Earthquake Fault

We went early in the morning after the sun had risen. We were the second car in the parking area so it was nice and quite. Being there and seeing this earthquake fault in person was very interesting. We don't recommend going there with kids unless they're responsible enough to take the trail safely. You can easily spend hours there exploring, relaxing, and just enjoying the hike as you may encounter some wild animals like squirrels, chipmunks, and a coyote as we did.

Really cool spot if you’re into geology or just want to see something unique. There’s a small parking lot that holds about 10 cars, plus picnic tables and restrooms. It’s just west of Highway 203. Even though it’s called the “Earthquake Fault,” it’s actually a dramatic fissure, about 10 feet wide and nearly 60 feet deep. The trail is short and fenced in, but at some points you can cross the crack and snap some great photos. Best times to visit are early morning or late evening for the lighting.

Went here early October a couple years back. As seen in pics, it had already snowed. The pictures don't really do the place justice. Much better in person. Quite interesting to see the impacts of a distant earthquake. I went on a weekday and had no issues with parking. In summer and/or on weekends I could see parking being decently challenging. The fault is right close to the parking. I think I stayed like 15-30 mins, which seemed like plenty of time.

Easy parking and not crowded at all. No one else was there except one older gentleman in the parking area who was probably an off duty park Ranger, as he told us all about the fault. This is not a safe place for younger kids, as they’ve fallen in according to the guy.

Cool fissure but clearly whoever manages the place doesn't care. The fences around the walking path by the fissure has SIGNIFICANT portions down allowing anyone, especially a curious kid, potentially go right into the fissure. The maintenance is absolutely abysmal. There are no informational signs whatsoever. It looks like they started to make it ADA compliant and then changed their mind. It looks very neglected.

Really interesting the damage (and re-architecture) earthquakes do to the land. It kinda looks like the caretakers of the park are now using the fault as a place to throw in downed trees and cuttings. But it’s an interesting place.

Intersting geological area. Becar3full of the gained cables though. Some if the hood posts are broken off.

Very neat place to see. Very massive section. Has picnic benches, not an easy walk for some.

Really easy to get to, no mosquitos, and not crowded at all. An older gentleman there who I think was an off duty park Ranger or something told us all about the fault, cases of people falling in, and what to look out for, etc. He said it's more impressive looking from the other side of the main road (going from Mammoth Lakes to Mammoth Mountain), though we couldn't find any signs or trailheads for this part afterwards. Nonetheless this is a pretty neat, quick stop with no hike required to get to it.

Free to do interesting to see the huge crack kinda cool bit scary how the earth splits like this. Worth visit while in mammoth.

I recently stopped by this earthquake fault to check it out while in the Mammoth area. It was easy to find, and parking was easy. Based on the photos, I was expecting this to be more like a cliff with a tall crack in it. In reality, it's more like a very long ditch. If you're into geology, or if you're super impressed by thinking about the earth splitting open, then maybe you should check this out. Personally, I wasn't very moved by this experience. If you didn't know that this was an earthquake fault, then there would be nothing impressive about it. It's just a very long gorge that is kind of deep in some places. I'm not sure if rappelling into the fault is allowed, but I thought it would be interesting to get a closer up view of some of the rocks and pools on the bottom. Honestly not really worth driving out of your way to see this unless you happen to be a geology fanatic, or are just dead set on seeing every possible sight near Mammoth.

Pretty cool sight if you are into this kind of stuff. My teens were completely bored and ready to go in 2 minutes. I'd still recommend going if you are in the area. FYI, there is no sign. If you're on 203 heading west, it's before you get to Wooly's. There use to be a sign, but now it's just brick. Right when you see the brick turn on that road and you will see a parking lot as you go up but you won't see the parking lot from the street. Then once you park there are some stairs to go down and you can circle the fault. It may take 20 min of your time, pretty quick. Hope that helps!!

This is what I call a parking lot hike, so if you have mobility issues, this is a good one. Just 30 yards or so from the parking lot you'll find the fault. If you've never been or never seen a fault, it is recommended. Fascinating to see the fault rip open the granite. Fairly large and a little scary when you think of the raw power. This area of course has a lot of volcanic activity and this is just another indication. Even more importantly this is an excellent spot for a picnic or pit stop. Several picnic tables, some shaded some not. Restroom and some of the most beautiful country you will see. You could be done in 10 minutes or a couple hours. Worth the detour.

A very quick point of interest while driving through Mammoth. There's not much to this place other than looking at the fault. Parking is easy. The best option is to walk around the entire fault. This is no more than 20 minutes of your time.

Easy drive, super easy walk way, amazing how long and deep it is. We drove by and had to stop to view it.

Short and sweet hike. From parking lot, head right downhill. Quite an amazing find. I have such awe for how the earth is still moving! This day the entrance sign was missing and it looked like some trees toppled the wire fencing. I'm sure if you decide to visit, they will be repaired by then. Looked like an abandoned camping ground.

The beau and I saw a sign for here when we were coming down from Mammoth Mountain so we stopped. If you're looking for a gentle hike, this is a good option. The fault is pretty cool but looks like a big ditch if you don't know what it is. The place was silent and I enjoyed looking for some birds.

This is such an incredibly beautiful place to come when you are visiting the Mammoth Lakes area. It really gives you a sense that you are smaller and insignificant when it comes to the world. These cracks are just small tectonic plates rubbing against each other along faultlines, but it feels like so much more than that. The deep crevices really show you how powerful is the world is around you. The kids really liked being able to see it and learning a little bit about the world around

Easy hike in the Mammoth area. There wasn't much there as a previous fire burned the area out. The area was recovering. Hiking along the fault was interesting but relatively short. Not much in the way of signs from an educational standpoint. Cool short hike with picture opportunities. I would stop here on the way to other places. In my estimation, doable for all ages.

Very interesting and worth checking it out. Come prepared. Leave with a wealth of experience.

Stopped here on our way down from Minaret Vista. Cool spot to visit if you have little humans, actually all ages! The entire fissure is about a half a mile, a quick stroll, but beautiful. Get up and explore.

Cool spot to visit when in mammoth. You drive fight up to it there is a small parking lot. You don't need much time here probably about 20 min. There is a bridge you can go over to get to the other side. There is a bathroom, trash cans and lots of picnic tables in the shade of all the trees.

Super cool fault in the ground. There are wires and fences that block it off so people don't go down in it. The fault from the parking lot is a 2 minute walk. Super easy its more of a site to see than a walk/hike. There is a near by hike that is 5 miles.

If you have kids or any interest in geology, I would say this is a must do on a trip to Mammoth. It is 5 min from the village and a short walk (not a hike) to the start of the fault. At the north end you can even walk in the floor of the fault. Bottom line, kids has a blast and I enjoyed it. If kids waned go back I definitely would.

This was a nice peaceful hike. It's not a long hike to the fault, aka big crack on the ground. Its actually more like a nice stroll in the woods. I found it very fascinating for some reason to experience the fault crack. It's just a large crack on the ground, but the realization that at anytime an earthquake can split the earth beneath our feet with no control by us mere beings is scary and fascinating! I would recommend this little hike if you are our in Mammoth. The forest is amazing and there are amazing views of the mountains all around!

I really enjoy this spot. I mean how many other places in the world can you literally stand within an earthquake fault? I don't know of any. It used to be that you could literally be in the bottom of the chasm and have 30' cliffs on either side of you where the Earth gaped apart. However they don't let you down that far anymore. You can be on the edges of it only now. Too bad it was exactly what you would think of for an Earthquake fault where the ground pulls apart in a movie. Overall its a mini hike... like a quarter mile to hike over to the fault from the parking lots. Thus its a fun time to explore and just relax. Ohhhh and its FREE to check out! Who doesn't like the idea of Free? I know that I love it. Too bad they don't have a t-shirt stand here so you cant buy something saying you stood in the fault... or something witty... Regardless they have a picnic area and its a nice chance to rest in the woods on the edge of something very unique. This is a MUST visit spot IMHO for a summer, spring, or fall trip to Mammoth. Do you know anyone else who can say that they have stood in an earthquake fault? Check this place out... it is well worth the 20-30 minutes or more that you spend here.

A more appropriate name for the nearly straight fracture would be "Earthquake Fissure." Because the rocks on both sides have not moved much vertically of laterally relative to one another, it is not really a "fault." The fissure is up to 10 feet wide and 60 feet deep. The Earthquake Fault cuts through volcanic rock, part of a glassy rhyolite lava flow from Mammoth Mountain, and formed by tectonic stresses in the earth's crust. The fault lines up with the Inyo-Mono Craters and is believed to be part of the east-west stretching that is gradually widening the entire Basin and Range region. The snow from the winter months would sometimes last up to year round in the bottom of the fissure. Because of this the local Native Indians would store their food at the bottom of the fissure during the warmer months. A short walking trail surrounds this natural phenomenon. Majestic red fir and Jeffrey pine trees make this a nice spot for a picnic.

Directions: From Hwy 395 take the Mammoth Lakes (Hwy 203) exit, then make a left. Take Hwy 203 (Main St) to the second stop light. Make a right onto Minaret Rd. The Earthquake Fault is located just up the hill on the right hand side. This is a short but lovely walk. My hubby and I visited here with our dogs in October 2011. It's so interesting to walk around the fissure and peering down inside. There is a protective railing to keep visitors from getting too close and falling in. Like many natural attractions of the Eastern Sierra, this is a great place to learn about geology. There are also sets of stairs so you can get even closer to the bottom of the fault. Be sure to read the informative signs about the early history of the fissure and how it was used by the early inhabitants of the area! Bring a camera, a beverage and snack, and enjoy the clean forest air! It's definitely worth a stop. xoxo

Yes, it's really an earthquake fault! Fun to visit and amazing to think what could happen while you're there. I've been coming to this spot for 40 years and I always enjoy the walk around the site. For many years after the 1980 6.0 quake that damaged the local tourist and housing market, it remained unmarked and not talked about. Once tourists began began showing interest in the unique local geology again, the site was marked and improved. In the past few years, the nice sign was removed and it's harder to find. Simply, it is 2 miles from the Village on the right.

Spectacular! The evidence of the earthquake and the power of nature is awesome! The trees and the surrounding area are beautiful. Very worthwhile place to see. As I looked at the fault, I was thinking about how mankind builds skyscrapers in places like San Francisco and the power of nature can just bring them down. Seems like evidence that God's creation is more powerful than anything man can build. Hurricanes, tornadoes, and tsunamis are more evidence. It is important to understand that God does not send weather to cause tragedies, though. But I digress from the purpose of my review. It's a beautiful area, very close to Mammoth Lakes, very much worth the drive. Yelp was very helpful in finding the Earthquake Fault, except the directions apparently were going to take us further up the road. We saw a very large Forest Service sign saying Earthquake Fault and pulled into the parking lot even though the directions from Yelp were saying to keep going. I don't know where the Yelp directions were going to take us, but, at the time I am writing this review, they are wrong. The Forest Service map in the parking area does not seem to have a "you are here" indication, so we stood there looking at the map for a while trying to figure out where to go. It looked like we were going to have to hike half mile or more. Turns out the Earthquake Fault is right behind the sign. It is amazing!

To be honey, I can't find the place ==a There's no direction or whatsoever, but oh well~ Went there on a journey to find the place but we end up walking on a circle on top on ice trying to find the location of this fault/fissure. Though we had fun walking around and playing with ice, haha. Hope there's other people that can post and give an actual direction. I still would recommend people to come here during the snow. They're so soft and not many people are around. Just be careful though. Haha.

A cool place to spend a half an hour or so. Bathrooms are available. I like that you didn't have to hike a mile to get to the fault/Fissure. Pretty cool to see a real life earthquake fault!

Well, let's say that this review is the result of an inflated expectation of how deep and/or large I thought the fault line would be (it's filled in over the years and certainly not as dramatic as I imagined it would be). It's definitely an interesting geologic point of interest, and if you're in the area, it's worth taking a look. However, I wouldn't go out of the way to seek it out. If you have small children or dogs that are not leashed or under voice control, beware that the "fencing" along the fault line would not prevent someone from falling in.

Cute little park. The trail was easy with kids. At some points the gorge was pretty impressive. We took the kids and spent about 45 minutes, which was plenty of time to run around and see the entire earthquake bit. Beware - the directions linked from yelp to my phone sent me on a crazy drive. Just follow the big park signs instead.

we visited this the last time when my daughter was about 8 years old...that makes it nearly 20 years ago.... she remembered it....but didn't really remember just how incredible it actually it.... it was fun to take her there again and let her see it - experience it again....

The spot is a short 5 min walk from the parking lot. The also a 20 min walking trail around this natural wonder. Kids had fun exploring down the cave that gives out a very cold breeze. Plenty of benches, picnic tables and BBQ grillers.

This place is great if your looking for the earthquake fault in the winter you will not find it. It's buried in snow and they take down the sign. If your around late spring, summer, fall it's worth a stop pretty impressive.

I love the Mammoth geology, it is so diverse and incredible...but what is actually being referred to here is defined as a fissure and not an earthquake fault. For several years the USFS sign said "Earthquake Fault", however when you turn off the road to park, all the information signs there describe the geological feature as a fissure. This was caused by the cooling of magma rock, where it essentially cracked open as it cooled milions of years ago. It is not capable of movement like an earthquake fault does. Either way it is a really cool sight to see when you are here visiting. You may have already noticed the large crack from the road on the left side as you drive up to Main Lodge. Enjoy!!! www.Mammoth1.com.