Lee Vining, California Virtual Travel

Lee Vining

Mono Lake

Lee Vining Canyon

Begin your virtual tour of Lee Vining, California by clicking on any of the above entry points, and follow roads or trails through a network of linked images.

Standing above the sagebrush of Mono Basin and the salty water of Mono Lake, the Sierra Nevada Mountains rise to snow-capped peaks 13,000 feet in elevation. At the base of the mountains, Lee Vining sits at the mouth of Lee Vining Canyon on a hill above Mono Lake. Tourist-related businesses line the main street (U.S. Highway 395) and just a few narrow streets extend the town back from the highway. At the south end of the town, California Highway 120 begins the climb up Lee Vining Canyon to Tioga Pass and Yosemite National Park.

Lee Vining was named after Leroy Vining who settled in Lee Vining Canyon in about 1852 and was one of the first settlers in the Mono Basin. He operated a sawmill, supplying the needs of miners in the area.