You're a beginner or intermediate skier, allergic to long lift lines, more interested in peace and quiet than après-ski action. Or you have young children, ready to take up skiing or snowboarding. Or you just want a rustic mountain getaway, where you can wander through a small wooded town without Starbucks.
These traits make it a good candidate for June Lake, the eastern Sierra town that lives most of its life in the shadow of the larger, busier Mammoth Lakes.
“It's a lot more family-friendly than Mammoth,” Daniel Jones said after a day of snowboarding at June Lake with Lorena Alvarado and her daughters Gabriela Gonzales, 7, and Amirah Jones, 2. They came from Riverside, the kids' first visit.
After a day of snowboarding at June Mountain, Daniel Jones and Lorena Alvarado of Riverside head to the parking lot with children Gabriela González, 7, and Amirah Jones, 2.
(Christopher Reynolds/Los Angeles Times)
Like me, they had arrived in time to savor the view of the Sierra under all the snow that fell at the end of December. That storm knocked out power for several days, but prompted the opening of all trails at June Mountain, the town's ski resort.
The main road to June Lake is the 14-mile June Lake Loop, also known as State Route 158, which branches off from US 395 about 10 miles north of the Mammoth exit, about 320 miles north of Los Angeles.
Once you get out of 395, things get rustic quickly. The two-lane loop weaves its way through woods, A-frames and cabins, skirting the waters of June Lake and the lake town, which is just a few blocks long. Watch for the three-foot icicles dripping from the eaves and keep an eye out for the large rock next to the fire station on the right.
After the town, you'll pass Gull Lake (the smallest of the four lakes along the loop) and the June Mountain ski area. Then, if driving in the summer, the highway returns to 395 passing through Silver Lake and Grant Lake.
The June Lake area in the Eastern Sierra includes several bodies of water. Rush Creek, seen here, flows into Silver Lake a few miles from the town of June Lake.
(Christopher Reynolds/Los Angeles Times)
But in winter, the northern part of that loop is closed to cars. Perhaps that's why the town, the mountain and its surroundings often feel like a snow-covered secret.
As for June Mountain ski area, its 1,500 accessible acres make it much smaller than Mammoth Mountain (with whom it shares a parent company). And it has a higher proportion of beginner and intermediate races: a burden for celebrities, perhaps, but a boon for families.
According to management estimates, June Mountain's 41 named trails are 15% beginner level and 40% intermediate. (In Mammoth, 59% of the 180 named trails are rated as difficult, very difficult, or extremely difficult.) Based on this difference, June Mountain offers free lift tickets for children under 12 years old. (Adult lift tickets typically cost between $119 and $179 per day.)
From the chairlifts at June Mountain Ski Resort, visitors get expansive views.
(Christopher Reynolds/Los Angeles Times)
The ski area has six chairlifts, and almost everyone starts by riding chair J1 to the June Meadows Chalet (8,695 feet above sea level). The cafeteria, equipment rental, ticket offices and store are located there and classes begin.
That's also where you start to notice the view, especially the 10,908-foot Carson Peak.
“Normally, my family and I go to Big Bear every year, but we wanted to try something different. Less people. And a lot of snow,” said Valeriia Ivanchenko, a 20-year-old snowboarder who was taking a breather outside the chalet.
“No lines and lots of big, open races,” said Brian Roehl, who had come from Sacramento with his wife.
“The lake views are nice too,” Roxie Roehl said.
June Lake is 30 minutes' drive from Mammoth. Because both operations are owned by Denver-based Alterra Mountain Co., Mammoth lift tickets typically apply in June. That's why it's easy to combine destinations.
Or you could just focus on June Lake, an unincorporated community with about 600 people, a K-8 public school, and a gas station (the Shell station where 158 meets 395).
In the summer, when it's busiest, fishermen and boaters head to the lakes, and the eastern entrance to Yosemite National Park can be reached with a 25-mile drive along the seasonal Tioga Road.
The Tiger Bar has been the anchor of downtown June Lake since 1932.
(Christopher Reynolds/Los Angeles Times)
In both winter and summer, the heart of June Lake village is dominated by the 94-year-old Tiger Bar & Café (which was due to be acquired by new owners in January); Ernie's Tackle & Ski Shop (which dates back to 1932 and has lower rental prices than June Mountain); June Lake General Store and June Lake Brewery.
At the brewery (JLB to locals) I met Natalie and Chris Garcia of Santa Barbara and their daughter Winnie, 18 months old and eager to chase a duck in the yard.
“This is their first snowfall,” Natalie Garcia said, adding that June Lake “just feels more homely…less like a party scene.”
“We built a snowman,” Chris Garcia said.
Natalie and Chris Garcia of Santa Barbara play with their daughter Winnie and a duck at June Lake Brewing.
(Christopher Reynolds/Los Angeles Times)
It's fun to imagine that rustic, semi-remote places like this never change, but of course they do, for better or worse. The Carson Peak Inn Steakhouse, a longtime landmark, is closed indefinitely. Meanwhile, Pino Pies, which offers New Zealand-style meat pies, opened in the town last spring. (I recommend the $13 potato pie).
Pino Pies, open since 2025 in June Lake, offers New Zealand-style meat pies.
(Christopher Reynolds/Los Angeles Times)
Next time I'm in town I hope to try June Deli (which took over the former Epic Cafe space in town last year) and June Pie Pizza Co. (New York-style thin cuts) or Balanced Rock Grill & Cantina. And you could take a day trip to Mono Lake (about 15 miles north).
I might also repeat the two hikes I did in the snow.
For one thing, I put crampons on my boots and headed about 3 miles south on US 395 to the Obsidian Dome Trail, a mostly flat route just under a mile long, ideal for snowshoeing or dog walking.
For the other hike, I headed to the closed portion of the June Lake Loop and parked just before the barricade. Beyond, a hiker or snowshoer finds several miles of car-free, unplowed trail, with mountains rising to their left and half-frozen Rush Creek and Silver Lake to their right.
When part of Highway 158 is closed to automobile traffic in the winter, hikers and snowshoers inherit a wide, mostly flat path with views of Silver Lake.
(Christopher Reynolds/Los Angeles Times)
“You get to the lake and you hear the ice breaking. It's amazing,” said Mike Webb, 73, whom I met on the trail with his son Randy, 46, and his 10- and 12-year-old sons.
“This is serenity up here,” Webb said. “If you're looking for a $102 pizza, go to Mammoth.”
