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Photograph Wild Mustangs in Mono County

Benton, California

Description

Added by Tori Marsh

Watch a pack of 100+ wild mustangs graze, play, and fight in the picturesque fields of Mono County -- right outside of Mammoth Lakes and Yosemite! This is truly an amazing experience, and an unparalleled opportunity to photograph and observe these beautiful animals!

Since these are wild horses, tracking them can be difficult. However, they tend to play and graze in a certain field in Mono County, right outside of Mammoth Lakes and Yosemite! 

From CA-395 turn onto CA-120 towards Mono Lake. Take this road for 21 miles until you reach Dobie Meadows Road, a one lane dirt road. It it not very well marked, so we suggest you take some form of GPS. This road tentatively marks the area where the horses like to roam. There is a chance that you might be able to see the pack from the road, but if you can't, take a left on Dobie Meadows and begin your search -- we definitely recommend binoculars for this process. There are numerous dirt roads that run through the fields, so feel free to take them and continue searching. If you see many horse droppings and hoof prints in the road, you are on the right track! 

Other roads to check in this area include: Adobe Ranch Road, River Spring Road and McGee Canyon Road. All of these roads can be rocky, so cars with a 4-wheel drive are recommended; however, it is possible with smaller cars. Make sure you have at least 1/2 a tank of gas as there are no gas stations nearby.

As with tracking all wild animals, there is no guarantee that you will find them. However, the horses have been spotted here on numerous occasions, and it is completely worth the trip. If worst comes to worst, the scenery is beautiful!

Finally, make sure not to get too close to the horses. They are wild, and can be mean, especially if there are young foals in the pack. 

Happy horse tracking!

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Chillin
Photography
Hiking
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Forest
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