The trip starts with the long, beautiful drive north from Los Angeles on US 395, the road that runs between the Sierra Nevada and the White Mountains. Leave early, stop for breakfast in Lone Pine under Mount Whitney, at 14,505 feet, and lunch in Bishop, then climb the last stretch to Mammoth Lakes at about 7,900 feet. In the afternoon the kids get their first slide on the snow at a tube park on the mountain.
Breakfast under Mount Whitney in Lone Pine
Where to eat: Alabama Hills Cafe & Bakery on Post Street serves big breakfasts and fresh baked bread from early morning.
Lone Pine is about three hours and twenty minutes from Los Angeles, a natural place to stop, stretch and eat. From Main Street you can see the jagged granite wall of the Sierra, with Mount Whitney near its middle, often wrapped in snow from December to March. If the kids need to run, the Eastern Sierra Interagency Visitor Center just south of town has a lawn, clean restrooms and maps of the road ahead.
Lunch and bread in Bishop
Where to eat: Mahogany Smoked Meats at the north end of town makes smoked turkey sandwiches at its deli counter, and Erick Schat's Bakkery sells the Original Sheepherder Bread.
An hour north, Bishop is the main town of the Owens Valley and the last big stop before Mammoth Lakes. It is a good place to fill up on gas, buy groceries for the condo and let the family walk Main Street for half an hour. Families have stopped at the same Dutch bakery here for decades, and the line moves faster than it looks, so join it and choose a loaf for the week while you wait.
Climb to Mammoth Lakes
From Bishop, US 395 climbs the long Sherwin Grade toward the Long Valley Caldera, a giant volcanic basin, then turns west on Route 203 into Mammoth Lakes. The drive takes about forty-five minutes in good weather. Watch the snow line appear as you gain height, and check the Caltrans road page before you leave Bishop, because chain controls are common on this grade during and after winter storms.
A first slide at Woolly's Tube Park
Where to eat: Hot chocolate from Looney Bean on Old Mammoth Road warms everyone up on the way back down.
Drop the bags at your condo, then head up to Woolly's Adventure Summit near Main Lodge for a two-hour session on the snow tubing lanes. A moving carpet carries you and your tube back to the top, so even small children can ride again and again without a long climb. Tickets sell out on holiday weekends, so buy them online in advance and dress the kids in waterproof pants and mittens.
Where to eat and stop
- Breakfast · Alabama Hills Cafe & Bakery — Post Street, Lone Pine; closed Wednesdays Why here: A busy roadside cafe with homemade bread and huge breakfast plates, open from early morning for 395 travelers.
- Lunch · Mahogany Smoked Meats — North Sierra Highway, Bishop Why here: A family-run smokehouse known for its jerky, with sandwiches made to order beside the highway north.
- Dinner · Roberto's Cafe — Old Mammoth Road; closed Mondays, no reservations Why here: A Mammoth Mexican favorite since 1985, cheerful and loud enough that nobody minds tired kids.
- Quick stop (coffee): Looney Bean — Old Mammoth Road, open until 5 pm Why here: A local coffee roaster with warm drinks for every age after the tube park.
From Los Angeles, take State Route 14 north to US 395 and follow it through Lone Pine and Bishop to Route 203, the Mammoth Lakes exit. Driving time is about five hours. In winter, carry chains or have four-wheel drive with snow tires, as Caltrans often sets chain controls above Bishop.
Where to stay
- A condo in The Village at Mammoth — Condos and hotel rooms around The Village sit at the foot of the Village Gondola, so the kids can ride straight up to Canyon Lodge for ski school, and dinner, hot chocolate and the evening lights are all a short walk across the plaza.
- A family condo off Old Mammoth Road — Larger condos with kitchens, fireplaces and hot tubs line Old Mammoth Road and Meridian Boulevard, close to The Stove, Roberto's and the free town trolley, and usually cost less than rooms right in The Village.
Dinner: Roberto's Cafe on Old Mammoth Road for burritos and soup, ten minutes from the tube park.
Tomorrow: Ride the Village Gondola to Canyon Lodge for a full day of kids' ski school, then an evening in The Village.
Bad-weather plan
If a storm closes the tube park or the grade, slow down: stay longer at the Lone Pine visitor center and the Bishop shops, then reach Mammoth Lakes for an early dinner and a board game at the condo.
Lone Pine and Mount Whitney · Bishop's bakery · The climb to Mammoth Lakes · Woolly's Tube Park
Good to know: Woolly's Tube Park runs daily through the heart of the winter, usually from 10 am to 4 pm, with some midweek days opening at noon; check the Mountain Report on the day.
