Lake Mary

Summary

Lake Mary is the largest and most developed of the 11 lakes in the Mammoth Lakes region. It offers great fishing, hiking, and wildlife viewing opportunities as well as access to the John Muir Wilderness. The campground has four loops of closely-spaced campsites, some with views of the lake and surrounding scenery.

Overview

Lake Mary is the star of the Mammoth Lakes region. Of the 11 lakes in the area, Mary is the largest and most developed. Lake Mary Campground is a large facility with plenty of amenities in and around it. The lake provides a great base for activities like fishing, viewing waterfalls, hiking and backpacking.

Recreation

Lake Mary receives the highest number of trout stocks in the Mammoth Lakes Basin, and is well-known to anglers for its rainbow, brook and brown trout fishing. No swimming or wading is allowed in the lake.

Though no hiking trails begin in the campground, several interesting trails offer a variety of hikes nearby, including day hiking and backpacking trails into the rustic John Muir Wilderness.

Facilities

The campground straddles the road at the northwest end of Lake Mary, and offers four loops of closely-spaced campsites. The campground is within walking distance of the lake, and some sites have a view of the water.

Natural Features

The campground lies among lodgepole pine trees at an elevation of 8,900 feet. Some campsites have views of the breathtaking scenery surrounding the campground, including Lake Mary and some of the 9,000 and 10,000' peaks in the John Muir Wilderness.

The Eastern Sierra Nevada Mountains are abundant with wildlife, including black bear, mountain lions, mule deer, pine marten, pika and many species of fish and birds.

Nearby Attractions

Mammoth Lakes Basin contains several additional popular lakes to explore for fishing and boating.

Visitors can also access the magnificent John Muir Wilderness nearby, which stretches 100 miles along the crest of the Sierra Nevadas, a land of lofty snow-capped mountains, deep canyons and vast expanses of glacially-carved terrain. Hiking and horseback riding trails are abundant.

Charges & Cancellations

Once your reservation start date has begun, neither the Recreation.gov Contact Center nor the campground manager will be able to modify your reservation.