Lee Vining

If you are visiting Mono Lake, the Panum Crater Trail is not to be missed! From 395, take highway 120 east for about 2.5 miles. Look for a small wooden sign for Panum Crater and turn left onto a dirt road. If you reach the turn-off to the South Tufa Area, you have gone too far! After about a mile on the dirt road, you will reach the a dead end, and the parking area underneath the crater. The tr...

This past spring, I got the urge to photograph the Milky Way over the other-worldly landscape of Mono Lake, a large, desert saline lake at the edge of the eastern Sierras in California. One of the the lake's defining features is it’s incredible tufa rock formations, a variety of limestone. The eastern Sierra is also known for it's dark night skies, which make the perfect backdrop for light pai...

Many people visit Mono Lake for a quick photo opportunity of the South Tufa. When I discovered camping was allowed on the North side of the lake, I knew I had to experience it and share.You head East on Cemetery Rd. just North of Lee Vining. This road turns into a dirt road, which will require you to stay right on a fork. You will see a sign directing you to Black Point, which will require a ri...

This area is such a great way to spend time exploring. It's a lot different than what it's surrounded by, making it a great change of pace in the Eastern Sierra.Just East of Lee Vining, California is Black Point, which sits on the North side of the massive Mono Lake...Which used to be an underwater Volcano. A quick couple miles down a dirt road leads you to a dead end parking lot where you can ...

Mono Lake is was formed at least 760,000 years ago, making it one of North America's oldest lake. Explore the coastline of this unique lake filled with unusual rock formations called tufas. Photograph the tufa towers with the majestic mountains in the background. The towers can make for some very dramatic photos, especially at sunset. The water has a very high salt levels which makes a swim i...

Directions (from south of June Lake): 395 northTurn right onto the 158Keep right at fork onto Parker Lake Rd and go about 0.5 milesTurn right at first right and head all the way to the top until you hit a parking lot/camping ground/trail head From North of June Lake: 395 southTurn left at 158Keep right at fork onto Parker Lake Rd and go about 0.5 milesTurn right at first right and head all the ...