Looking for Mammoth Mountain lodging? Then check out some the options below for where to stay while you explore this epic snowboarding marvel.
Located in the Eastern Sierra and one the best resorts in the US, let alone California, Mammoth offers great riding and great lodging options.
Also find out how to get there and what your transportation options are in the how to get there section below.
On-Mountain and Near-Mountain Lodging
Mammoth has a ton of on-mountain or near mountain lodging so that you can stay right there at the base or close by. Forget having to commute in the morning to get to the lifts and enjoy the convenience of staying in the middle of all the action.
If not right at the base a lot of the Mountain Lakes lodging is close by. A lot of the lodging is walking distance to the village gondola or one of the lifts or a very short drive. There is also a free shuttle available from a lot of the lodging.
Wherever you are in the area you won’t be more than a 10 minute drive from the main base area so anywhere in Mountain Lakes is a great option.
Mammoth Lakes has a population of around 8,000 locals and offers a great experience and vibe for visiting snowboarders and, dare I say it, skiers a-like.
>>Check out the options for lodging in Mammoth Lakes
Staying Further Out
There aren’t a lot of towns other than Mammoth Lakes to stay in – and that kind of adds to the appeal for me. Mammoth is very isolated giving it that real get-away-from-it-all feel. And with so many lodging options close by it’s hard to see why anyone would want to stay further out.
Carson City, Nevada, to the North of Mammoth, is the closest city and is around a 2 and a half hour drive away. Bishop is the closest town to the south and could be the other option if you wanted somewhere more isolated. It is around 50 minutes drive away so a doable distance to work with.
>>Check out the options for lodging in Bishop
How to Get There
Flying
The Mammoth Mountain ski area is just 20 minutes drive from Mammoth Yosemite Airport in Mammoth Lakes.
There are direct flights from Los Angeles (LAX) and also from San Francisco and Denver.
Driving
Access in the winter is only via US Hwy 395 from either the North or South which means that the drive from any major city in California is a decent length.
Check to make sure your planned route is accessible. Check highways here.
The big advantage of driving (apart from having a car when you get there of course), is that you can take in some stunning scenery on the way!
Rough Driving Times (dependant on traffic and conditions):
Bishop, CA: 50 minutes
Carson City, NV: 2 hours 30 minutes
Reno, NV: 3 hours 10 minutes
Bakersfield, CA: 4 hours 15 minutes
Sacramento, CA: 4 hours 30 minutes
Los Angeles: 5 hours
Las Vegas, NV: 5 hours 15 minutes
San Francisco, CA: 5 hours 45 minutes
Fresno, CA: 5 hours 45 minutes
Other Transportation:
Eastern Sierra Transit offers buses from as far north as Reno, NV to Mammoth and as far south as Lancaster, CA to Mammoth. Transport is offered weekdays. Check out their website for more details (see link above).
Mammoth Luxury Express Bus also runs a service on selected weekends from Fullerton, CA.
Learn more about the Riding on Offer
Check out the page at the link below to learn more about the riding on offer at Mammoth.
Mammoth Mountain facts, stats, trail maps and more
Have you Stayed at Mammoth Lakes?
If you’ve stayed at or stay regularly at Mammoth Lakes I’d love to hear your opinions. Any other questions or comments very welcome also.
Photo Credits from Top
Photo by k lachshand [CC BY 2.0], via Flikr
Hi Nate!
I don’t ski or snowboard but this place looks inviting and kind of makes me want to ski! It does seem like it’s almost a place you would find in a fairytale. A little village away from everything. Somewhat similar to Whistler in BC, Canada, where I live. Do you have any personal recommendations for a place to stay in Mammoth Lakes? And good thinking to provide driving times from major cities!
Hey Emily – thanks for your feedback.
Helios by the Village looks like a great option (though quite pricey). It’s super close to the Village Gondola and gets great reviews. Looking at around USD$400 a night so not for everyone.
Tamarack Lodge also looks like a good option for a much more reasonable price – it’s a bit further out but looks like a great spot with awesome views. Looks like it goes for around $USD100 per night.
Thanks for breaking all the options down! Much easier to understand.
Just curious, how much does the average on-mountain lodging cost?
Hi Doug. Great question. I think the answer depends on which ski resort you’re visiting. For Mammoth Lakes (based on Booking.com’s lodging options) it looks like anywhere from USD$80 to USD$500 per night. I think it also depends on whether there are hostel options which are usually cheaper but sometimes sell out faster.