Mono Lake is one of those landmarks that is instantly memorable once you visit. The otherworldly-ness of the tufa towers and saline waters set against the eastern Sierra Nevada are such an iconic image of those section of California. While there are a few spots where it is accessible for people to walk to the beach, don’t expect to get in the water. The super salty waters aren’t very hospitable to life, expect for a certain type of shrimp-like creatures and swarms of flies on the beaches. The location of Mono Lake makes it a very easy stop if you are heading up and down Highway 395 and sits right outside Lee Vining, the eastern gateway to Yosemite and just a little north of Mammoth Lakes.
