Sherwins Area Recreation

Beginning with the construction of the  Mammoth Rock Connector Trail  and the  Meadow Trail Connector  in 2017, the Mammoth Lakes Trail System has completed 3.8 miles of new trails in the Sherwins Area.

In the summer of 2019, the Mammoth Lakes Trail System trail crew constructed a new half mile trail segment to replace an unsustainable alignment of the original trail. The crew used sustainable trail design principles to mitigate erosion and water issues and create a fun and sustainable new trail alignment. This effort will save countless maintenance hours in the future.

In the summer of 2020, the Mammoth Lakes Trail System trail crew completed a half mile reroute on the  Mammoth Rock Trail . This new trail segment uses sustainable trail design principles to optimize the user experience and reduce maintenance needs. We moved the trail alignment up out of a subtle drainage and onto a hillside which sheds water more effectively. Trail tread is much improved and the old alignment was rehabilitated with the help of CAL FIRE crews.

The Sherwins Working Group identified Solitude Canyon as an area for further study to see if a trail through it would be feasible. The Mammoth Lakes Trail System in partnership with the Inyo National Forest underwent feasibility analysis of a trail alignment. In 2020 the Inyo National Forest decided not to approve construction of this trail, citing wildlife concerns.

Recreation use in the Sherwins area has traditionally been high and complex; the area is currently enjoyed year-round by individuals in pursuit of quiet and reflective natural experiences, backcountry skiers and snowboarders, world-class athletes in training, those seeking motorized play, and others. No formal trailheads or facilities exist at this time and as a result, the non-system trail facilities receive no maintenance. The Sherwins area remains popular with residents and guests alike. There is a desire to provide a level of service that residents and visitors can be proud of, enhancing several existing facilities and building new trail facilities to better accommodate the level of use. The Sherwins Area Trails proposal includes new trail construction, reconstruction of user-created trails, and decommissioning of user-created trails.

Snowcreek Development - Future planned phases of Snowcreek development will add more residential units and golf facilities to the Sherwins Meadow. The Sherwins Working Group engaged with private developers in order to craft a sensible plan that will preserve public access to the federal public lands in the Sherwins.  More information on Snowcreek Development Plans. 

Plum Parcel Easement - The Plum family has generously granted a public access easement on their property bridging the gap between Tamarack Street and Inyo National Forest Land. The Sherwins Working Group identified this as a key neighborhood access point to proposed and existing recreation infrastructure in the Sherwins Meadow.  More information about the Plum Parcel Easement. 

The Mammoth Lakes Trail System and Inyo National Forest have conducted site analysis and planning for a trailhead at the parking lot next to the propane tank farm on Sherwin Creek Rd.  Mammoth Lakes Recreation  was awarded grant funding from the Sierra Nevada Conservancy in 2021 to complete environmental analysis and construction of a new trailhead.

This facility would provide an alternative to the Sherwins Trailhead. It also would provide additional staging opportunities for the Lakes Basin, the Mammoth Rock Trail, and Panorama Dome Trails. An adequate turnaround for public transit is proposed to reduce existing parking issues. This will support the Town of Mammoth Lakes General Plan vision of public transit mobility.

The 2009  Sherwins Working Group  produced a  document  that outlines many proposed options for developed winter recreation in the Sherwins. From dog play areas to groomed winter trails, this plan goes into detail about several possible options for future recreation opportunities.

Designate a zone that is north of Sherwin Creek Road and east of the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) stables where dogs may be off-leash and are not required to respond to voice command. Facilities will include signage and doggie-bag stations, and the area will not be groomed or fenced. Dogs must be leashed, however, at all trailheads and staging areas.

To improve the existing non-motorized opportunities in the meadow (the legacy blue-diamond signage system, as one example), a “stacked-loop” or “nested” trail system with partial grooming will be created to offer multiple route options to a variety of winter users, including a quality groomed cross-country skiing experience. The primary section of trail (aligned over the multi-use path, or MUP, identified in Summer Map ID #7), out from which the smaller nested loops will branch, will connect to the access points identified in Winter Map ID #5a (formal non-motorized access/egress point at Snowcreek VIII), #5b (formal non-motorized access/egress point at the Snowcreek golf course), and #5c (non-motorized trailhead at Tamarack Street), providing consistent and easy access/egress across the area to the loop system, the borrow pit staging area, and points of connection farther north and east. Grooming will provide a packed surface for dog-walkers, snowshoers, pedestrians, cross-country skiers, and others and will allow these users a lengthy maintained-route option. Leaving the western loop ungroomed (but signed) will provide an option for those seeking a more “wild” or “natural” experience.

This area is ideal for snowplay due to its moderate slope, gentle terrain, and aspect (north-facing, which best retains snow). Its proximity to the borrow pit staging area makes it highly visible and therefore attractive to potential users, enables them to access the snowplay area via a very short walk, and offers bathrooms and other facilities nearby, which is important for families with small children.

 SHARP Winter Proposal