Hi,

We are planning to visit Mono Lake/Tuolumne Meadows in two weeks. We only have the weekend for this trip (Most of Friday/Satuday and Sunday).

Can you please suggest any sights that are not to be missed. I am specially interested in locations that have spectacular views for photography. Small hikes should be ok as well. I will have quite a bit of Photo Equipment and will not be able to do streneous hikes.

Does it make sense to just concentrate on Tuolumne Meadows for this trip and visit Mono Lake in a different trip?

Also, we are planning to stay in Mammoth Lakes as it was difficult to find accomodation in Lee Vining and June Lake areas. Is this a good idea ( Considering that I will have to be at these locations just before sunrise)?

Appreciate your comments.

Mammoth Lakes to the turn off to 120 is 25 minutes. It's a nice drive. You can do both Mono and TM. Starting early in the am vist Mono Lake. It's an unshaded place and can get really hot there.

Head to TM but first stop for lunch supplies at teh Tioga Gas station on your left just as you turn onto Tioga Pass. Inside is the delicious Whoa Nellie Deli.

Head out to TM and make sure you stop at Teneya Lake, Olmstead Point (super pic opportunities)

Took some spectacular photos a few years ago from the middle of Toulumne Meadows with Unicorn Peak in the background and loads of flowers in the foreground up close. Had to lay on the trail and point my camera up through the flowers to get the shot since the flowers weren't more than 5 inches high. Be sure you try to stay on the trails in the meadow areas to avoid damaging the fragile sub-alpine plants and soil.

The area near the river right outside the campground (near Lembert Dome) is lovely and you can get shots with the river and some large purple lupine with Lembert in the background. We have seen numerous deer in this area early in the morning and right before dusk.

I second the idea of Olmsteadt point, but don't miss Tenaya Lake. It is so pretty in my photos. Go on the south shore (I think it's south - it is the side closest to Olmstedt, not the sandy beach on the side closest to TM). A very short hike from the road to the shore yeilds a lovely shot of the lake with the granite peaks in the background. You can also get shots of the lake from the road coming back from Olmsteadt.

If you wanted to do any research prior to your visit we should probably provide you with the correct spellings of places:

Olmsted Point, which a great stop for stunning views, was named after the wel-known landscape architect and early Yosemite overseer Frederick Law Olmsted. If you are familiar with the book Devil in the White City you also know he was the landscape architect of the Chicago World's Fair.

Tenaya Lake was named after the Chief of the Ahwaneechees who protested the name change since he believed it already had a name, Pie-we-ack, or "Lake of the Shining Rocks" Now the granite dome at the east end of the lake has that name.

Try to pick out Fairview Dome and Lembert Dome. There are stops along the way and you can walk the Tuolumne Meadows Trail

Suzie,Dbaker

Thanks so much for your suggestions.

There wonderful pictures to be taken around Mammoth lakes too. Mono lake will not take too much time to visit. Just remember to take the photos with the Sierra Nevada mountains as a background.Have you been to Yosemite,in the valley, yet. You sure need a lot of film or memory cards there. Greetings from Belgium.Paul