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A road trip down California Highway 395 check out these unique geological features on Highway 395. There is so many epic stops along highway 395 to explore, but this post is specific to the unique geological features in the area.
With loads of volcanic activity throughout the years geologic features are at their finest along Highway 395.
Alabama Hills
- Location | Lone Pine | 36.611283, -118.124876
- Cost | free
- Travel Guide | Our Complete Guide to Alabama Hills
Alabama Hills is an incredible area of rocks that seem super out of places and is home to the lower 48’s highest mountain.
When we visited Alabama Hills, we knew it would be really cool views, but we weren’t expecting to see all the crazy rocks popping out of nowhere.
While exploring Alabama Hills, you’ll find arches within the rocks, multiple places where movies were filmed, and dramatic views of the tallest mountains in the Eastern Sierra range!
Mammoth Lakes Hot Creek Geological Site
- Location | Mammoth | 37.660463, -118.827722
- Cost | free
- Website | Hot Creek Forest Service
Hot Creek Geological Site is a geological feature on Highway 395 not to miss.
This area is ran and maintained by the forest service, but it’s free to visit, and easy to access.
It’s a super quick and easy stop on Highway 395, with an interpretive trail from the parking area down into the canyon. Don’t worry, it’s not that far of a hike.
This geological feature on Highway 395 is constantly changing. Earthquakes cause new geysers to form, the temerature of the waters fluctuate causing steam sometimes while not during others, and you can literally witness the mystery of geology right before your eyes.
It’s worth noting here, that while the hot creek seems inviting, the water is not safe to enter. There are constant changes in temperature and it’s never safe to swim here.
Mammoth Lakes Hot Springs
- Location | Wild Willy’s (our favorite) in Mammoth | 37.659298, -118.771083
- Cost | free
- Travel Guide | 7 Hot Springs in Mammoth
Have you ever been to a place that’s literally a valley of steam? Mammoth Lakes is just that. The hot springs in the Mammoth Lakes valley cause the ground to steam all over the place.
There are so many hot springs in the area, that you literally can’t even count them all.
Sunrise or sunset is the best time to visit these hot springs if you’re hoping to see the steam come up across the valley — or visiting in the winter will allow you to witness this at any point on a cold day.
Thankfully, unlike the Hot Creek Geological Site, the hot springs in Mammoth Lakes California are safe to get in and enjoy a fresh mineral water soak!
Devils Postpile National Monument
- Location | Mammoth | 37.625214, -119.084783
- Cost | free with National Park Pass, however there’s a $15 shuttle fee for most visitors
- Website | Opening Times + Visitor Information
Devils Postpile is a national monument in California that has some of the best examples of basalt columns in the world. These columns have been protected since 1911 when Devils Postpile and the surrounding almost 800 acres of land were established into a national monument.
At Devils Postpile National Monument, visitors can take a shuttle from the main area up to where the hikes are to both Rainbow Falls, a 101 foot waterfall, and the basalt columns are.
Jay and I visited Devils Postpile National Monument before the shuttle system was in place. However, with the larger crowds of people hoping to see this unique geological wonder on Highway 395, the shuttle is necesssary to protect the land.
Keep in mind, this area gets a lot of snow, and the road going to Devils Postpile is only open mid-June through October.
Mono Lake
- Location | Lee Vining | 37.942135, -119.026642
- Cost | free with National Park Pass otherwise $3
Mono Lake is an area full of multiple different geological features. The most incredible of the bunch is the tufas found on the South Tufas Trail.
This trail is a self interpretive trail that takes visitors through geological features that will leave your mind wondering. The tufas are formed from the mineral content in Mono Lake. And they are incredible to see.
We enjoyed this trail at sunset, when the tufas were lit up to perfection and the views of both Mono Lake and the Sierra range were fantastic!
Now, the South Tufas trail isn’t the only geological feature in this area. Mono Lake itself itself is an interesting geological feature on Highway 395 from the mineral content making up the lake. And there’s the nearby Panum Crater which is also incredible to see.
Panum Crater has examples of both pumice and obsidian, and is a relatively steep but short hike to get to the center of the crater!
Honorable Mentions
Crowley Lake Stone Columns
- Location | Mammoth | 37.609641, -118.720241
- Cost | free
- Trail Information | All Trails Guide
These geological feature on Highway 395 isn’t right off the highway. It’s relatively close, but it takes hiking over 4 miles round trip to get to and from these stone columns without a rig with extremely high clearance.
We didn’t visit the Crowley Lake Stone Columns because a winter storm came in pushing us south to lower elevations, but I wanted to include it in this list for you!
Fossil Falls
- Location | Coso Junction | 35.970818, -117.910680
- Cost | free
- Trail Information | All Trails Guide
We didn’t stop at Fossil Falls, but we wish we did. This is a super quick stop along highway 395 that’s easy to access.
Fossil Falls is an ancient waterfall that’s no longer running, but you can see the affects of the waterfall with the smooth lava rocks throughout the trail. It looks like a great place to climb around and have fun, if it’s not too hot!
More To Explore
California Highway 395 has so many things to explore and experience. Check out some of our guides below, or head to our destination guides where we share other places around the globe for you to see!
Camping For Free | Learn how to find free camping all over the United States and who you’ll need for the adventure.
Road Trip Apps | These apps we use for van life on the daily, but they’re helpful for those on road trips as well.
Highway 395 Road Trip Stops | There’s more than the geological features, check out these other epic stops on a Highway 395 road trip.
Road Trip Captions | Want to share your photos without thinking of captions? Check out over 300 free captions for road trips we’ve put together.
Staying Warm With A Heater | After years of living on the road, we’ve got a trick or two up our sleeve of how to stay warm on cold nights camping without a heater.
Camp Your Way Through Highway 395
The best way to experience these places and more along Highway 395 is to get out and camp!
