Minaret Vista Trail 1.2 mi

  • Located within Mammoth Mountain Ski Area but open to the public with no fee required, this trail starts from behind the Mammoth Mountain Inn and climbs gently for 1.5 miles through a forest of red fir and lodgepole pine, following the course of Minaret Road to the parking and picnic area at Minaret Vista. At the vista, on the open saddle of San Joaquin Ridge looking out over the upper San Joaquin drainage from the Junction Bluffs to the sheer wall of the Minarets and the Ritter Range, a variety of signs and viewing tubes serve to interpret the geology and individual features of this unique wilderness landscape. Winter access is by snowmobile, snowshoes or skis.

  • Located within Mammoth Mountain Ski Area but open to the public with no fee required, this trail starts from behind the Mammoth Mountain Inn and climbs gently for 1.5 miles through a forest of red fir and lodgepole pine, following the course of Minaret Road to the parking and picnic area at Minaret Vista. At the vista, on the open saddle of San Joaquin Ridge looking out over the upper San Joaquin drainage from the Junction Bluffs to the sheer wall of the Minarets and the Ritter Range, a variety of signs and viewing tubes serve to interpret the geology and individual features of this unique wilderness landscape. Winter access is by snowmobile, snowshoes or skis.

Reviews

July 27, 2016

“Fun little out and back. Shaded for a majority of the trail, last half mile can be quite warm until you get to the vista, where it's usually windy. Often times there's still snow in the shaded fir/pine forest. Suitable for almost anyone.”

B, Orange County, CA

July 27, 2016

“Easy hike trail. Beautiful trail through forest and open meadows with good views. Spectacular view at the vista. Scattered standing dead wood all along through trail.”

Mark Davies, Unknown

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Related Destinations

Related Destinations

Destination Activities and Services
Mammoth Mountain Ski Area Main Lodge Cross Country Skiing Hiking Interpretive Mountain Biking Ski & Snowboarding Snowmobiling Snowplay Snowshoeing
Minaret Vista Vista Viewing

Related Experiences

Related Experiences

Experience Rating Length (mi) Surface Duration
Hiking the Sierra Crest from Minaret Vista to Deadman Pass 4.1 Soil Less than 4 hours
Photography at Minaret Vista 0.2 Soil Less than 4 hours
Vista Viewing from the Minaret Vista 0.2 Mixed Less than 4 hours
How to get involved Local recreation resources Experiences and ratings Finding your way around the MLTS Trail System Projects