Yosemite + Mammoth Lakes California Trail Running Vacation Sept 2024

Mammoth Lakes, CA, USA

RT
Runcation Travel
  • Email address verified
60 reviews
Sep 12 - 15, 2024
Group size: 6 - 14
Yosemite + Mammoth Lakes California Trail Running Vacation Sept 2024
Mammoth Lakes, CA, USA

Runcation Travel
  • Email address verified
60 reviews

Sep 12 - 15, 2024
Group size: 6 - 14

About this trip

Join us for our long weekend Runcation in California's Sierra Nevada for our Yosemite, Mammoth Lakes, and Eastern Sierra trail running vacation. This high altitude itinerary delivers some of the best running in California on this 4-day long weekend running retreat. Our runs will take place in California's Eastern Sierra, stretching from our base in Mammoth Lakes, to the gateway to Yosemite National Park bordering the high country of Yosemite’s Toulumne. Throughout the weekend our trail runs will take place in valleys with rising granite cliffs, bordering Yosemite's high country, high-desert landscape through sagebrush-lined trails at the foot of snow-capped peaks, more lakes than you can count, and the spectacular fall foliage in some of the best locations in the Sierra.


Our afternoons and evenings afford plenty of time for guided adventures to hot springs, swimming in alpine lakes and beaches, afternoon hikes, and special afternoon running workshops including how to prepare for trail runs, sports nutrition, and strength training tips for trail runners. We also have a special guest professional running photographer that will capture both individual photos of participants and the group so that you can take away special memories from this Runcation. We get off the beaten tourist path as much as possible on this adventure to provide a California wilderness trail running adventure during the day, with comfortable evenings at a mountain lodge during the evenings. Options for activities like yoga, beer/wine tasting, lounging in the fresh mountain air, and sports massage are available in Mammoth Lakes as well. 


Trip Difficulty: Level 2 

https://runcation.org/which-trip-is-right-for-me

This adventure running holiday is open to ages 15 and up of any pace of running. Multiple mileage options available each day, with the longest being 12 miles with 3,000 feet of elevation gain. This trip takes place at high altitude ranging from 4,000-10,000 feet above sea level. Optional 12-week training package available from an experienced running coach to ensure you're trained and ready to go for this adventure of a lifetime! 


This trip requires a minimum of 6 to run. Please do not purchase flights until confirming with retreat organizer. 

What’s included

Trip logistics of route planning, lodging, and transportation reservations

A 8:1 ratio of guide to participants


Transport each day between locations and trailheads as well as group activities to hot springs, beaches, and lakes


Knowledgable guide and running coach along the entire route


All Permit/Entrance/Parking Fees


Special professional guest running photographer to capture your time on the trails (photos included in cost of trip)


Special bonus adventures including hidden hot springs, wellness options, and special afternoon sessions from expert trail runners on how to prepare for trail runs as well as strength training and sports nutrition tips for trail running


Shared accommodation is included in 3-star hote in Mammoth Lakes (single supplement add-on option available for those that would like a private room)

Not included

Airfare/Transport to Mammoth Lakes

Travel Insurance

Meals 

Extra expenses due to a change in itinerary or in case of you having to shorten the day or trip as a whole (including personal return trips to the airport/next destination/etc.)




Before You Go

The trip starts and ends in Mammoth Lakes, CA. There is a small airport in Bishop, CA, just 30 minutes away and is now open again for commercial flights during periodic times of the year. If flights are not available during trip, Reno Nevada is the closest major airport to Bishop.

Mammoth can also be reached by flying into Reno, Nevada (3 hour drive), Los Angeles, CA (LAX) or Las Vegas, NEV (LAS) and renting a car for the drive or driving from your location. More information on how to arrive found here:

https://www.visitmammoth.com/driving/

There is also a shuttle bus available with Eastern Sierra Transit from Reno and Lancaster. More information and times available here: https://www.estransit.com/

Please contact us if you have trouble determining how to arrive.


Travel Insurance:

Must have travel insurance prior to start of trip. 

Fitness/Pacing:

You do not need to be an expert trail runner! In fact, this trip is great for beginner trail runners. However, please note, this is a LEVEL 2 trip. We accept all different paces of runners, but participants must be able to complete the full distance each day on the trip itinerary (4-13 miles) with significant amounts of elevation gain and loss (500-3,000 feet per day) in mountainous environments, on technical trails, and at times in unfavorable weather conditions in the mountains. It is expected that all participants will hike the long and strenuous uphill climbs and also run whenever the guide determines is feasible (including downhill and flat sections). We cannot accommodate walkers or hikers on this running trip. If you’re psyched about visiting the Eastern Sierra and can meet this trip requirements, you should attend! Optional 12-week training plan available to make sure you're ready for this trip of a lifetime!

Weather:

Although the weather in the locations we visit is often ideal during this time, weather in the mountains is variable and trail conditions are subject to change on an hourly basis! Route subjective to change based on the safety of conditions and climate of the trail.

Equal Opportunity Provider

This institution is an equal opportunity provider. Runcation Travel operates under

a permit from the Inyo National Forest.

Available Packages

Trip Price
$1,175
Deposit:$750

Available options

Single Supplement Option (Private Room)
$650
12-week training program for this adventure
$225

Itinerary

Welcome to Mammoth!
Day 1

Day 1: Our trip will start the afternoon of Day 1 from our meeting point in Mammoth Lakes.  We'll get settled at our mountain lodge retreat for the weekend before heading out for a lake shakeout around one of the most scenic lakes in town followed by a sunset at the hot springs over the mountains and sagebrush. After a welcome dinner + drinks we'll catch some sleep before tomorrow's adventure.


~2-4 miles, 200-400 feet elevation gain/loss


Guided trail run included

Private transfers between town and run/hot springs included

Professional trail running photographer photos included

All Permit/Entrance/Parking Fees included

Double accommodation in lodging at 3-star hotel in Mammoth Lakes included

Your Organizer


RT
Runcation Travel
60 reviews
Runcation Travel creates international running adventures for runners. Instead of having to squeeze in a run on vacation, your run becomes the vehicle to explore and learn different cultures, countries, and landscapes. Our current runcations and trail running trips include hut-to-hut running adventures, retreats, training camps, and guided trail tours of the best trail running in the Italian Dolomites, Chamonix Mont Blanc, Patagonia, Peru, Slovenia, the Balkans, Pyrenees, California's Sierra Nevada, and more. Learn more at Runcation.org

Reviews

The wonderful country of Peru really showed us a great time! The nature, the food and the people was lovely!
By Tommy S for Run to Machu Picchu Peru Runcation Fall 2024 on Oct 04, 2024
This was our second tour with Runcation (the first was the Tour of Mt. Blanc in Chamonix, France) and we loved it! The course and technicality differed from our first tour and we had to adjust our expectations of runnablity and timing but the views did not disappoint! Iban from Camins met with us in Vielha before we started our trek and gave us many great suggestions for our tour and was friendly and approchable. We were able to contact him as needed with questions about weather, etc, which was really nice. Expect steep and technical climbs up and down with stunning views of lakes, dams, rivers and mountains. We had a few days of excellent running but the rest was mostly fast-hiking as the descents were very technical. We stayed in cozy hotels along the way and our bags made it without issue each and every day. Dinner and breakfast was served in the hotels we stayed in and we found the food to be ok, with a few excellent exceptions along the way, breakfast was always plentiful and varied, even for vegetarians like us. We recommend venturing out in Vielha for a drink and a snack as the town is quaint and lovely with many options for drinking and dining. Weather can be quite unpredictable depending on what area of the mountains you're running through so pack warm clothes and rain jackets in your day pack. Stop along the way for coffee or a snack from the mountain refuges, there was always a warm bowl of something to be had, a bathroom and water, nothing restores the soul from a long day of hard running quite like a bowl of warm soup or a piece of cake. Overall we had an amazing time running through the Pyrenees! People were friendly (even when we didn't understand the local dialect) and helpful and we appreciated an opportunity to see this epically beautiful part of the world. Runcation once again put together a great trip for us! Count us in for the next one!
By Devon H for Devon + Jimmy's Self-Guided Pyrenees Val d'Aran Trail Running on Sep 23, 2024
JS
When I returned home to Australia from Europe, my gorgeous Runcation X Fractel Limited Edition Edelweiss Hat was quietly waiting for me. It is such a unique and fabulous reminder of the spectacular time we spent in the Alps. Love it!
By Julie S for Runcation X Fractel Limited Edition Edelweiss Hats Pre-Order on Sep 12, 2024
SH
The Runcation team were super smooth to communicate with, pulling together a plan that suited my solo run/hike plan for TMB in August. The organisation was easy, the program included all the necessary information, and the luggage service was incredible and made the fastpack fully possible. Coming from Australia and never been on these trails - Runcation took away all the ‘unknown’ in making this adventure epic. Gaia maps was very accurate and had no issues throughout the entire trip, and was easy to change trails to fit in all that I wanted to explore/see/do. Runcation team also emailed information re: major weather events, trail challenges to help preparation. Totally recommend this team for any adventure, the TMB was such a great adventure, will be doing more in the future. Thanks 🤩
By Sarns H for Sarnia's Custom Self-Guided TMB Aug 2-6, 2024 on Sep 07, 2024
This was a trip of a lifetime for us. As mountain runners, we couldn't have been in a better place. Our guide was so accommodating, fun, and knowledgable. We were so lucky to have such a wonderful group of runners who all seemed to be at the same level. The hotels were just incredible, the food so delicious, and because I've talked about this trip so much, I'm sure that some of my friends will be signing up. Thank you Runcation!! I'm not sure how we can ever top this trip. Freddi and Brian
By Freddi T for All Levels Cortina Runcation: Best Trail Runs in the Dolomites on Sep 05, 2024
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References

Highest recommendation! So many memories and so many lifetime views! If you've never been on a run vacation, make this company the one you use! They've thought out the best routes, best lodging, and excellent food. Mega!!!
By 534mu5 D on 23 Jun, 2024
My husband and I went on the Hut to Hut run in the Dolomites, July 2022. What a luxury to have all accommodations booked and luggage transport taken care of, for us! The scenery was unimaginable, and you just can't imagine the beauty-you have to be there! We had 8-15 miles runs each day and felt challenged by the ascents and terrain, but not defeated. (We are from Ohio, NO moutains.) The runcation organizer, Liz and guide, Dario took care of all of the logistics and it was amazing to just have to cover ground an eat a bunch of great food! Thanks for a fantastic experience.
By Amanda F on 21 Jul, 2022
The tldr: Do it! This was an amazingly well planned trip (thoughtful planning, clearly),, the runs and views were unforgettable, and I'm already looking at the next one I can go on. The longer version: Runcation in Patagonia was amazing. Every thing was well-planned, the views were unforgettable, the crew was the best you could ask for, we stayed at nice spots with great staff...I could go on and on. Also, as someone who is super type-A, I really appreciate all of the early communication of expectations, what to pack, itineraries, and super quick responses from Liz.
By Marne P on 05 Jan, 2020