Exploring the Mono Lake tufas

Located near Lee Vining outside the eastern edge of Yosemite National Park, Mono Lake is one of the strangest places in the state. The high alkalinity and salt level (2.5 times as salty as the ocean) means fish can’t survive here, but trust that when you look out across the ‘dead’ lake, you’re looking at a lot of life—huge populations of alkali flies carpet parts of the shoreline, and trillions of brine shrimp (you may know them as sea monkeys) swim under the surface, feeding on even huger populations of algae that thrive in the mineral-rich, sun-warmed water. Millions of transient birds use the area as a rest stop, and 90% of California’s seagull population comes here to nest.
But the most interesting features of Mono Lake are its tufa towers. Tufas are created when minerals in the water combine with carbonates from underwater springs, forming gigantic limestone towers. As the water level in the lake dropped over time, the tufas poked up and over the surface, forming the crazy sandcastle-y landscape you see today, especially on the south shore. If you can hack it, the best views here happen at sunrise.