Mammoth Winter Wonderland, Hot Springs in the snow

Mammoth Lakes, CA is one of the gems of this Sunshine State. The Sierra Nevada mountains may not be as known or visited as the southern California beaches, but they are epic beauty in the middle of nowhere on the 395 5-hours north of Los Angeles. It’s one of the most beautiful drives you will do in your life. This drive never gets old or too long for me because of the mountain corridor you pass through. Winter is especially magical with the crazy amount of snow that Mammoth gets, especially for living in southern California. It is refreshing to get away and experience real winter and cold. The hot springs feel the most satisfying on the cold winter days.

Mammoth is also one of the best places to ski and snowboard in the winter for California with some of the best snowfall and slopes. Mammoth is truly an epic adventure destination year round with lots of different hikes, hot springs, and activities. Read about Mammoth in the summer here. Read about Mammoth in the fall here.

How to get there

Mammoth is about a 5 hour drive outside of Los Angeles/Orange County area. This is also the closest most legitimate mountain for snow sports, skiing, and snowboarding near LA besides. The next closest is Tahoe (8 hours away). Mammoth Lakes is up the 395 coming through the mountain pass. Traveling in the winter you need to check the road conditions. Chains are required, and the 395 get slots of snow fall. Check the weather conditions here.

Mammoth Mountain

Tickets

You save up to 40% online with Mammoth if you buy 5 days or more at once of mountain access. These tickets are also valid at June Mountain on the same day except for beginner tickets. Multi-day tickets are valid at June as well. Afternoon tickets are sold at 25% discount at the ticket window. A 1 day ticket for an adult is about $130 online and $150 walk in. One week ticket is $794. Find out more about tickets on their site here.

Beginner Tickets

Only available for purchase at the ticket window, these discounted tickets offer lift access to beginner chairlifts only (Chairs 7, 11, 15 & 17) and do not allow you to ski/ride the entire mountain.

Adult	(18–64)	$69
Teen	(13–18)	$57
Child	(5–12)	$28
Senior	(65–79)	$57

Ski/Snowboard Season Passes

Mammoth & June unlimited

This is a pass with no black out days that includes both Mammoth and June Mountain. The ages for who counts as an adult, child, teen and senior are found below. Read more about this pass here.

Adult Mammoth + June Pass 18/19 your cost $1,299.00 Tourism Assessment $25.98
Child Mammoth + June Pass 18/19 your cost $719.00 Tourism Assessment $14.38
Teen Mammoth + June Pass 18/19 your cost $1,050.00 Tourism Assessment $21.00
Senior Mammoth + June Pass 18/19 your cost $1,299.00 Tourism Assessment $25.98

Adult 18–64
Child 5–12
Teen 13–17
Senior  65+

Mountain Collective Pass

• 34 Days at the World’s Greatest Winter Destinations
• 2 Days at 17 Resorts + 50% Off Additional Days
• No black out days
• Read more about this pass here

Cross Country Ski Pass

This pass covers 19 plus miles in the Mammoth backcountry basin to ski. Read more about this pass here.

Cost

Adult Tamarack Cross Country Ski Season Pass 2018/19 your cost $379.00
Child Tamarack Cross Country Ski Season Pass 2018/19 your cost $50.00
Teen Tamarack Cross Country Ski Season Pass 2018/19 your cost $299.00
Senior Tamarack Cross Country Ski Season Pass 2018/19 your cost $299.00

Resort/Lodging

There are hotel rooms, cabins, campsites, and studios. You can find somewhere to stay on any budget. I like to rent a small cabin, but you can check out their lodging options at the resort here and see what is offered.

Cost: $79-$500/night depending on room type and season

Lessons

Private

Duration	Start Time	Price*
1-Hour	Any Time	From $190
3-Hour	9AM or 12:45PM	From $575
6-Hour	9AM	From $850

Adult Group Lessons

Book any same day lesson for only $59. Check out all the lessons and pricing here.

Kids Group Lessons

Kid lessons include a lift ticket for the day of the lesson! This is not always true at ski resorts, when it does, it’s a great deal.

Rentals

All rental information and booking for same day rentals, premium locker storage rental service included, and other options click here.

Adult 1 Day Standard Snowboard Rental Package
location: ML RENTAL
start date 3/1/2019
your cost $54.00
Tourism Assessment $0.81

Adult 1 Day Standard Ski Rental Package location: ML RENTAL  start date 3/1/2019 your cost $54.00 Tourism Assessment $0.81

Weather

• Updated weather information on the mountain can be found here
• Weather and mountain live cams can be found on the top right bar of their website here

Mammoth Budget Cabins

Mammoth has some of the best cozy, budget cabins for winter weekend getaways. I found a small run cabin business by a woman who owns a small neighborhood of a grouping of 4 cabins about 30 minutes outside of Mammoth Lakes, CA. Her cabins are between Bishop and Mammoth Lakes. They are in a quiet area a mile out from Convict Lake on the 395 and 10 minutes from all the cool hot springs outside of the city of Mammoth. My favorite place is Studio Loft Cabin, unfortunately, it is no longer listed on Airbnb, and I don’t know if it is still available. If it’s still for rent, it’s an amazing budget option.

Studio Loft Cabin

Cost: $80/night

Location: 131 Crowley Lake Drive # 4, Mammoth Lakes, CA 93546, United States

Directions (from SOUTH):

Getting to the cabin can be tricky. You need to find Crowley Lake Dr, LONG VALLEY, but there are lost of exits on the 395 that say Crowley lake. Start paying attention to the signs AFTER, you cross the bridge that has the lake to the right, and the Crowley Lake-town to your left, then look for a left turn off the highway called Crowley Lake Dr, LONG VALLEY. It comes up fast so be careful. Once you go through the cattle crossing, count the houses on your left. It’s the third building on the left with a bunch of mail boxes in front of the parking lot.

Mammoth Hot Springs

Mammoth was once a volcanic Caldera. This allows for the hot water in the earth to form hot springs. They are still in backcountry free land, which is open to the public. The hot springs are one of the best parts of Mammoth with a 365-degree view of the beautiful mountains. There are countless hot springs in the backcountry down an unmarked dirt back roads. Don’t worry, I am going to tell you how to find them. The hot springs are the absolute best to visit in the winter because it’s freezing cold and there is ice and snow everywhere. It makes all the more satisfying while you soak in the warm springs. Beanies are a must when sitting in the springs in the cold. Also, be warned there are quite the weed community and hippy van life crowd of naked hippies who mostly occupy the tubs. You will be sharing with quite a few other people, many of whom will be naked. There is no shortage of interesting people to interact with and hear their life story and thoughts, whether you want to or not. This is the, “turn right at the church and go out 3 cattle gates” type of exploring on the dirt back roads for this adventure. Be respectful and pack in and out all of your trash. Take care of the springs, the land, and the water. Leave no trace.

How to get there

The hot springs are all located outside of Mammoth Lakes off of the 395 before you come into town. The first turn is at the road with a little, old, green church. If you are coming from the south you turn right and if you are coming from the North from Mammoth lakes you turn left. This is Benton Crossing Road. The back road that leads to all of the epic hot springs. You can immediately take the first left on Whitmore Tub Rd. to the Whitmore, Crabcooker, and Shepherd Tubs. For Wild Willy’s you need to count how many cattle gates you cross after turning on to Benton Crossing Road. When you go over the third cattle grate, then look for your next right and take that road to Wild Willy Tub. Finally, again keep in mind when you pass the third cattle grate, keep going past the turn for Willy’s, then you’ll go up a slight hill and start to go down, at the bottom there is a left hand turn onto a dirt road. Turn left and head to the small dirt parking lot, from there, you need to walk out on the wooden path to the Hilltop Tub

Wild Willy’s Hot Spring (also known as Crowley’s)

This is the largest of the Mammoth Hot Springs and is able to fit up to 30 people. There are two main pool areas. The smaller circular pool is off to the left in the brush. There is a long wood slatted walkway that goes from the parking lot out to the springs leading the way. The wood walkway leads to the main, largest pool. This is the more lukewarm of the two. The hot water is coming from the narrow top section that is a skinny river area. The bigger round pool at the base of the springs is the coldest section of this tub. This is definitely not the hottest of the tubs to go to and is definitely the most crowded with people in the winter because all the skiers and snowboarders come to relax after a day on the slopes. This being the biggest tub is also the most naked of all of them with people feeling more freedom to go in the nude. This tub is between 95-100 degrees.

Hilltop Tub

This is one of the smallest tubs available in Mammoth. It is a very intimate tub that only fits about 4-6 people, depending on how much you squeeze. This is also the hottest tub available that is controlled by pipes and a valve like a real bathtub made out of the rock, letting spring water trickle in from the outside and control the temperature. This is definitely the coolest and most relaxing, real spa of all the tubs. It is also one of the most crowded and fought over. You can see when you pull in how many cars are in the parking lot and guess if you can fit based on the cars. There is a pretty good influx of people in and out being considerate and taking turns. This tub is also on a bit of a hill that you hike out onto with another set of wooden walkway planks that have been built. The spring is almost indiscernible from the parking lot. You need to walk down the dirt road away from the road until you come to a metal gate and then walk past that onto wooden plank walkway to go deeper into the brush and begin to ascend the small hill to the tub at the top. This place also has the best views of the mountains of all the springs, in my opinion.

Whitmore Tub

This is the first hot springs option once you get onto Benton Crossing road from the 395. It is the first turn on your left called Whitmore Tub Road. The tub is just down the road on the right and you can’t miss it. This is a smaller tub comparable to Hilltop size (4-6 people). This is more of a locals tub that many visitors, hikers, and skiers don’t go back into because it is one of the lesser known and visited tubs.

CrabCooker

This is one of the tubs further off the main road than Wild Willy’s or Hilltop which make it and others less populated and also the less popular tub experiences of visitors for sure. Crab Cooker is after Whitmore Tub 1.5 miles down Whitmore Tub Road. This is more of a locals tub as well. Really all of the tubs down Whitmore Road are not as populated as Willy’s and Hilltop. This tub has a nice small bench outside of it as well. This is probably the smallest tub, even smaller than hilltop. This is the hilltop experience without the crowd.

Shepherd’s Hot Spring

This is the final tub down Whitmore Tub Road that is the first left on Benton Crossing Road for the hot springs. This tub is another 1.5 miles from Crab Cooker. But there is a parking area that you can walk to both springs through the brush. These two tubs are in the same area. It’s a smaller and less populated tub with mostly locals. This is another pipe fed hot tub like Hilltop so you can adjust the temperature, unlike Willy’s.

Dispersed Camping

What is it?

“Dispersed camping is the term used for camping anywhere in the National Forest OUTSIDE of a designated campground. Dispersed camping means no services, such as trash removal, tables, or toilets. There are extra responsibilities and skills that are necessary for dispersed camping. Camping rules and regulations apply to make your experience safe, and to keep the natural resources scenic and unspoiled for other campers. ” -USDA Forest Service

Dispersed Camping Regulations from the USDA Forest Service

“Land Management: Dispersed camping has to do with land management. Any land that is owned by the Forest Service or Bureau of Land Management is free to camp on. This article by the state shows the legal rules of dispersed camping and in what areas. Mammoth Lakes and anywhere like June lake near an actual lake is a restricted area that doesn’t allow dispersed camping. This is why the hot springs outside the city are the perfect place on public land to camp.

Length of Stay: On Inyo National Forest land, you may camp up to 28 days out of six months in any one ranger district (there are 4 ranger districts on the Inyo –Mt. Whitney, White Mountain, Mammoth, and Mono Lake). Always check with your local ranger station.

Restricted Use Areas: Certain high-use recreation zones, including those along paved roads leading into the mountains, are not open to dispersed camping (see Inyo National Forest map). Dispersed camping is not allowed in the following areas: Horseshoe Meadow, Onion Valley, Big Pine Creek, Bishop Creek, Rock Creek, McGee Creek, Convict Lake, Mammoth Lakes, Reds Meadow Valley, June Lakes Loop, Lee Vining Canyon, Lundy Canyon, Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest, and any research area.

Locating a Dispersed Campsite: Look for an area at the end of a spur road or a pullout that is clear of vegetation and has a hard, compacted surface. These sites might have a primitive fire ring. Stay on established roadways; do not drive off-road to camp. Try to select a campsite at least 100 feet from lakes and streams.

Campfires and Fire Permits: If you plan to build a campfire or use a barbeque or camp stove, you must obtain a campfire permit from a Forest Service, BLM, or CalFire office. You must have a shovel and a container of water (for drowning the fire). Clear an area least 5 feet wide all the way around your fire ring down to mineral soil. During times of high fire danger, camp fires are prohibited; always check with the local fire office or ranger station for fire restrictions.”

Inyo National Forest Dispersed Camping Information

There is a helpful map with legal dispersed spots to camp as well as great information about building campfires and other tips you can find in a PDF here.

Remember: LEAVE NO TRACE. Pack it in, pack it out.

For their full definition and list of rules check the USDA’s Forest Service site here. Mammoth has a lot of BLM (Burea of Land Management) public land that is legal to camp on. The hot springs area opens up access with a lot of dirt roads to land in Mammoth that is outside the city and is available for camping. There is a lot of van life folks you will meet and see staying here near the springs in the parking lots. The best places to camp are backpacking everything out and supplies into the land on some of the trails and camping near the springs. This is another fun way to guarantee whether late at night or early in the morning that you can have the springs to yourself and jump in them before anybody else. My favorite spot I usually camp is at Hilltop Tub on the top of that hill a good distance from the actual springs. The parking lot is not too far away, making it possible to hike and haul in stuff to camp overnight. Dispersed camping does not mean leave your stuff or campsite up during the day. You must pack in and pack out your camping gear every day and night because it is public land and not reserved or paid for by you. As well as the safety of your gear and supplies from animals and other people. Really, it’s awesome to just drive out on any of these rodes and pitch a tent by the hot springs. Down the Whitmore Road will probably be more private and less trafficked becaue there are a lot more people that show up to Willy’s and Hilltop.

Packing

Mammoth in all seasons gets pretty cold at night, and you at all times need the correct layers and gear to be safe hiking and adventuring. There is real gear for hiking, camping, and backpacking that is needed to be safe and prepared. For a good hiking and camping gear checklist read here. For hiking clothes, layering and backpacking clothes recommendations read here.