Seeing Mono Lake from a plane

A salty, alkaline lake at least 760,000 years old, more than twice as salty as the ocean. When Los Angeles diverted its streams in 1941 the level dropped, exposing tufa towers. Look for the black and white islands in the middle.

19 of our routes pass it. California · rated 7 of 10

The easy pick

Sacramento to Las Vegas: sit on the right, 20 min after takeoff.

Which side, by route

From the real paths of every nonstop on these routes in the last 10 days, at the usual time of day.

Questions

Which side of the plane do you see Mono Lake from?

It depends on the direction: the right on most of our routes (18 of 19). The table lists each route's side.

When can you see Mono Lake from a plane?

Mid-flight: see the table for when on each route.

Do clouds matter?

Yes. These answers assume a clear day. Within 3 days of your flight, pick your exact flight in the app for the cloud forecast.

More

Yosemite Valley / Half Dome Sierra Nevada crest Lake Tahoe Sequoia National Park Mount Whitney Austin (AUS) San Francisco (SFO) Boston (BOS) Chicago (ORD) All routes