Sierra Nevada - Mammoth Lakes - Minaret Road
8 mi 
Suitable for
Fitness *
Street *
Slalom *
Artistic *
Directions
From U.S. 395, exit at the Mammoth Lakes junction, State Highway 203 heading west. About 3.75 miles from the junction, Highway 203 takes a right at the second stoplight in town to turn up Minaret Road, leading to the ski area. Turn left and go just a block or two up this street to park in the Pioneer Market parking lot.
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Notes
How many times do you get a chance to skate on a state highway? Minaret Road, otherwise known as State Highway 203, is strictly for strong and experienced skaters who are fit enough to climb at high altitude for four miles and/(or!) skilled enough to skate back down in the traffic lane.
Starting at the Pioneer Market, you can skate in the bike lane all the way up Minaret Road to the Mammoth Mountain ski area. It gets pretty curvy and narrow-shouldered in a couple of sections, so stay close to the edge of the pavement and keep your ears open so you won't be surprised by cars. After three quarters of a mile, you'll pass the Mammoth Scenic Loop, an emergency access road from Upper Mammoth Lakes to U.S. 395. This is a possible alternate skate, but the 4.5-mile-long Scenic Loop has no shoulders, fairly rough pavement, low traffic, and a gradual climb; weigh its pros and cons against your own skating skills to decide if you'd enjoy it.
The scenery is mostly forest on both sides of Minaret Road, with an occasional glimpse through the trees of mountain peaks to the south. Another mile up, the shoulder becomes wider where parking is allowed on busy ski days. As you near the ski area, these wide shoulders expand here and there into parking lots, which in early spring may be strewn with gravel left over from the wintertime practice of sanding icy roads. During the last two miles, the road rolls up and down on its journey to the Mammoth Main Lodge. At the lodge area, rest up so you'll be ready to enjoy the fast ride back down to town. If you're a dedicated hill skater or ski cross trainer, see if you can hitch a ride back up for another run or two.
Starting at the Pioneer Market, you can skate in the bike lane all the way up Minaret Road to the Mammoth Mountain ski area. It gets pretty curvy and narrow-shouldered in a couple of sections, so stay close to the edge of the pavement and keep your ears open so you won't be surprised by cars. After three quarters of a mile, you'll pass the Mammoth Scenic Loop, an emergency access road from Upper Mammoth Lakes to U.S. 395. This is a possible alternate skate, but the 4.5-mile-long Scenic Loop has no shoulders, fairly rough pavement, low traffic, and a gradual climb; weigh its pros and cons against your own skating skills to decide if you'd enjoy it.
The scenery is mostly forest on both sides of Minaret Road, with an occasional glimpse through the trees of mountain peaks to the south. Another mile up, the shoulder becomes wider where parking is allowed on busy ski days. As you near the ski area, these wide shoulders expand here and there into parking lots, which in early spring may be strewn with gravel left over from the wintertime practice of sanding icy roads. During the last two miles, the road rolls up and down on its journey to the Mammoth Main Lodge. At the lodge area, rest up so you'll be ready to enjoy the fast ride back down to town. If you're a dedicated hill skater or ski cross trainer, see if you can hitch a ride back up for another run or two.
Related Tours
| Last Skated
May 29, 2005
|
Updated
Jun 2, 2005
|