Mammoth Lakes is a town in Mono County, California, the county's only incorporated community. Mammoth Lakes resides on the edge of the Long Valley Caldera. The area around the town is geologically active, with hot springs and rhyolite domes that are less than 1000 years old. Visitors can take State Route 203 from the town of Mammoth Lakes to the Mammoth Mountain Ski Area, over Minaret Summit, then down to Devil's Postpile National Monument, with access to the Ansel Adams Wilderness. The area has natural hot springs, which used after skiing and hiking. Other features include lakes, a soda springs, and an obsidian dome. Mammoth Lakes is north of the Owens Valley, a scenic area with extensive hiking opportunities. The town surrounded by mountains: on the west, Mammoth Mountain looms over the town, while to the south; the Sherwin Range dominates the view. This hilly terrain and the high altitude makes the area great for high-altitude athletic training. The Mammoth Lakes real estate market has gone through difficulties over the past few decades. In 1980, an earthquake with magnitude of 6.1 on the Richter scale sent area property values plummeting. A huge real estate surplus formed after this, Mammoth Lakes had over 1200 properties on the market. The development of Mammoth Mountain ski area has had a direct effect on housing in more recent years. The tourist market has led to an explosion of property values. Mammoth Lakes is in the Mammoth Unified School District, which has its main office in town. An elementary school and the Mammoth High School are located in Mammoth Lakes. Mammoth Lakes also has a public library.

Mammoth California