Beginner-Friendly Winter Treks in Mammoth Lakes

Updated March 2020

It took me way too long to discover that I could safely take my hiking and backpacking into the fourth (winter) season and actually enjoy it! Now I love re-discovering a familiar place again when its covered in snow. This page includes some beginner-friendly trekking options in one of my favorite long weekend road trips from Los Angeles - the Mammoth Lakes area of the Eastern Sierra. These treks are great for anyone looking for a break from downhill skiing or wanting to try out snow travel whether on snowshoes or skis. Take a look at the map below for more details on the locations of these hikes.

A word of caution: winter travel in the backcountry can be dangerous and unpredictable, especially outside of groomed or maintained areas. If you’re looking to visit such areas I would highly recommend the AIARE 1 course which focuses on developing a beginner level understanding of how terrain and weather conditions affect the probability of avalanche occurrence and what to do if a partner is caught in an avalanche.

A friendly note: avoid walking in or through any ski tracks – some tracks are intentionally groomed into the trail and in other cases skiers laboriously “break trail” to pack down snow and create paths.

Minaret Vista (3 miles round trip to vista point)

This trek is best if you’re looking for a short hike with incredible views of the snow-covered backcountry including the Minarets and Ritter Range. It also conveniently begins at the Main Lodge of Mammoth Mountain with parking and shuttles available. Even though it’s so near the ski resort you’ll find solitude from skiers and snowboarders on the trail, although with the occasional snowmobile! The gradual uphill trail follows Minaret Road toward Devil’s Postpile and is frequently groomed for hikers, snowshoers, and skiers to share. After reaching the Minaret Entrance Station turn right to follow Lookout Point Rd to the vista. You can continue on the ridgeline for more views of the Sierra and east across the valley to the White Mountains, but be mindful of the caution above for backcountry travel.

Tamarack (approximately 4 miles for our route, round trip)

The Tamarack network of trails is perfect for beginner to advanced level skiing or snowshoeing and includes several lake destinations. The trails are regularly groomed and Lake Mary Road includes a public access corridor which is free to use. Use of any other trails requires a ski pass which you can pick up at the Tamarack Lodge. For our trip we followed Lake Mary Road to the Lake Mary and Lake George Loops. At Lake George we took a lunch break and enjoyed the lakeside views of Crystal Crag. For a full summary of trails visit the Tamarack website.

Obsidian Dome (3+ miles depending on loops)

If you’re looking for more solitude and a bit of an alien landscape, Obsidian Dome is a great option. There are three regularly groomed loop trails around the dome, which is a very large pile of black volcanic glass. These obsidian boulders were generated from volcanic activity in the area hundreds of years ago. See this page for more details on the Obsidian Dome geology.

The trailhead is located just off the 395 between Mammoth and June Lake. For our trip we used cross country skis and followed a trail along the side of the dome as well as a loop in the meadow area north of the dome.