Declare independence
from the 395.
$250 round-trip flights. $250 nights at the Limelight. Because America's turning 250 — and Mammoth Lakes is 55 minutes away, not five hours up the highway.
A short list of things you're free to stop doing.
When in the course of a summer weekend it becomes necessary to get to the mountains, one need not dissolve five to six hours into the 395 to do it.
We hold these truths to be reasonably obvious: that a Saturday is worth defending, that highway time is not mountain time, and that a 55-minute flight from Hawthorne beats a tank of gas, a bag of jerky, and a cooler you packed at 6 a.m.
So for America's 250th, we're holding the line at one number. $250 to fly. $250 to stay. Book the flight, watch for the code, and the whole summer is handled before you've finished your coffee. Life, liberty, and a lake by noon.
— ADVANCED AIR, MAMMOTH LAKES TOURISM & THE LIMELIGHT
Same mountains. One of these ways takes the whole holiday.
The mountains are closer than they feel. Less time getting there, more time being here.
Drawn to scale. The amber bar is not a rendering error.
The 395, end to end.
- 5–6 hours each way behind the wheel
- ~600 mi round-trip from the LA basin
- Gas, food, and a few stops along the way
- Leave after work Friday? Your Saturday is already gone.
The 55-minute version.
- 55 minutes from Hawthorne. 90 from Carlsbad.
- HHR for LA / OC · CLD for San Diego
- Your car at the airport, a rental at Mammoth. That's it.
- Wheels up at 7 AM? You're in the mountains by noon.
You're not anti-395. You just believe a Saturday is an inalienable right.
A whole Sierra summer — waiting all the way through September.
Most people only know Mammoth in winter. Here's the version that doesn't melt.
Hike into the high country.
Trailheads leave right from the village — wander the Lakes Basin, climb toward Duck Pass, or pick up the John Muir Trail. Wildflowers, granite, and alpine water the whole way.
Swim & paddle the alpine lakes.
Twin Lakes, Lake Mary, Lake George. Snowmelt-clear water, a kayak or SUP for rent, and a dock to jump off. Bring a towel and one extra layer.
Ride the gondola to 11,053 ft.
The Panorama Gondola runs all summer — up to wildflowers and a view instead of powder. Walk the Lakes Basin down the back.
Cast the Owens & Hot Creek.
Three of California's best trout waters within thirty minutes of town. Stocked, wild, and easy to reach.
Stand at Devils Postpile.
A national monument of impossible basalt columns and a 101-foot waterfall — the most American scenery there is.
80+ miles of bike park.
Gondola-served downhill, beginner to black diamond. Rent in the village, ride till the light goes.
Stay the night for a flat $250 — taxes and resort fee in.
Book your flight first with code America250. Your confirmation email includes a Limelight promo code — use it on the Limelight's site to lock a room at $250 a night flat, taxes and the resort fee already included. Access to the pool and hot tubs, and an easy walk to the village and the gondola.
Make it a long weekend — fly up, stay by the lakes, and let someone else have the 395.
Book your flight →
Book the flight. The hotel follows by email.
Two bookings, one code to start. Both halves of the trip land at $250.
Book your flights.
Choose your Mammoth dates from Hawthorne (HHR) or Carlsbad (CLD) at advancedairlines.com and enter code America250 — your fare drops to $250 round-trip.
Check your inbox.
Your booking confirmation includes a Limelight Mammoth promo code — your key to the $250 room rate.
Book the Limelight.
Head to the Limelight's website, enter your code, and lock a room at $250 a night flat — taxes and resort fee included.
Flash sale: book July 3–17, 2026 (ends midnight July 17). Fly and stay anytime through September 7, 2026.
Two-fifty to fly. Two-fifty to stay.
It's a free country.
Give the highway back its summer. Yours is 55 minutes away — but the deal is gone after July 17.
Book your $250 round-trip →