Earthquake Fault
A fissure about 18 meters deep in the pine forest, where a trail lets you look down into a rock gap created by volcanic and seismic activity.
Earthquake Fault lies beside Highway 203, the road to the Mammoth Mountain main lodge. It is a rock fissure about 800 meters long, less than 3 meters wide and up to 18 meters deep. In fact, it was formed by extension caused by underground magma activity, not by a true earthquake fault. A short loop trail with interpretive signs lets you see the rock walls on either side of the fissure, which fit together like puzzle pieces. In the past, snow remained at the bottom of the fissure into summer. Admission is free, and the visit takes about ten minutes, so it is a convenient stop on the way to Devils Postpile.
Opening hours
Daytime in summer and autumn
Nearby sights
- The Village at Mammoth
- Panorama Gondola & Mammoth Summit
- Twin Lakes & Twin Falls
- Mammoth Mountain Ski Area
- Inyo Craters
- Mammoth Museum at Hayden Cabin
- Horseshoe Lake
- Lake Mamie