nearby Hotels
Booking.com

Directions
Highway 395, 13 miles east of Yosemite National Park, near the town of Lee Vining, California.

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California
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California State Parks

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