Way of the Mono Trailhead

The Way of the Mono Trail is a short interpretive loop on the south shore of Bass Lake, a few miles north of Oakhurst. At 0.6 miles with about 140 feet of climbing over granite slabs, it's an easy add for anyone staying at Bass Lake who wants a quick walk with a real payoff at the top — and it's free to hike, no permit required.

Mono Heritage

Interpretive panels along the single-track path explain how the Mono (Monache) people who lived here processed acorns, their staple food. Look for morteros — bowl-shaped depressions ground into the granite at the trail's high point — where acorns were pounded into flour, then rinsed through white fir or cedar boughs and cooked with hot stones in tightly woven baskets. Other panels point out the native ponderosa pine, white fir, black oak, sugar pine, live oak, and manzanita along the route.

Trail Details

• Distance: 0.6-mile loop
• Elevation change: about 140 feet
• Difficulty: easy, though the granite sections get slick when wet
• Trailhead: Road 222, across from the Little Denver Church Day Use Area
• Cost: free, no permit needed

Getting There

From Oakhurst, take Highway 41 north about 3.4 miles to Yosemite Forks, then turn east on Road 222 toward Bass Lake. The trailhead has ample parking at the day-use area.