Experience the Sierras: Best Day Hikes in Mammoth Lakes

"Hiking in the Eastern Sierra is spectacular year-round," writes VisitMammoth.com. "In spring, the sharp and craggy granite peaks of the Sierra Nevada Range form a dramatic backdrop for meadows brightly colored by wildflowers. In the summer, you'll never tire of finding secret alpine lakes, lush aspen-lined streams and forested hideaways tucked away in the mountains. In fall, early snow in the high country contrasts beautifully with the vibrant golds and oranges of aspens and willows alight with their display of autumn colors."

The wide range of recommended hikes in this guidebook will allow you to experience the best that Mammoth's seasons have to offer. Here, you'll find everything from short family-friendly jaunts to scenic overlooks to hikes that are so ambitious that some people turn them into overnight backpacking trips. Yet for most reasonably fit hikers, all of the routes in this guidebook are achievable as a single day hike.

If you're looking for more than a mere day hike, two of the most iconic long-distance backpacking trails in the world run through the mountains right above town: the John Muir Trail and the Pacific Crest Trail run concurrently through this region.