Nine thousand feet above sea-level and almost a million years old, the heavily-saline waters (lacking an outflow, its waters evaporate leaving their salt content behind) of Mono Lake support a large insect population, which provides great delight for the many species of wading birds found here. In turn, the wading birds provide great delight for birdwatchers.

Ornithological know-nothings, however, should visit the lake for its strangely shaped tufa formations. These are created by calcium, in the freshwater springs that feed the lake, mixing with carbonates. The forma tions became exposed as the lake’s water level fell: since the 1940s, the lake has suffered a 40ft drop – a result of the damming of local rivers to provide water for Los Angeles.

Self-guided trails weave through the largest of the tufa formations, on the lake’s south side and reached by Hwy-120, east off Hwy-395. For an explanation of the tufa’s creation, and the low-down on the region’s ecological headaches, call at the Mono Basin National Forest Scenic Area Visitor Centre in Lee Vining.