Mammoth Lakes, California
Location: 38 miles (61 km) southeast of Yosemite's Tioga Pass entrance, 95 miles (150 km) from Yosemite Valley
Directions: Take the Tioga Pass Road 12 miles (19 km) east from the Yosemite entrance to Highway 395; turn right on 395 and go 25 miles (40 km) miles south to Highway 203; turn right on 203 and drive 1 mile (1.5 km) west to Mammoth Lakes
Population 7,093; elevation 7,554 feet (2,300 meters)
Mammoth Lakes sits at the base of Mammoth Mountain, California's premier ski destination outside the Tahoe area. In the summer it's a mountain-biking playground, and if you're flexible about snow quality, you can combine Yosemite hiking and downhill skiing - the ski hill can be open as late as the fourth of July.
Pro: There are lots of lodging options here, and you shouldn't have any problem finding rooms in the summer. Mammoth Lakes has an active, athletic vibe - it's a popular training ground for triathletes and endurance runners.
Con: It's a bit of a long drive to do round trip to Yosemite every day, especially if your destination is somewhere other than the Tioga Road area, and as with all the communities on the eastern slope of the Sierras, the route into Yosemite (Tioga Road, Highway 120) is closed altogether in the winter months, typically from November through May (see Tioga Road's historical opening & closing dates).
Lodging TL;DR: Mammoth Lakes has staggering quantities of guest rooms, and unlike nearly everywhere else in the Yosemite area, summer is the offseason, so this is a good place to look if price is your top priority or the entire universe seems to be booked up. The first section below lists the hotels that have, at least under some conditions, sub-$100 rooms, and there are also some cabin bargains in the specialty lodging section.
If you're more concerned about quality and you trust the travelers who write reviews on TripAdvisor, the 1849 Condos and the Edelweiss Lodge both stand out for having large numbers of reviews with very high approval ratings. Other notably well-reviewed options include the Best Western Plus High Sierra Hotel, Mammoth Creek Inn, Westin Monache Resort, Aspen Creek Condos, St. Anton Condos, Sierra Park Villas, and Tamarack Lodge.
Mammoth Lakes Economy Hotels
(Hotels with summer rates starting under $100)
Austria Hof Lodge
924 Canyon Boulevard · (866) 662-6668 · (760) 934-2764 · Reviews · Website
Hotel rooms and condos; free continental breakfast and Internet in hotel rooms; hotel rooms $80 - $325, condos $110 - $690 (see the rates page and click on a room type to see rates)
Econo Lodge Wildwood Inn
3626 Main Street · (760) 934-6855 · Reviews · Website
32 guest rooms, summer rates $65 - $120*; free continental breakfast and Internet; outdoor pool; pets allowed
Holiday Haus Motel
3905 Main Street · (800) 934-5003 · (760) 934-2414 · Reviews · Website
Hotel rooms and cabins; summer rates $50 - $110 (rates published here)
Motel 6
3372 Main Street · (800) 466-8356 · (760) 934-6660 · Reviews · Website
Rooms with 1 king, 1 queen, 1 double, 2 queens, or 2 doubles, summer rates $65 - $100*; Internet available ($3 charge); coin laundry, pool; pets allowed ($10 fee)
Sierra Lodge
3540 Main Street · (800) 356-5711 · (760) 934-8881 · Reviews · Website
36 guest rooms, all non-smoking, all with kitchenettes; free continental breakfast & Internet; summer rates $80 - $130*
Travelodge
54 Sierra Boulevard · (888) 637-4859 · (760) 934-8892 · Reviews · Website
king, queen, and 2-queen rooms; free continental breakfast and Internet; pets allowed ($10 fee); summer rates $60 - $105*
More Mammoth Lakes Hotels
Alpenhof Lodge
6080 Minaret Road · (800) 828-0371 · (760) 934-6330 · Reviews · Website
Standard hotel rooms and cottages with full kitchens; free Internet; summer rates $100 - $145*
Best Western Plus High Sierra Hotel
3228 Main Street · (760) 924-1234 · Reviews · Website
Accomodations range from king or 2-queen rooms to kitchenette suites; free Internet; indoor pool; no pets; summer rates $130 - $200*
Innsbruck Lodge
913 Forest Trail · (760) 934-3035 · Reviews · Website
Hotel rooms with queen, king, 2 queens or 2 twins, plus 2-bedroom kitchenette & 2-queen kitchenette rooms; free Internet; all rooms non-smoking
Mammoth Creek Inn
663 Old Mammoth Road · (866) 466-7000 · Reviews · Website
26 guest rooms, from standard king/queen rooms to suites with full kitchens; free continental breakfast & Internet; summer rates $100 - $240*
Mammoth Mountain Inn
1 Minaret Road · (800) 626-6684 · (760) 934-2581 · Reviews · Website
Hotel rooms and condos, summer rates $120 - $340*; pets allowed
Quality Inn
3537 Main Street · (760) 934-5114 · Reviews · Website
59 guest rooms; free continental breakfast and Internet; microwave & refrigerator in all rooms; no pets; summer rates $120 - $160*
Shilo Inn Suites
2963 Main Street · (800) 222-2244 · (760) 934-4500 · Reviews · Website
2-queen and 1-king rooms; free Internet; dogs allowed (extra fee); summer rates $130 - $180*
Sierra Nevada Lodge
164 Old Mammoth Road · (800) 824-5132 · (760) 934-2515 · Reviews · Website
king or double-queen hotel rooms, suites with kitchenettes, and 1 - 3 bedroom chalets; free continental breakfast and Internet; summer rates $110 - $480*
Westin Monache Resort
50 Hillside Drive · (800) 937-8461 · (760) 934-0400 · Reviews · Website
230 suites, studio, one and two bedroom; non-smoking facility; outdoor pool; pets allowed; summer rates $150 - $460*
Mammoth Lakes Condominiums
1849 Condos at Canyon Lodge
826 Lakeview Boulevard · (800) 421-1849 · (760) 934-7525 · Reviews · Website
73 condos; 2, 3, and 4 bedroom units; full kitchens, free Internet; no smoking, no pets
Aspen Creek
865 Majestic Pines · (800) 430-9941 · Reviews · Website
27 condos; 1 bedroom, 2 bedroom, and 3-bedroom-plus-loft units
Chamonix Condominiums
803 Canyon Boulevard · (760) 934-6792 · Reviews · Website
1 bedroom, 1 + loft, and 2 + loft units, all with full kitchens; no smoking in public areas and most condos
Crestview Condominiums
261 Lakeview Boulevard · (800) 430-9941 · Reviews · Website
12 condos; 1 bedroom, 1 + loft, 2 bedroom, and 2 + loft units
Juniper Springs Resort
4000 Meridian Boulevard · (800) 662-6684 · Reviews · Website
Studios, 1-3 bedroom condos, and townhomes, all with kitchens; free Internet; 2 swimming pools; restaurant onsite; no pets; summer rates $120 - $350*
Mammoth Ski & Racquet Club
248 Mammoth Slopes Drive · (888) 762-6668 · (760) 934-7368 · Reviews · Website
Studio + loft, 1 bedroom, 1 + loft, 2 bedroom, and 2 + loft units; free Internet; pool, lighted tennis courts; laundry facilities; some units allow pets ($25 fee); summer rates $110 - $190 per night + $35 booking fee (see rates page)
Saint Anton Condos
895 Canyon Boulevard · (800) 821-8761 · (760) 934-3361 · Reviews · Website
1 bedroom/1 bath and 2 bedroom/2 bath units; free Internet; summer rates $110 - $180 (see rates page); no pets
Sherwin Villas
362 Old Mammoth Road · (800) 430-9941 · Reviews · Website
30 condos; 1 bedroom, 1 + loft, 2 + loft, and 3 + loft units
Sierra Park Villas
286 Old Mammoth Road · (800) 422-2644 · (760) 934-4521 · Reviews · Website
1 bedroom + loft and 2 + loft units; pool, sauna, laundry room; summer rates $130 - $190 (see rates page); no pets
Summit Condominiums
3253 Meridian Boulevard · (800) 255-6266 · (760) 934-6011 · Reviews · Website
70 condos; 1 bedroom, 1 + loft, 2 bedroom, 2 + loft, and 3 bedroom units; summer rates $90 - $260
Viewpoint Condominiums
3852 Viewpoint Road · (800) 826-6680 · (760) 934-3132 · Reviews · Website
1 bedroom and 1 + loft units; pool, tennis court, and laundry facility; summer rates $115 - $130 plus $25 linen fee (see rates page)
Wildflower Condominiums
2 Arrowhead Drive · (800) 430-9941 · Reviews · Website
10 condos; 1 bedroom, 1 + loft, 2 bedroom, and 2 + loft units; pool, laundry facility
Mammoth Lakes Specialty Lodging
Cinnamon Bear Inn Bed & Breakfast
113 Center Street · (800) 845-2873 · Reviews · Website
All rooms have private baths, all rooms non-smoking; free HBO and Internet; $120 - $195 (rates published here)
Convict Lake Resort
2000 Convict Lake Road · (800) 992-2260 · (760) 934-3800 · Reviews · Website
27 cabins and 3 houses, all with full kitchens and private baths, at 7,800 feet elevation; summer rates $50 - $900 (see rates page)
Crystal Crag Lodge
Lake Mary Loop Road · (760) 934-2436 · Reviews · Website
21 cabins next to Lake Mary at 9,000 feet elevation; studio and 1 - 4 bedroom units, all with full kitchens and private baths, summer rates $105 - $330 (see rates page); boat rentals; pets allowed ($10 fee for one, $5 for each additional)
Davison Street Guest House
19 Davison Street · (760) 924-2188 · Reviews · Website
2,700 square foot, 5 bedroom, 3 bath house; community kitchen; summer rates $30 - $570 (see rates page)
Edelweiss Lodge
1872 Old Mammoth Road · (877) 233-3593 · (760) 934-2445 · Reviews · Website
4 standalone cabins, 10 units total, all with private baths; 2-night minimum stay; summer rates $80 - $235 (see rates page); dogs allowed ($15 each/night)
Mammoth Mountain Chalets
11000 Minaret Road · (800) 327-3681 · (760) 934-8518 · Reviews · Website
20 A-frame chalets, 2 - 4 bedrooms, all with full kitchens; free Internet; 2-night minimum stay; summer rates $195 - $260 (see rates page)
Rock Creek Lodge
Rt. 1 Box 12 · (877) 935-4170 · (760) 935-4170 · Reviews · Website
20 cabins 20 miles southeast of Mammoth Lakes at 9,300 feet elevation, summer rates $125 - $285; cabins with bathrooms start at $140, cabins with full kitchens (others have kitchenettes) start at $160
Tamarack Lodge
163 Twin Lakes Road · (800) 662-6684 · (760) 934- 2442 · Reviews · Website
10 lodge rooms and 37 cabins; restaurant onsite; bike rentals; dogs allowed in cabins (extra fee); summer rates $100 - $470* (lowest rate is for lodge room without private bath)