Mono Basin National Scenic Area
The Mono Basin National Forest Scenic Area is a protected area in Eastern California that surrounds Mono Lake and the northern half of the Mono Craters volcanic field. It is administered by the Inyo National Forest as a unit of the National Forest Scenic Area program, under the U.S. Forest Service.
![](../I/m/Mono_Lake_from_Mount_Dana_(1).jpg)
![](../I/m/Mono_Lake.jpg)
History
The site was first described by tourists in Mark Twain's Roughing It.
Mono Basin became the first National Forest Scenic Area in the United States in 1984.[1]
Visitor Center
![](../I/m/Mono_Lake_Visitors_Center.jpg)
The Mono Basin National Forest Scenic Area Visitor Center is located 1/2 mile north of the town of Lee Vining, California, just east of Tioga Pass (the eastern entrance to Yosemite National Park), on U.S. Route 395.
A variety of activities and exhibits introduce the natural and human history of the Mono Basin. A 20-minute film, an interactive exhibit hall, two art galleries, and a book store are available inside.[2]
Features
- Long Valley caldera
- Mono-Inyo Craters
- Mono Lake Tufa State Reserve
- Panum Crater
See also
![](../I/m/Map_of_Long_Valley_Mono_area.png)
References
- USFS contributors (2009). "Inyo National Forest: Special Places". United States Forest Service. Retrieved 2010-02-07.
- Mono Basin National Forest Scenic Area Visitor Center
External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Mono Lake. |
- Official Mono Basin National Forest Scenic Area website
- Mono Basin National Forest Scenic Area Visitor Center website
- Mono Lake Tufa State Reserve website
- CA.Parks: Mono Lake tufa tower images
- The short film Of Ice and Fire: The Mono Basin (1992) is available for free download at the Internet Archive