Mono Basin Area Summary

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Overview of Area

The Mono Basin extends from the majestic crest of the Sierra Nevada in Eastern Yosemite to rolling Great Basin hills to the east. Awe-inspiring Mono Lake, with its unique compliment of creatures, lies in the center of the Basin and is the primary reason for designation as the Mono Basin Scenic Area. East of Highway 395, several canyons fall from the crest of the Sierra to Mono Lake. West of the highway is a unique and young mountain range made of tens of individual craters. East of this range is a large pine forest dominated by Jeffery pine-- a species specially adapted to this pumice soil. 

bulletAreas Surveyed
bulletMono Basin Areas of Concern
bulletManagement Recommendations for the Mono Basin

Areas Descriptions Links
Bohler Canyon Short riparian corridor north of Walker Creek and south of Highway 120 to Yosemite
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Lee Vining Tufa Low-use tufa site on Mono Lakes's west shore
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Mono Craters Rhyolitic Craters extending south from the Mono Basin
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East Mono Basin Flats and hills on the east side of Mono Lake
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Areas of Concern: Route Hotspots

East Mono Craters

In this area, there are numerous spur routes and redundant looping routes that are difficult to find and follow. These lead to proliferation and off-route travel. 

We recommend closing spurs and redundant routes while also placing signs to direct users to interesting designated routes. 
Proliferation of off-route tracks in Mono Crater area. Closure gate with motorized vehicle tracks around and beyond it. 
Bohler Canyon

This route travels through a riparian corridor and includes several unstable creek crossings and  lengthy meadow crossings. 

We recommend restoring this route to its natural condition or, at least managing it as a non-motorized, non- mechanized trail beyond the first set of barriers. 
The route into Bohler Canyon intermittently crosses directly through a meadow. Note that riparian vegetation is crushed and damaged. This is the largest creek crossing found along the route into Bohler Canyon. The creek is 25' wide at the crossing. It is 10" and 12" above and below the crossing, respectively.  

Overall Management Recommendations

Overall, the management practices along the route network surveyed in the Mono Basin appear relatively effective. Despite these efforts, concerns regarding critical riparian habitat and off-route proliferation still exist.  

The routes surveyed in the Mono Basin show signs of active and effective efforts by the U.S. Forest Service and California State Parks to manage off-highway vehicle use. The barriers, signs and OHV education kiosks in the Mono Craters area are exemplary examples of successful management solutions in challenging terrain. Nevertheless, the open pumice flats of the southeastern Mono Basin require continued vigilance to further decrease proliferation and mitigate existing damages.