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Après-ski in Mammoth Lakes, California

Mammoth's lifts stop at 4pm and the town is right there, not three miles away, not twelve. The unusual part is the altitude: the town sits at 8,075 feet, above the resort's own stated base, so you are not coming down to anything. You are changing layers at altitude and staying there.

Last chair: 4:00pm

Base: 7,953 ft

Summit: 11,053 ft

Town: 8,075 ft, above the base

When the lifts stop

Lifts stop at 4pm. That figure comes from the resort's own trail description rather than its hours page, which was still showing summer operations when we checked, and a resort trail map puts the day at 8:30am to 4pm, weather permitting. Treat it as the usual pattern and check the posted hours for the day.

Where riders land

Four places to end a day: Main Lodge with the summit gondola, Canyon Lodge which sits in town, Eagle Lodge, and The Village. Which one you finish at decides your evening, because they are a shuttle ride apart rather than a walk.

There is a snowboard-specific catch worth knowing. The Village Ski Back Trail is the green cat-track home at the end of the day, and the resort says plainly that snowboarders may need to unstrap in sections. If you would rather not skate a cat track in failing light, the free Village Gondola runs between The Village and Canyon Lodge.

Getting around

The free Mountain Shuttle is run by Eastern Sierra Transit and connects the town with every lodge on five winter lines: Red, Blue, Yellow, Green and Orange. The Village Gondola is free between The Village and Canyon Lodge.

What the cold actually does

  • December: Average high: 38°F; Average low: 12°F

  • January: Average high: 37°F; Average low: 12°F

  • February: Average high: 39°F; Average low: 15°F

The widest day-night swing on this list, around 25 degrees. Highs near 38°F feel generous at lunch; the drop happens through the exact hours you are walking between The Village and dinner.

Where people go

  • Clocktower Cellar: What it is: Pub under the Alpenhof clock tower, 160-plus whiskeys and 26 taps; Where: Minaret Road, across from the Village Gondola; Since: Run by the same two brothers for over 35 years

  • Mammoth Brewing Company: What it is: Tasting room, beer garden and kitchen; one of the highest-elevation breweries on the West Coast; Where: Lake Mary Road, by The Village; Since: 1995

  • The Lakefront at Tamarack Lodge: What it is: Lodge restaurant on Twin Lakes with the original stone fireplace; Where: Lake Mary Road; Since: Lodge established 1924

  • Lakanuki: What it is: Tiki bar, billed as the highest in California; Where: The Village; Since: not listed

  • Tusks Bar: What it is: Slopeside bar with a sundeck and fire pits over the main park; Where: Main Lodge; Since: not listed

  • Yodler Restaurant & Bar: What it is: Fireplace bar at the base; Where: Main Lodge; Since: not listed

  • Lincoln Tavern patio: What it is: Base-area après parties on Friday and Saturday; Where: Canyon Lodge; Since: not listed

One to verify before you walk over: Grizzly Bar at Canyon Lodge is listed by the resort but was flagged as temporarily closed elsewhere in 2026. Lincoln Bar at the same lodge is the fallback.

Getting there and parking

Mammoth Yosemite Airport is ten minutes from town and Bishop is about 45 minutes south. Driving, Los Angeles is roughly five hours north up US-395 and Reno about three hours south; the Bay Area route through Yosemite only exists from roughly May to October, when Tioga Pass is open. On chains, the resort is blunt: all-wheel drive helps with traction but does not override chain control, and carrying chains does not mean you will use them, it means you are ready. Parking is free at all three lodges with shuttles running every ten minutes.

What the place is about

Mammoth rides later than anywhere else in California. The 2026 season closed on June 7 after 199 days, and past seasons have run 270 and 275 days. The brand around that is Woolly, the mammoth mascot, who has a documented backflip on skis.

Dave McCoy, a hydrographer for the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, put in the first lift in 1955 and ran the place for 68 years. The setting is the Eastern Sierra, the country Ansel Adams photographed, about 140 miles south of Lake Tahoe.

An easily missed detail: the town is higher than the base. You finish riding at 7,953 feet and then go up to 8,075 to eat. Nothing about the evening is a descent to thicker air, so pace the first round accordingly.

What to wear after riding

Mammoth's swing is the argument for a proper sweatshirt. Thirty-eight degrees and sunny at two o'clock, mid-teens by the time you are walking back from dinner, with everything at altitude. A dry cotton layer under a shell handles that transition better than a damp base layer you rode in, which is the real comparison most people are making at four o'clock.

From our line: Powder Flip Off-Shoulder Sweatshirt · ZigZag Cotton Sweatshirt · Snowboard Social Club Sweatshirt. Or browse the all-cotton styles, or work out which cut suits you.

Common questions

What time do the lifts close at Mammoth?

4pm. That figure comes from the resort's own trail information; its hours page was showing summer operations when we checked, so confirm the day's posted hours.

Is the Village Gondola at Mammoth free?

Yes, between The Village and Canyon Lodge. The Mountain Shuttle buses are free too, on five winter lines connecting the town and all the lodges.

Can snowboarders ride the Village Ski Back Trail?

You can, but the resort notes that snowboarders may need to unstrap in sections: it is a green cat track. The free Village Gondola is the alternative at the end of the day.

Do you need chains to drive to Mammoth?

Carry them. The resort states that all-wheel drive helps with traction but does not override chain control, and that requirements apply regardless of vehicle type when chain control is active.

Other resort guides

Breckenridge, Colorado · Vail, Colorado · Copper Mountain, Colorado, or see all of them.

Sources

Lift hours, venue hours and parking rates change by season and sometimes by day. Everything above was checked on 2026-10-11; check the resort's own posted hours before you plan around them.