previous < national parks > next   Mono Lake is near Devils Postpile National Monument - Devils Postpile formation has a 101' high Rainbow Falls that ranks as one of the world’s finest examples of columnar basalt. Its symmetrical columns are 60' high and display an unusual symmetry. Above photo shows Mono Lake. Photo: Timothy Wolcott Gallery   Lee Vining, California sits on the western edge of the spectacular Mono Lake. This High Sierra community, located in eastern California, is minutes away from Tioga Pass and Yosemite National Park, Mono Lake, Bodie (ghost town), and Mammoth Lakes. The mountain resorts are popular for mountain sports such as skiing, snowboarding and mountain biking and Lee Vining provides one of the best places to both bird watch and take photographs of Mono Lake.  One of the oldest lakes in the western hemisphere, Mono Lake fills a natural basin 695 square miles in size. Together with nearby volcanoes, Devils Postpile National Monument, ghost towns and trout-filled streams, this area is a natural wonderland for the entire family.   Mono Lake's saltwater ecosystem, thousands of years in the making, attracts migrating and nesting birds that come to feed on the salt lake's alkali flies and tiny brine shrimp. This paradise for birdwatchers and photographers features interpretive trails, guided tours and even kayaking. Panum Crater on the south shore is one of the lake's many volcanic structures. If you have time for only one stop, the South Tufa area is the best destination for a visit to Mono Lake. Mono Lake, in California's high desert, is an ancient inland sea of austere beauty and sweeping views of snow-covered peaks and volcanic islands. The most distinctive feature at Mono Lake is its tufa towers, which are mineral structures created when fresh-water springs bubble up through the alkaline waters of the lake.   Flowing down from the Sierra Nevada escarpment, freshwater streams create a different habitat where aspens, willows, and cottonwoods grow. And in other locations, one finds Mono Basin habitats such as Jeffrey Pine forests, Pinyon Pine woodlands, vast sagebrush steppe, and freshwater lakes.   Mono Lake is an alkaline and hypersaline lake critical for several bird species. This nesting habitat, one of the most productive ecosystems in North America, is recognized as an International Reserve of the Western Hemisphere Reserve Network.  Over 1.5 million eared grebes and phalaropes use Mono Lake during migrations. 35 species of shorebirds such as American avocets, killdeers, and sandpipers also rest and eat for at least part of the year and in late summer tens of thousands of Wilson's phalaropes and red-necked phalaropes stop during their migration to South America. Mono Craters is volcanic in origin and is less than 2000 years old.  Water diverted from the Owens River and tributaries that fed Mono Lake began in 1941, causing the lake level to fall and expose alkaline sands and tufa towers. The California State Water Resources Control Board issued an order to protect Mono Lake and its tributary streams in 1994 and today the lake water level has risen significantly.   Photographer Timothy Wolcott prints as shown above are available in a variety of sizes typically sold in these formats: 11 X 14", 14 X 18", 20 X 24", 24 X 30", 32 X 40" and 40 X 50". The cost of his signed photographs range from $310 +shipping to around $2000.   Call the Timothy Wolcott Gallery: 951-741-1674 or 909-878-9214. Visit the Gallery in Big Bear Lake, California; at 40700 Village Drive. Or send an email to: Tim Wolcott