Horseshoe Lake (Mammoth Lakes)
- Type
- Alpine lake
- Elevation
- 9,100 ft
- Boating
- Non-motorized
- Hours
- 6 a.m.-10 p.m., day use
- Kayak & SUP
- Swimming
- Restrooms
About this lake
Horseshoe Lake sits at 9,100 feet at the end of Lake Mary Road in the Mammoth Lakes Basin, Inyo National Forest.
On the water
The Forest Service lists Horseshoe among the basin lakes for non-motorized boating. The Town of Mammoth Lakes trail site lists swimming and stand-up paddleboarding here. In dry years the lake shrinks over the summer and leaves wide sandy beaches.
Carbon dioxide
Carbon dioxide seeping up from below Mammoth Mountain killed about 120 acres of trees around the lake after earthquakes in 1989 and 1990. The gas is heavier than air and can collect in low spots and enclosed spaces. The Forest Service warns that this is dangerous, especially for small children and pets.
Visiting
The site is free and open for day use from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m., with flush toilets, drinking water and a large parking lot. The summer town trolley runs here. Overnight trips on the Red Cones Trail need a wilderness permit.
Getting there & access
Getting there
Take Highway 203 west through Mammoth Lakes; it becomes Lake Mary Road and ends at Horseshoe Lake. In summer the town trolley runs here.
Carbon dioxide
Don't rest, camp or let children and pets play in hollows or enclosed spaces near the lake, where CO2 can build up.
Mussel inspection
Since April 2026, Mono County requires every trailered boat and jet ski to be inspected before launching. Inspections, decontamination and the Eastern Sierra mussel sticker are free at Eastern Sierra WID stations (Bridgeport and Bishop among them). Residents inspect once a year; visitors inspect on entering Mono or Inyo County, and again after launching anywhere outside the two counties. Arrive clean, drained and dry.
- Fee
- Free
- Hazard
- CO2 from the ground; avoid low spots
- Welcome Center
- (760) 924-5500
What's here
Kayaking
Non-motorized boating and stand-up paddleboarding
Swimming
Swimming from the shore
Trails
Horseshoe Lake loop and the Red Cones Trail
Restrooms
Flush toilets and drinking water
Rules & official resources
- Day use only, 6 a.m. to 10 p.m.; dogs on leash; CO2 can collect in low areas and enclosuresfs.usda.gov ↗
- Non-motorized boatingfs.usda.gov ↗
- Kayaks, canoes, paddleboards and other small non-motorized craft must be cleaned, drained, dried and self-inspected before launching somewhere newmonocounty.org ↗
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