Come for the tufa. Stay on the trail.
Build a short photography trip around Mono Lake without treating its sensitive shoreline as a campsite. Use Oh Ridge as an overnight base to the south, and keep the schedule flexible for wind, smoke and shifting light. The lake is the destination, not a place to improvise a night.
Desk-researched September 9, 2026. Not field-tested. Distances are approximate local driving budgets, not calculated routes. Your drive to and from the region is extra.
Your itinerary.
01DAY 1 / About 35 local milesThe lake, then a real campsite
Start with supplies in Lee Vining. Visit South Tufa while the day-use area is open, then head south to your reserved campsite. If the light does not cooperate, tomorrow has space for another attempt.
- SUPPLY STOP
Lee Vining supply stop
Town-center planning pin. Choose an open fuel station and buy drinking water before visiting the lake. Fuel type, hours and rig access need confirmation.
- OPTIONAL OUTING
Mono Lake South Tufa
Approximate day-use parking pin. Stay on designated paths, leave tufa untouched, and leave by posted closing time. No overnight stop at this location.
- OVERNIGHT
Oh Ridge Campground
Reserve a vehicle-compatible site separately on Recreation.gov. Check its individual driveway length. Seasonal drinking water and food-storage lockers are listed.
- WATER CHECK
Oh Ridge drinking-water check
Ask the host for the approved potable tap; this pin marks the campground, not a spigot. Confirm service and permission. No bulk tank-fill connection is promised.
02DAY 2 / About 30 local milesLeave space for a second look
Pack camp before checkout. Revisit South Tufa only if access and weather are suitable, then finish in Lee Vining. The County Park boardwalk is deliberately not part of this route.
- OPTIONAL OUTING
Mono Lake South Tufa
Approximate day-use parking pin. Stay on designated paths, leave tufa untouched, and leave by posted closing time. No overnight stop at this location.
- SUPPLY STOP
Lee Vining supply stop
Town-center planning pin. Choose an open fuel station and buy drinking water before visiting the lake. Fuel type, hours and rig access need confirmation.
Where to call it a night.
Oh Ridge / night 1
Reserve a compatible site separately. This adds driving but keeps the overnight at a developed campground, outside the sensitive Mono Lake shoreline.
Check camping detailsFuel, food & fresh water.
Lee Vining / fuel and supplies
Buy drinking water and food in town before the lake. The planning pin is not a guaranteed fuel or refill location.
Oh Ridge / seasonal drinking water
Ask the campground host about current service. Do not attach a tank-fill hose without permission.
Check service detailsBefore you point the rig north.
- Use the signed South Tufa approach and legal day-use parking. Pins are approximate destinations, not a cleared route for a large rig.
- Keep away from tufa formations and the exposed lakebed. This guide includes no shoreline camping or off-road shortcut.
- Lake winds can change the plan quickly. Stay on shore for this itinerary; do not interpret a calm photograph as a paddling forecast.
Know what the plan is built on.
Land-manager information is linked below. These are planning suggestions, not reservations or a live report of road, campsite, water or fire conditions. Recheck before departure. If a stop is closed, omit it rather than finding an unverified shortcut.
