The put in for paddling is at Navy Beach on the south shore of the lake off of Hwy 120 east. Paddling here is surreal with 13,000 ft peaks to the west, a vast dune to the east and a steaming natural hot spring on the island in the middle of the lake. Mornings are mostly calm here and afternoons are often windy so get up and paddle early. The put in at Navy beach has large collections of Tufa towers all around it that are amazing to look at from the water. The paddle to the islands south east shore takes about an hour and is worth every stroke. The austere landscape of the island has a beauty all its own and the views to The Sierra crest from the water are spectacular. We camped on the west side of Hwy 395 below Mount Lewis on this trip to get a dose of fall colors but there is also great camping on the South shore of Mono lake off of 120 east. Look for the dirt road near the winter closure gate on Hwy 120 East that will take you to the edge of the ponderosa pine grove south of the lake. Again, there are great views of the lake and the Sierra from here. Note that this access road is sandy pumice so larger tires and/or 4x4 are recommended.
