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 · Street View · Reviews · Website · $86 - $325*
Hotel rooms and condos; free continental breakfast and Internet in hotel rooms; hotel rooms $86 - $160, condos $120 - $325
Holiday Haus Motel
3905 Main Street · (800) 934-5003 · (760) 934-2414 · Street View · Reviews · Website · $36 - $274*
Hotel rooms, cabins, and hostel beds; Free continental breakfast for hotel guests; free wi-fi; hostel beds $36 - $105, conventional rooms & cabins $127 - $274
Innsbruck Lodge
913 Forest Trail · (760) 934-3035 · Street View · Reviews · Website · $80 - $230*
Hotel rooms with queen, king, 2 queens or 2 twins, plus 2-bedroom kitchenette & 2-queen kitchenette rooms; free Internet; all rooms non-smoking; $80 - $230 per night
Motel 6
3372 Main Street · (800) 466-8356 · (760) 934-6660 · Street View · Reviews · Website · $76 - $171*
Rooms with 1 king, 1 queen, 1 double, 2 queens, or 2 doubles, Free Wifi, "Premium" Wifi $4.99; coin laundry, pool; pets allowed ($10 fee)
Sierra Nevada Resort & Spa
164 Old Mammoth Road · (800) 824-5132 · (760) 934-2515 · Street View · Reviews · Website · $82 - $739*
king or double-queen hotel rooms, suites with kitchenettes, and 1 - 3 bedroom chalets; free continental breakfast and Internet; summer rates $82 - $739
Travelodge
54 Sierra Boulevard · (888) 637-4859 · (760) 934-8892 · Street View · Reviews · Website · $60 - $120*
king, queen, and 2-queen rooms; free continental breakfast and Internet; pets allowed ($10 fee); summer rates $60 - $120*
More Mammoth Lakes Hotels
Alpenhof Lodge
6080 Minaret Road · (800) 828-0371 · (760) 934-6330 · Street View · Reviews · Website · $109 - $253*
Standard hotel rooms and cottages with full kitchens; free Internet; $109 - $253/night
Best Western Plus High Sierra Hotel
3228 Main Street · (760) 924-1234 · Street View · Reviews · Website · $169 - $321*
Accomodations range from king or 2-queen rooms to kitchenette suites; free Internet; indoor pool; no pets; summer rates $195 - $321
Mammoth Creek Inn
663 Old Mammoth Road · (866) 466-7000 · Street View · Reviews · Website · $138 - $515*
26 guest rooms, from standard king/queen rooms to suites with full kitchens; free continental breakfast & Internet; summer rates $138 - $515
Mammoth Mountain Inn
10400 Minaret Road · (800) 626-6684 · (760) 934-2581 · Street View · Reviews · Website · $111 - $1,550*
Hotel rooms and condos, summer rates $111 - $1,550; pets allowed
Quality Inn
3537 Main Street · (760) 934-5114 · Street View · Reviews · Website · $92 - $279*
59 guest rooms; free continental breakfast and Internet; microwave & refrigerator in all rooms; no pets; summer rates $107 - $279
Rodeway Inn / Wildwood Inn
3626 Main Street · (760) 934-6855 · Street View · Reviews · Website · $83 - $170*
32 guest rooms, summer rates $104 - $170; one-queen, two-queen, and one-king rooms; free continental breakfast and Internet; outdoor pool; pets allowed
Shilo Inn Suites
2963 Main Street · (800) 222-2244 · (760) 965-0544 · Street View · Reviews · Website · $130 - $270*
2-queen and 1-king rooms; free Internet; dogs allowed (extra fee); summer rates $130 - $270
Sierra Lodge
3540 Main Street · (800) 356-5711 · (760) 934-8881 · Street View · Reviews · Website · $119 - $159*
36 guest rooms, all non-smoking, all with kitchenettes; free continental breakfast & wireless Internet; summer rates $129 - $159
Westin Monache Resort
50 Hillside Drive · (800) 937-8461 · (760) 934-0400 · Street View · Reviews · Website · $160 - $500*
230 suites, studio, one and two bedroom; non-smoking facility; outdoor pool; pets allowed; summer rates $160 - $500
Mammoth Lakes Condominiums
1849 Condos at Canyon Lodge
826 Lakeview Boulevard · (800) 421-1849 · (760) 934-7525 · Street View · Reviews · Website · $170 - $510*
73 condos; 2, 3, and 4 bedroom units; full kitchens, free Internet; no smoking, no pets; summer rates $170 - $510
Aspen Creek
865 Majestic Pines · (800) 430-9941 · Street View · Reviews · Website · $190 - $400*
27 condos; 1 bedroom, 2 bedroom, and 3-bedroom-plus-loft units; $190 - $400
Chamonix Condominiums
803 Canyon Boulevard · (760) 934-6792 · Street View · Reviews · Website · $225 - $400*
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 · Street View · Reviews · Website · $102 - $462*
12 condos; 1 bedroom, 1 + loft, 2 bedroom, and 2 + loft units; summer rates $142 - $462
Juniper Springs Resort
4000 Meridian Boulevard · (800) 662-6684 · Street View · Reviews · Website · $140 - $460*
Studios, 1-3 bedroom condos, and townhomes, all with kitchens; free Internet; 2 swimming pools; restaurant onsite; no pets; summer rates $140 - $460*
Mammoth Ski & Racquet Club
248 Mammoth Slopes Drive · (888) 762-6668 · (760) 934-7368 · Street View · Reviews · Website · $96 - $484*
Studio + loft, 1 bedroom, 1 + loft, 2 bedroom, and 2 + loft units; free Internet; pool, lighted tennis courts; laundry facilities; some units allow pets ($30 fee); summer rates $96 - $484 per night
Saint Anton Condos
895 Canyon Boulevard · (800) 821-8761 · (760) 934-3361 · Street View · Reviews · Website · $159 - $589
1 bedroom/1 bath and 2 bedroom/2 bath units; free Internet; summer rates $159 - $258 (see rates page); no pets
Sherwin Villas
362 Old Mammoth Road · (800) 430-9941 · Street View · Reviews · Website · $90 - $595*
30 condos; 1 bedroom, 1 + loft, 2 + loft, and 3 + loft units; summer rates $90 - $595*
Sierra Park Villas
286 Old Mammoth Road · (800) 422-2644 · (760) 934-4521 · Street View · Reviews · $125 - $418*
1 bedroom + loft and 2 + loft units; pool, sauna, laundry room; no pets; summer rates $125 - $418
Summit Condominiums
3253 Meridian Boulevard · (800) 255-6266 · (760) 934-6011 · Street View · Reviews · Website · $210 - $550*
70 condos; 1 bedroom, 1 + loft, 2 bedroom, 2 + loft, and 3 bedroom units; summer rates $210 - $550*
Viewpoint Condominiums
3852 Viewpoint Road · (800) 826-6680 · (760) 934-3132 · Street View · Reviews · Website · $140 - $337
1 bedroom and 1 + loft units; pool, tennis court, and laundry facility; summer rates $140 - $170 (see rates page)
Wildflower Condominiums
2 Arrowhead Drive · (800) 430-9941 · Street View · Reviews · Website · $120 - $295*
10 condos; 1 bedroom, 1 + loft, 2 bedroom, and 2 + loft units; pool, laundry facility; summer rates $120 - $295
Mammoth Lakes Specialty Lodging
Cinnamon Bear Inn Bed & Breakfast
113 Center Street · (800) 845-2873 · Street View · Reviews · Website · $64 - $229*
All rooms have private baths, all rooms non-smoking; free HBO and Internet; summer rates $99 - $229
Convict Lake Resort
2000 Convict Lake Road · (800) 992-2260 · (760) 934-3800 · Street View · Reviews · Website · $119 - $549*
27 cabins and 3 houses, all with full kitchens and private baths, at 7,800 feet elevation; summer rates $199 - $549
Crystal Crag Lodge
Lake Mary Loop Road · (760) 934-2436 · Street View · Reviews · Website · $169 - $379
21 cabins next to Lake Mary at 9,000 feet elevation; studio and 1 - 4 bedroom units, all with full kitchens and private baths, boat rentals; pets allowed ($10 fee for one, $5 for each additional); summer rates $169 - $379
Davison Street Guest House
19 Davison Street · (760) 924-2188 · Street View · Reviews · Website · $40 - $150
2,700 square foot, 5 bedroom, 3 bath house; community kitchen; $40 - $150 (see rates page)
Edelweiss Lodge
1872 Old Mammoth Road · (877) 233-3593 · (760) 934-2445 · Street View · Reviews · Website · $104 - $262*
4 standalone cabins, 10 units total, all with private baths; dogs allowed ($20/night); summer rates $119 - $262
Mammoth Mountain Chalets
11000 Minaret Road · (800) 327-3681 · (760) 934-8518 · Reviews · Website · $290 - $575*
20 A-frame chalets, 2 - 4 bedrooms, all with full kitchens; free Internet; 2-night minimum stay; summer rates $290 - $575
Rock Creek Lodge
85 Rock Creek Road · (877) 935-4170 · (760) 935-4170 · Reviews · Website · $135 - $310
20 cabins 20 miles southeast of Mammoth Lakes at 9,300 feet elevation; winter rates $135 - $170 per person, include snowmobile transportation to/from the lodge; summer rates $140 - $310
Tamarack Lodge
163 Twin Lakes Road · (800) 662-6684 · (760) 934- 2442 · Reviews · Website · $79 - $739*
10 lodge rooms and 37 cabins; restaurant onsite; bike rentals; dogs allowed in cabins (extra fee); summer rates $79 - $739* (lowest rate is for lodge room without private bath)