Only Accessible By Hike, This Natural Wonder In Northern California Rivals The Dead Sea
By Jessica Moore|Published May 19, 2023
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Jessica Moore
Author
Jessica is a storm chaser, photographer, meteorologist, and writer from Colorado. As a native of this beautiful state, she grew up with a love of the outdoors, and today enjoys hiking, rafting, skiing, and photographing landscapes and storms. She is also a mom to a beautiful little girl and loves life as an entrepreneur which allows her to be fully present for her daughter. She has been a writer for OnlyInYourState for just over 1 year and loves the opportunity to combine her loves of writing and travel to bring you the most exciting content for travel destinations across the country.
Northern California’s landscape is as diverse as it is beautiful. From sweeping coastlines to rugged mountains and picturesque lakes galore, the northern reaches of the Golden State never fail to impress. But there is one unique destination that is both breathtakingly beautiful and otherworldly, and you’ll have to see it to believe it. Come take this easy hike to explore one of the most stunning natural wonders in Northern California.
Near the small town of Lee Vining in Northern California, you'll find the iconic South Tufa Loop Trail. This 0.8-mile trail is quite easy to complete in under 30 minutes, but you'll want to take your time to explore the beauty of what you're about to witness.
You'll need to pay a nominal $3 fee at the ranger station, which also happens to be located next to the trailhead. Once you embark upon the trail, you'll quickly recognize that this is no ordinary landscape.
These otherworldly tufa towers are formed by accumulating limestone deposits. They form as a result of chemical reactions between the calcium-rich underwater springs and the salts from Mono Lake to create these visually stunning formations.
If you time your visit just right, such as during sunrise or sunset, you might be lucky enough to witness these tufa towers reflecting off of Mono Lake.
If you'd like to explore a little more along this trail, you can branch off and add about 0.5 miles of distance to your easy hike. It's well worth the added time to witness a variety of viewpoints of this seemingly alien landscape.
Mono Lake is beautiful any time of year, even in winter after a fresh snowfall. South Tufa Loop Trail is an easy hike that offers some of the best views of the landscape surrounding Mono Lake, and you'll not soon forget this Northern California gem.
Have you ever hiked this easy trail around Mono Lake? If so, we’d love to hear about your experiences visiting one of the most awe-inspiring natural wonders in Northern California.
Would you like a more unique way to explore the lake? If so, then you’ll want to read on to learn all the details about how to kayak on Mono Lake.
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