Explore Mammoth - view hand-curated trail maps and driving directions as well as detailed reviews and photos from hikers, campers and nature lovers like you.

Did this hike right before the wildfires caused closures. Easy, beautiful hike to the falls, which wasn’t much water but still fun to climb on the rocks and hang out. Started at Minaret Falls campground.
Love the trail, very easy and close to the parking lot, about two miles. I took my parents and they loved it.They didn’t go to the bottom of the fall for safety reasons, but they enjoyed the whole view from the top. I went to the bottom and the fall is majestically beautiful, however due to the long weekend, it was little bit too crowded, and made it hard to take good pictures up close to the fall . Maybe on a regular weekend and on a less Smokey day, I will be able to capture the rainbow
Beautiful! We saw deers, squirrels, chipmunks. If you get their early you don’t pay for parking. Early is freezing!! So take layers!. Early not many people. Later on around 8-9am lots of hikers.
It was a wonderful hike. You'll be greeted by tiny squirrels moving along the sides of the trail. Of course, the view of the rainbow falls, we hiked late in the afternoon, of course I did not see the rainbow but it's still amazing. People were jumping into the water as their prize once they reached the bottom part of the trail. I highly recommend this!
I’m running out of adjectives to describe my hikes of late but this one was magical. The waterfall is so gorgeous. Hike down to the bottom and cross the water (yes you will get your feet wet) and go hangout on the right of the waterfall. Bring snacks and a drink. Definitely jump in and if you’re courageous enough go all the way to drop
Such a beautiful morning hike. Saw the sun coming up over the hills and some deer & fawn roaming around. Definitely get there early. We arrived by 7, still plenty of parking but on our way out around 1030 the road to the parking lot was closed and everyone had to park farther up.
Super easy, crowded. Go early otherwise the line is crazy.
Very busy trail but easy and rewarding. Unfortunately recent nearby fires meant the sky was entirely hazy and smoky
The trail was absolutely beautiful. You will for sure get a workout but it’s honestly not too bad. The only bad part today is the smoke and ashes from forest fires rolled in an caused a gloomy day. The water was very cold too.
Has great potential but Labor Day crowds really took away from the experience.
This is a great hike. The Post Pile is a wonder and falls are great even this time of year. Make sure to climb down to the base of the falls and get into the water.
Arrive early as previous reviewers have stated especially if you don’t want to hike mid heat. We arrived about 0830 and parking was already limited since it’s Labor Day weekend. Unfortunately too many people not wearing masks and unaware of hiking etiquette. Otherwise trail is easy to follow and shaded for 0.6 miles the rest is open sun. Going down is easier than returning but doable with kids, just takes longer.
Awesome great beautiful scenery lots of interesting thing and views, cool to see the new growth.
always a beautiful hike. Recommend getting there early in the day during the summer months. Its always packed.
Beautiful place!
It was a great trail! We did the hike on 8/24. The Rainbow falls at the end is obviously the highlight. As you get started, the river is quite wide and then as you gain elevation you see less and less of the river. There are a few detours you can take on the trail. The first is via a bridge to another falls, the second is to the top of the Devil Postpile, the third is to the Rainbow falls, and fourth is to the lower falls. They all add about 2-3 miles to the overall trail. You can avoid these other trails if you just want to see the Rainbow falls. The view from the top of Devil Postpile is amazing! I highly recommend doing that one. We started early at about 8. We were at the Rainbow falls around 9.30ish. Due to the early hour and also it being a Monday, there weren't a lot of people there yet. We spent time by the falls and swam in the pool. About 11 when we were about to head back, the place became extremely crowded and it was impossible to social distance. We headed over to the lower falls which was less crowded and quite pretty too. If you want to swim without a lot of people around you, you should head over to the lower falls first. The water was freezing but totally worth it! Also, the latter half of the trail does not have a lot of shade and can get unbearably hot and uncomfortable. I'd recommend going early to avoid the crowds and the heat.
It was a perfect day, temperature between 55 and 65 degrees. We got there before 9 am and there were plenty of parking and not too crowded, but half of the hikers weren't wearing a mask. Coming out after noon still parking available.
Amazing
5 star Trail, but knocked down a star due to crowds. Even on a Monday morning there were a LOT of people
Way way too many people and most without masks not giving any appropriate distance. They need to limit the number of people and they are not. Very disappointed.