Mammoth Mountain, California

Photo: Visit Mammoth

Can we please get a round of applause for Mammoth?! With a ton of resort renovations and revamps of on-mountain bars and restaurants, Mammoth has rebranded from family friendly ski mountain and added Après Ski to their resume. While their nightlife has always provided for some wild and memorable nights...the resort updates have Mammoth covering off on all their bases, catering to every type skier, vacationer, and most importantly, The Après(er).

Nestled in the high Eastern Sierras, Mammoth Lakes is tucked away off the infamous Highway 395 (which deserves its own post because it's so damn cool). Getting to this picturesque ski town requires a 5+ hour drive from all of Southern California's major beach cities or hopping on a 45 min from LA. Be sure to stop at Schat’s Bakery in Bishop for their beloved fresh made turkey sandwiches and daily made baked goods. While out of the way, Mammoth continues to draw in people by the masses each and every year because of its charming village with locally owned businesses and boutiques, beautiful surrounding landmarks, and its versatility of things to do. Shockingly, Mammoth’s eight thousand person population fluctuates to fifty-thousand plus during peak winter weekends. DANG! From family run restaurants, large scale industry events, scenic hot springs, rowdy nightlife, and one of the largest ski areas in the US, Mammoth really has it all. While some of the older and larger nightclubs have come and gone over the years, it's the smaller eclectic venues that have become staples.

Après Ski

*ranked in order from rowdy to chill

Lincoln Bar | Canyon Lodge

Lincoln Bar starts bumping tunes at 3P on Friday and Saturday’s with music so loud, you can hear it from Lincoln Peak! You will easily find two hundred plus people dancing on and off tables in the large patio area. This venue rocks a modern and industrial chalet vibe boasting a luxurious indoor-outdoor bar, fire pits, and plenty of tables to go around. In the spring, you will be sure to find a lot of down to party people dancing the afternoon away, sometimes in nothing but their bathing suits and gaper gear! It’s also perfectly situated steps away from the Village Gondola which will gently drop you to the doorsteps of other bars in town - WIN. Stumble on over to Gomez’s or Clocktower for some food and drink if you want to keep the party going.

$$ | Walk Up Bar

Photo: Mammoth Mountain

The Mill | The Mill Lodge

At the base and heart of Mammoth Ski area, you will find this mini lodge and restaurant. It is super small and super fun! On warm spring days you can find the DJ spinning on the deck, with people of all ages getting groovy on a makeshift dance floor adjacent to the outdoor bar. Don’t forget to order the garlic fries and pulled pork sandwich, you won’t regret it.

$$ | Walk Up Bar

Clocktower | Mammoth Village

If you’re looking for a more low key après scene with a true ski town look and feel, this is it. Happy hour is their specialty with $6 Shots and Beer (yes, yes, yes) and their famous Totchos!! Tater tots with all the nacho fixings. The pairing of classic bar food, foosball, and beer cap ceiling will make you feel right at home. While this spot is on the tamer end of the spectrum early evening, it pops off from 9P -12P on weekends. Clocktower is either a destination or a massive pregame for Lakanuki (keep scrolling).

$ | Walk Up Bar

Melt HOUSE | The Outpost Chair 13 & 14

The recently updated Outpost or ‘backside’ restaurant has been revamped to include a small menu of gourmet grilled cheese and soup on the go. Not only is this the comfort food we all know and LOVE, but their bar boasts an assortment of delicious craft beers and cocktails. This is our favorite spot to get a nice buzz under the sun at lunch. Just don’t lose track of time, because you’ll need to take at least two chairs to get back to the ski in-ski out lodges.

$$ | Walk Up Bar

Mammoth Brew Co. | Mammoth Village

In place of the old Whiskey Creek Restaurant & Nightclub is the brewery’s newfound home. If you’re looking for a spot to relax, indulge Mammoth brewed beer and have some gourmet bar food bites, this is the spot. We highly recommend ordering a flight of beer as you get to taste all their seasonal brews! With hoppy IPAs, chocolatey winter combos, and traditional pilsners there is a flavor for everyone. Honestly, we love this place for summer - think a chilled bottle of Rosé or beer on the patio post hike.

$$ | Walk Up Bar

Nightlife

Lakanuki (Laka) | Mammoth Village

WARNING, must pregame to enter. This place is the definition of LIT. It is… small mountain club meets a Tiki bar where you are dancing on an elevated DJ stand shaking it. The drinks are strong, the lights are dim, and you may not remember all of your night, but we promise it’s a good time. With a live DJ every Friday and Saturday night (shout out to Lamar), it is the perfect place to let loose.

$$ | Reservations & Walk Up Bar

From left to right: Lakanuiki, The Outpost, Mammoth Brew Co.

Rafters | Old Mammoth

This bar is located in Old Mammoth making it easily accessible to the other half of town farther from the village. They are known for their live music and continue to provide solid lineups every Friday and Saturday night featuring talented reggae and rock n’ roll garage bands. If you knew all the words to Rebelution and Slightly Stoopid in high school, we promise you’ll enjoy the hippy crowds and bands that come through this venue.

$$ | Walk Up Bar

Liberty Sports Bar & Grill | Old Mammoth

This place is a few years old but has quickly gained popularity amongst locals and tourists. We like this spot because it is walking distance to many of the smaller hotels up and down Main Street making it easily accessible for a few drinks or nightcap after dinner. While this spot is usually best for watching your favorite sports teams on TV alone or with your friends, they sometimes bring in local live bands which makes for a super fun and lowkey evening.

53 Kitchen & Cocktails | Mammoth Village

This restaurant’s bar turns into a lounge after hours with live music every Friday and Saturday, which typically entails (cute) acoustic guitarists; can confirm they are great eye candy. We love this place as a destination for a couple drinks in place of a rowdy night.

$$$ | Walk Up Bar (reservation recommended for dinner)

Where To Stay

To properly ski in-ski out, you’ll want to stay in and around the Mammoth Village (which is considered the center of town and is walkable to The Village-Canyon Gondola). Mammoth Village also coincides with the Canyon neighborhood which has easy shuttle and gondola access to Canyon lodge.

Generally, most of town has conveniently located shuttle stops near major neighborhoods and condo complexes that can get you to the Mammoth Village and various ski lodges. It is easy to get around with the Mammoth bus system, which can be found here.

Getting There

While Mammoth is not the easiest resort in terms of accessibility, there are daily, but limited flights from both LAX (Los Angeles International) and SFO (San Francisco International Airport) that are roughly 45 minutes one way. Though, the most popular way to get to Mammoth Lakes is to drive - drive time can range from 5-7 hours from most major beach cities. Just be careful with that Sunday hangover, speaking from experience, the drive home can be REALLY brutal.