Inyo Craters

Created by steam explosions from volcanic activity, these gigantic craters are like inside-​out domes, very beautiful and definitely worth seeing at least once in your life. Off the Mammoth Canyon Scenic Loop, you’ll take the Dry Creek Road Spur and follow the signs to Inyo Craters. It’s pretty well-​marked.
The road out to the Inyo Craters trailhead is a bit bumpy. We took our 12 passenger van out there, and when we pulled into the parking lot we were surrounded by trucks. So, a non-​outdoorsy car can make it, but we certainly weren’t the norm. There is plenty of parking by the trailhead and there are also bathrooms (not port-​a-​potties!).
The trail is marked by bluish-​green triangles nailed to the trees, so it’s hard to miss. The hike has a bit of a gradual incline, and it took our lungs a little while to adjust, especially because of the altitude. It was a short hike to the craters. On the way, make sure you stop and smell the tree bark. Some of the trees smell like vanilla. Also you can take a picture of your friend sniffing the trees, because why not have a little fun? :)
When you get to the craters, be sure to have your camera out! You’ll want to take photos of the small greenish-​blue crater and then the other crater that has trees surrounding it. I don’t think you can hike down to the little ponds in the center. The water doesn’t have an appealing, swim-​in-​me look, and it would be quite the scramble to get out of the crater. As a heads-​up, you might want a jacket if you run a little cold; it gets very windy! If you have kids, spit into the wind and watch how far your spit travels. If you don’t have kids, you should still spit into the wind. :)
We took a blaze-​your-​own-​trail hike around the larger crater. It was fun to scramble among the rocks and bushes and trees. It is doable even though there’s no discernible path. Plus, because of the higher elevation, you get a unique view of the crater. Our youngest hiker was 12 and he enjoyed foraging ahead.
If you prefer a more relaxing experience, there are some picnic tables (but only a few), and there’s a guardrail along the small, bluish-​green crater. It’s interesting how only a portion of the crater is guarded. Watch your little ones!
All in all, very beautiful. Very easy hike. Totally worth seeing at least once.

In all honesty, I am glad that I went and I thought it was pretty neat. But it was pretty anticlimactic. There’s a couple of big holes in the ground with some water in them. There are three in total. The first was rather open, with a single tree on the crater wall, and a bluish green colored water. The second was difficult to see, as the crater wall was lined with trees. The water in this crater was more of a brownish green color. We opted not to hike up to the third crater, as we had been hiking ALL day! I would not go back, but I might recommend it as a 20 minute stop if you’re in the area.

Directions:
From the town of Mammoth Lakes take hwy 203/​Minaret road west towards Mammoth Ski Mountain. Make a right onto the Mammoth scenic loop. Inyo craters are a few miles up on the left. If you continue on the scenit loop road for 6 miles you will conect with Hwy 395.
Enjoy an easy walk through the woods to check out volcanic craters! My hubby and I took an opportunity to get out of the car with our two mutts and explore on foot. Bring a camera, drinking water and a picnic basket so you can soak up the ambiance of this unique geologic feature. There are three craters to hike to, all that limits you is time and how long you choose to hike.
If there is snow, you can also play in the snow and explore via snowshoe!
xoxo