Back to Explore
State park

Mono Lake Tufa State Reserve

California

About

Mono Lake Tufa State Reserve is a California state park managed by State Park and Recreation, about 10 miles from the town of Lee Vining. It sits within the Mono Lake Ranger District of Inyo National Forest, and the reserve itself is the main unit. Summer and early fall are the most comfortable times to visit. Typical averages from a nearby weather station in Lee Vining show July highs around 84°F and September highs near 76°F, with lows in the mid-40s. Winters are cold, with January highs around 41°F and lows near 21°F. Several other outings lie within about 10 miles. The Navy Beach Trail is about 6 miles away, and the Panum Crater Plug Trail and Panum Crater - Rim are each under 8 miles off. The Mono Lake Trail is about 9.5 miles away.

Park size

47,314 acres

Inside this park

Loading conditions...
Get Directions

Location

Mono Lake Tufa State Reserve

California

Data source: USGS PAD-US 4.1 (Protected Areas Database, public domain)

Facts about this place

When to go

Best time to go: May–Oct. The mildest months here, with typical highs of 65–84°F and lows of 36–54°F.

Typical monthly averages (not a forecast) from the Lee Vining, CA weather station, 9.5 mi away. High / low in °F.

  1. Jan41° high21° low
  2. Feb44° high23° low
  3. Mar51° high28° low
  4. Apr58° high32° low
  5. May66° high40° low
  6. Jun77° high47° low
  7. Jul84° high54° low
  8. Aug83° high52° low
  9. Sep76° high45° low
  10. Oct65° high36° low
  11. Nov53° high28° low
  12. Dec42° high22° low

Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020

Where it is

Nearest town
Lee Vining, California · 9.7 mi
Managed by
State Park and Recreation

Source: USFS EDW boundaries; USGS PAD-US 4.1; USGS GNIS populated places

Conditions

Active alerts for Inyo National Forest as of Oct 9, 2026:

Source: USFS forest alerts

Nearby

Source: Roamze catalog (indexable pages within 10 miles, PostGIS distance)

Is Mono Lake Tufa State Reserve open right now?

Alert in the area

The Forest Service lists 4 alerts for Inyo National Forest.

As of · Source: USFS · Inyo National Forest. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.

Best time to visit Mono Lake Tufa State Reserve

Best months: April–October. Best months have typical highs of 55–85 °F, lows of 30 °F or warmer (32 °F where the station doesn't record snow), at most one snowy day and no more than 12 wet days.

  1. Jan

    41° / 21°

    6 wet

  2. Feb

    44° / 23°

    7 wet

  3. Mar

    51° / 28°

    6 wet

  4. Apr

    58° / 32°

    4 wet

  5. May

    66° / 40°

    4 wet

  6. Jun

    77° / 47°

    3 wet

  7. Jul

    84° / 54°

    3 wet

  8. Aug

    83° / 52°

    3 wet

  9. Sep

    76° / 45°

    2 wet

  10. Oct

    65° / 36°

    3 wet

  11. Nov

    53° / 28°

    4 wet

  12. Dec

    42° / 22°

    6 wet

Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Lee Vining, CA, 9.5 mi away at 6,797 ft. We don't have this place's elevation, so higher spots nearby can run cooler. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.