What’s in the South Tufa Area of Mono Lake

You cannot go to Mono Lake — in the Eastern Sierras in California — and return without having visited the South Tufa Area. It’s one of the most dramatic parts of the lake’s shore. The tufas here give the area an other-worldly appearance and you can actually walk through some of them. An information board at the visitor center says if you have time for just one stop along the lake, this is the area it should be. And that’s absolutely right! It is undoubtedly the best viewing area for the tufas. The trail there takes you through the Tufas, some now on land and some in the water.

My personal recommendation is that you do a walk through the visitor center and learn about the tufas before you actually set out on the trail a few miles southeast of here. The reason I ask you to start there is that it makes you appreciate the rock formations even more.

Half a dozen little mountain brooks flow into Mono Lake but not a stream of any kind flows out of it. It neither rises nor falls, apparently, and what it does with its surplus water is a dark and bloody mystery.
— Mark Twain.

What is a Tufa

Tufa is a calcium-carbonate rock formation usually found in places where saltwater and freshwater meet.

In the case of Mono Lake, this salty lake in this semi-arid area does not have an outlet. As such, most of the water here evaporates into the desert air. However, the rest of the salty-water of the lake ends up getting mixed with the water from the springs at the bottom of the lake. And when the calcium from the freshwater of the springs combines with the carbonates of the alkaline water of the lake, the tufas develop. And the tufas grow taller in due course. 

Why you should visit the South Tufa Area

This area seems to have the largest concentration of the tufas of Mono Lake. Better still, some of them are on land and this means a trail takes you right through some of them. The tufas off the water were left on land when the water levels receded. (Some of the water from the tributaries of the lake is said to have been diverted to the LA area for some time, resulting in this change in Mono Lake’s water levels.)

The South Tufa Trail 

The main trail at the South Tufa Area is a one-mile loop starting near the information kiosk near the parking lot.  The first part of the trail is through a boardwalk that takes you through some grassland and towards the tufas that are now on land. The trail then twists through those tufas leading you to the shore of the lake, where you’ll see more tufas in the water. The next part of the walk is by the shore of Mono Lake before it turns back towards the parking area. 

It is an easy walk. I was surprised that it was pleasant even on a warm summer day. And the sights are simply breathtaking: tufas that come in different shapes and sizes, the blue-green water of the lake, and also the fauna and flora of the area. 

The Fauna

I’d learnt at the visitor center of the Mono Lake State Tufa Reserve that the only living thing in the highly alkaline waters of the lake is the Brine Shrimp. 

But on the shores of the lake, we saw some very interesting sights. 

Before I tell you about that, let me tell you that as the kids and I were nearing the Lake, we had seen a sign that asked us to taste the saltiness of the water. But bordering the lake were thousands, perhaps millions of black insects. (Later I would learn — from a board near there — that they were Akali Flies.) We didn’t want to walk over them, so I thought I’d give the taste test a miss. Just then, an elderly lady came that way and headed straight to the water and we all exclaimed in unison because as she got to the place where the flies were, they just lifted off the ground and made way for her. And that in turn encouraged us to do the same. Seeing that we weren’t going to hurt the insects by going close to the water, I made a short video of what happens when you encounter those flies. You have to see it!

Video: When a gull decided to frolic through the area where the water of the lake met the land. (And listen to those amused audience/kids. 😁😁)

Where exactly is South Tufa Area?

The South Tufa Area is just off Mono Lake Basin Road/Highway120 (east of US 395). 

Other things you need to know before you go

— There is a fairly large parking lot at the South Tufa Area. 

— To get yourself a parking pass, head to the kiosk, before which you will see a dropbox for the money. (It was a $3 fee when I visited.) It is a self-service pay station so you take an envelope out of the box, put the money in and drop it into the deposit box. Don’t forget to fill in the info. needed on the piece of paper that’s to be torn off and put on your windshield. Make sure you have cash on you. And make sure you have enough change.
— Wear comfortable shoes for the hike even though it is an easy walk. Some parts of the loop are not on level land.

— Make sure to carry some water. Remember: this is desert area.

— Don’t forget your phones/ cameras or you will be sorry you did not bring back pictures. 

Nearby sights:

Mono Lake Vista Point
Devils Postpile (coming soon on TftT) 🙂
Yosemite National Park

Another place to see tufas —
Pyramid Lake in Nevada

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