Start here! If this…read moreis your first time visiting Mono Lake, this is the place you should start! The visitor center is full of wonderful information about geological, ecology and cultural history of Mono Lake and its surroundings. The Rangers working in the visitor center are extremely friendly and helpful. You can easily spend a couple of hours in there and not even feel the passing of time! The view from the back yard of the visitor center is great. If you step outside with a camera I am sure it will be clicking fast! If you are into hiking or photography, ask the rangers for a map of the area and their recommendations for best photo opportunity spots.

The Mono Basin Visitor Center is the go-to spot to learn more about this amazing part of the state…read moreand its unique wildlife and history. I was on an epic trip through the area (stop over at the county park to the north of here for a secluded boardwalk into the lake) in the late summer and made this a destination. The views of the lake from here are outstanding, on a clear day you can see across the entire lake. I love the extensive displays available to learn about the geology, hydrology, geography and life of the lake. Watch out for the giant brine shrimp display, that isn freaked me out. The location is easy to find and the turnoff from the highway is easy to use (can get hairy in this part of the state crossing highways). I loved all the great native plant and stone displays around the center. This allows you to learn about the area even when it is closed. I liked the extensive info on the plantings and the different strategies they have adapted to live here. There are also a few info boards near the parking lot that go over the same stuff as inside. I did not take any hikes form here due to the hill it is on (who want's to walk back up?). Try other trails in the area, such as that near the south shore tufa. The staff are very helpful, answering any esoteric questions you may have to the best of their ability. Very nice gift shop as well, got my Mono Lake postcards here. Minus one star for an off-topic ranger talk, which instead of being about the hydrology of the area was all about climate change and guilt-tripping everyone. I don't need your proselytizing about my behavior if you don't see anything wrong with what I'm doing here at the center, what I need is natural history information to better understand this area. I left 20 mins into the talk after waiting around for an hour for it to start. Boo that! Anytime you would like to know more about Mono Lake, head over to the Basin Visitor Center for an extensive education and mostly friendly staff.

I just returned from a weekend of fly-fishing lessons with David and I cannot say enough good…read morethings about him and the overall experience that we had. Fly-fishing was something I'd been wanting to do for decades and our weekend of lessons/guiding by David resulted in an amazing positive experience for us. David's passion for fly fishing and for the elements that compose the environment where we fished were greatly appreciated. David is not only extremely knowledgeable on all aspects of fly-fishing, but when he learned we have an appreciation of the local environment there too, he gladly shared lots of his knowledge with us. This included the environment and life cycle of the various species of trout where we fished and their food source, trout fishing up in the high country, the many various types of birds and other wildlife in the environment, some ranching history, etc. His local knowledge of where to fish in the Bishop area was on point. Both days we were at nearby locations that were easy to get to and extremely scenic, but with virtually no other fishermen or other people around. David's enthusiasm for fly-fishing was evident from the beginning. We got us geared up and on the water quickly, and his teaching was mostly hands-on with just a few minutes of coaching before we got our lines in the water, then further coaching from there as we progressed. Before long we were catching beautiful and healthy trout. When we'd hook up David was right there to guide us on how to keep the fish on and safely land and release it. As our skills and comfort on the water increased David would introduce new techniques to us and guide us to other close-by spots to wade into and fish. We caught numerous trout of various species both days. He provided all the fishing-related gear to us and everything worked flawlessly. We had minimal snags and lost flies, and when we did he was on it quickly to get us back fishing. His stoke for fly-fishing and the Sierra is contagious and I plan on getting out there again with him. I highly recommend Sierra Trout Magnet!

Another great trout fishing experience in Lower Owens with Dave! He knows all the right spots and…read moreprovides expert guidance throughout the trip. Highly recommended for beginners, a refresher, and advanced anglers alike, #GOAT! Thank you, Dave!

Beautiful hotel on the way to our camping trip, stayed here two separate times. It's right on the…read moremain street so if you're towing a trailer it's perfect. They do not provide trailer parking, but there's a park across the street with RV parking. The hotel is gorgeous with a rustic, elevated, cabin feel. Has a small creek in the middle of it with relaxing chairs and fire pits. The Jacuzzi was also very lovely, we spent a very lovely afternoon /evening there. We also had a pet friendly room that accommodated our 2 small dogs. They have areas for the dogs to go potty, which is awesome. They also have an outstanding lobby bar / lounging are that was very relaxing. Diego the bartender was outstanding on both separate times we stayed there. The food is delicious. I highly recommend the Caesar salad with grilled chicken, the mushroom pizza and the barbecue chicken pizza. The bed was hard and uncomfortable, and there was hard water on the bathroom, shower glass, but it happens. Some people prefer soft beds. Some people prefer firmer beds. I understand that. Yes, it's on the more expensive side, but it's a gorgeous hotel and people shouldn't complain. If it's too much then don't book it ! The cancellation policies & prices are upfront so I don't understand why people complain about that.

One star. I had a reservation, but I never even set foot on the property…read more Our upcoming trip to the area was disrupted by the Rock Fire in Inyo County, forcing us to change our travel plans. Before booking, travelers should understand that Wayfinder appears to enforce its cancellation policy even when a major wildfire prevents the original trip from taking place. The hotel offered to convert my one night reservation into a credit, but only if I selected and confirmed new travel dates within 48 hours. In my view, that is not a reasonable accommodation. When travel is unexpectedly disrupted by a natural disaster, it can take weeks or months to determine when a replacement trip will be possible. A more customer-friendly approach would be to issue a credit valid for 6-12 months and allow guests to book new dates when their plans are finalized. We also discussed moving the reservation forward by one night to accommodate our revised itinerary. While I understand that weekend rates are higher, the additional cost would have been several hundred dollars, making that option impractical. As a result, I lost the cost of one night's stay and will not be booking with Wayfinder in the future. This was my first experience with the company, and unfortunately it left me with the impression that there is little flexibility for guests facing extraordinary circumstances beyond their control. Management already has my contact information. I hope you'll reconsider and issue a credit that can be used within the next year, rather than requiring a new reservation to be booked within 48 hours.

I love small airports. It's quick in and out. This one is cute what a small Thai restaurant. We…read moredidn't get a chance to try it because it was closed when we flew out. But if you're flying out that day and have your boarding pass they give you 10% off. TSA was quick even though they don't have a designated TSA precheck. Keeping that in mind you have to take out your iPads and kindles. It was really neat being about to see the plane land and pull in to the gate.

Cute, friendly, small airport. There's only one gate, one baggage claim, one security checkpoint,…read moreand one waiting room. There are two car rental companies. Shuttles available to take you to Mammoth Lakes (reservations are necessary). There's also a Thai restaurant that's probably as big as the airport itself with good food. The restaurant is very strict with where you but your bags. The airport doesn't service a lot of people so you can leave your bags at the check in counter. Overall, a hassle-less airport.

Plane landed in Bishop 90 mins ago and we waited for another plane to deplane and grab luggage so…read moreit will take us 3 hours to get to our Mammoth Village accommodations, not the hour that was advertised. Do yourself a favor and rent a car so you don't have to deal with MAWS.

If you are going to or from the Mammoth Airport, they are very bad at communicating with Advanced…read moreAir at Mammoth Airport. If your flight is delayed or arrives late you will be left without a pick-up as I was . There was no communication after that to resolve the issue . On my return to Los Angeles my flight was delayed, and the dispatch was unable to handle a change of pick up time. It's really only a 4 mile drive to the airport. Don't need to be there two hours early. I'm very disappointed in their service.

We had a great stay at J Diamond Mobile Ranch in Bishop! The location is absolutely perfect --…read moreright in town and within walking distance of restaurants, shops, the park, and Schat's Bakery. Super added bonus, because everything there was so delicious. It was so convenient being able to park the RV and explore Bishop without having to drive everywhere. The park has a really nice, there was a lot of trees and a little creek running through the property. It honestly a nice relaxing break from traveling and exploring. Our site was quiet, and the staff were friendly, welcoming, and helpful throughout our stay. We really appreciated having full hookups and all the basics we needed. It's not a huge resort-style RV park, but that's not what we were looking for. For us, the combination of location, convenience, quiet atmosphere, and friendly people made it a great place to stay. If you're traveling through Bishop, I'd definitely recommend J Diamond Mobile Ranch. We'd happily stay here again! And plan to!

This campground/ RV park is located in the most prime location, right behind the yummy Schat's…read moreBakery. My family and I have stayed here multiple times throughout the years on the way to camping, and it has always been a pleasure. The park is rustic and beautiful, in an old, nostalgic sort of way. Dogs and kids playing, baby ducks everywhere, lots of trees and a creek. Overall a lovely place that I recommend stopping at. Only thing is the parking spots are more narrow. If you have a really large RV, it is harder to park.

Stayed here after a visit to mammoth lakes. The staff were very friendly at check in and check out…read more It's located in their downtown area so there are lots of food options and things to do like bars and a brewery. Room was clean and everything worked. The breakfast was clean and fully stocked and they had a working pancake machine. Will definitely stay here again if we are in the area.

We stayed here last Friday night. (Before heading in to Death Valley National Park.)…read moreThe location on Main Street is super convenient, walkable to restaurants, and easy to get in and out of Bishop. Staff were friendly. The hotel was clean and up to date decoration and amenity-wise, they have a beautiful pool, and an included breakfast. It was super cute, convenient, and we'd definitely stay here again.

Definitely better than another Choice Hotel that we stayed at recently. We make this drive from…read moreIdaho to California quite often but typically don't stay in Bishop. This was our first time and we had our dog so finding a pet friendly hotel that's decent, is always a challenge. This one checked all the boxes. It's close to the bakery and walking distance to other fast food and eateries. Parking can be tricky if you get there too late. But there were more spaces on the other side that we didn't know about until we walked our dog. There's also a bowling alley nearby. We only stayed for one night and it really was more like a 12- hour stay but it was enough to get rested, fed and our room was comfortable. The breakfast selection was pretty well stocked. It's a grab and go style so we were able to take it on the road with us. I would consider staying here again.

I wanted to love this place because I love the name and the pictures looked nice. It's one of the…read morepriciest places to stay in Bishop so I expected to feel like it's an upgrade from the other motels. It is an upgrade, but still very much a motel, not a hotel. Pros: The entrance is nice. I can tell they upgraded it recently. Looks clean and I can see the effort made to make it nice. They have water and ice in the lobby, which is nice. The fitness room is decent for a motel. Breakfast isn't much but it's filling. It works. It's toast, cereal, bagels, egg whites, oatmeal, yogurt, bananas, apples, milk, peanut butter, jelly, cream cheese and coffee. It's not gourmet but it works. The breakfast place is nice, clean and upgraded. I do feel like they try their best to make this place comfortable. The effort shows. I love that the entrance to the rooms is indoors. It's walking distance to restaurants and the park. I'm assuming this is the downtown. I had a dog and they were very friendly and accommodating. I love that they have a bathtub. I have toddlers so it was a nice way to bathe them. Plenty of parking. Cons: One of the major disappointments for me is the wifi. It's extremely slow. This is a big major point for me because I have to work on my laptop and when videos aren't loading it's difficult to work. The doors look old and outdated. It just lowers the aesthetic. There are no elevators, which I already knew. I can overlook that though, my main compliant is the WiFi, especially for the price.