Virginia Lakes & Conway Summit
north of Mono Lake · near Bridgeport / Lee Vining · Eastern Sierra
Nordic & Snowshoe
At a glance
- Best season
- Dec–Apr; dependable high snow (~8,100–9,800 ft)
What is here
- Activities
- snowshoe · backcountry · classic
- Setting
- alpine
- Amenities
- High Virginia Lakes basin · Snowed-over road touring · Rugged peak scenery · Quiet & uncrowded
- Best for
- Scenic high-basin touring
- Features
- Beautiful lakes basin · Snowed-over road access · High, snow-sure terrain · Solitude & scenery
Worth knowing
- Hazards
- Ungroomed — self-navigate · High elevation & exposure · Avalanche terrain on slopes · Cold, wind, storms
- Good for a first timer
- No
Guides, rentals and operators
- Rentals
- No
Nordic & Snowshoe detail
- Venue
- backcountry
- Ability
- intermediate
- Snow
- 4
- Trail notes
- High, wide-open snowshoe and Nordic touring near Conway Summit — a snowed-over road leads to the beautiful Virginia Lakes basin beneath rugged peaks, quiet and scenic
- Terrain note
- ~8,100–9,800 ft; ungroomed road & basin; dependable snow
- Intl tip
- North of Mono Lake at Conway Summit, a side road climbs toward the Virginia Lakes — and in winter, when it closes under snow, it becomes a quiet, scenic route for snowshoers and Nordic tourers into a stunning high basin of frozen alpine lakes beneath rugged peaks. Far less traffic than Tahoe or Mammoth, with dependable long-lasting snow above 9,000 ft and grand open scenery. Ungroomed backcountry (self-navigate); surrounding slopes hold avalanche terrain, and exposure brings cold, wind, storms — come prepared with navigation, layers, and awareness.
The guide
North of Mono Lake, where Highway 395 crests Conway Summit, a side road climbs west toward the Virginia Lakes — and in winter, …
In the Guidebook
Everything above is yours for free. The written guide to Virginia Lakes & Conway Summit — what it is actually like, and what we would tell a friend before they went — comes with the Guidebook.
Getting there
- Coordinates
- 38.05, -119.26