Mono Basin National Scenic Area
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/71/Mono_Lake.jpg/220px-Mono_Lake.jpg)
The Mono Basin National Forest Scenic Area is a protected area in Eastern California that surrounds Mono Lake and the northern half of the Mono Craters volcanic field. It is administered by the Inyo National Forest as a unit of the National Forest Scenic Area program, under the U.S. Forest Service.
History
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d5/Mono_Lake_Visitors_Center.jpg/220px-Mono_Lake_Visitors_Center.jpg)
The site was first described by tourists in Mark Twain's Roughing It.
Mono Basin became the first National Forest Scenic Area in the United States in 1984.[1]
Visitor Center
The Mono Basin National Forest Scenic Area Visitor Center is located 1/2 mile north of the town of Lee Vining, California, just east of Tioga Pass (the eastern entrance to Yosemite National Park), on U.S. Route 395.
A variety of activities and exhibits introduce the natural and human history of the Mono Basin. A 20-minute film, an interactive exhibit hall, two art galleries, and a book store are available inside.[2]
Features
- Mono Craters
- Mono Lake Tufa State Reserve
- Panum Crater
See also
- Mono Lake Committee
References
This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the United States Department of Agriculture.
External links
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/4/4a/Commons-logo.svg/30px-Commons-logo.svg.png)
- Mono Lake Tufa State Reserve website
- CA.Parks: Mono Lake tufa tower images
- The short film Of Ice and Fire: The Mono Basin (1992) is available for free viewing and download at the Internet Archive.
37°57′01″N 119°03′34″W / 37.95028°N 119.05944°W / 37.95028; -119.05944