Mono Lake

Mono Lake seen from Vista Point

North section of Mono Lake

Mountains seen from north section of Mono Lake

Mountains in distance seen from Mono Lake

Mono Lake tufa tower up close

Mono Lake tufa towers

Mono Lake tufa towers zoomed in

Mono Lake tufa towers landscape

Mono Lake tufa tower

Mono Lake wide tufa tower

Mono Lake tufa towers along shore

Mono Lake tufa towers along with storm clouds in distance

Mono Lake tufa towers with bush

Mono Lake tufa tower with storm clouds

Mono Lake tufa tower with mountains in background

Mono Lake tufa towers up close with bushes

Mono Lake tufa towers along shore with storm clouds with grass

Mono Lake tufa towers with dust storm cloud in background

Storm clouds in distance seen from Mono Lake

Background

Mono Lake is a saline soda lake located at 6,378 feet, with a maximum depth of 159 feet. It resides in Mono County, California. The lake is known for its "tufa towers," which are calcium-carbonate spires formed from interactions with freshwater springs and alkaline lake water. It is an ancient lake, over 1 million years old.

There are two main areas to walk around Mono Lake, each being about 1-mile. One is a north section, which offers views of the tufa towers at a distance, and the other is a south section which offers up close views of the tufa. I went to both of these sections and hiked them.