The Mammoth Meadow neighborhood is picturesque with beautiful condos, luxury homes, growing trail system, and a 9 hole golf course.
The Mammoth Meadow area is crisscrossed by Old Mammoth Road and Minaret Road/Fairway Drive. Up until the mid-1970’s this area was grazing land for a variety of livestock and horses. And any development up until then was on the fringes. Mammoth Creek flows through this area and some of it has been diverted numerous times over the past century. There are natural pines in the northern section of the property as it rises up to a ridge line that today is the luxury single-family neighborhood known as Snowcreek Crest that was developed in the late 1980’s.
The balance of the property was true alpine meadow that transitions into the very typical local brush; sage brush and manzanita. The vistas from this area are some of the most spectacular and expansive in the entire Mammoth region. Laurel and Bloody Mountains loom to the south east and the Sherwin Range is due south. The almost immediate rise from 8,000 to 11,000+ of elevation is quite dramatic. The Mammoth Crest/Pass and Mammoth Mountain are to the west. And off in the distance are the forested Knolls to the north.
Snowcreek Resort – The Single Largest Real Estate Development in Mammoth Lakes
In the latter half of the 1970’s Tom Dempsey acquired 355 acres of the Mammoth Meadow. Dempsey Construction had developed numerous large condominium projects in Mammoth in the late 1960’s and 70’s. Dempsey was ready to develop his 355-acre master planned community known as the Snowcreek Resort. The plans had originally included developing the Sherwin Range into a ski area and an 18-hole golf course.
In the late 1970’s Dempsey took advantage of a very strong real estate market in Mammoth and developed Phase 1, 2, and 3 up the north side of the property along Mammoth Creek. Even today these phases are known for their low density and lush setting.
The Snowcreek Athletic Club was constructed on property right at the gateway to the Old Mammoth neighborhood. Phase 4 was delayed as the market cooled off but was started in the later half of the 1980’s. While in the framing stage it was the scene of one of the largest fires Mammoth has ever seen. Phase 4 was completed by the late 1980’s and was the first to feature forced air gas heating. The 9-holes of Snowcreek golf was opened in 1991.
Dempsey then started in the massive Phase 5 / Fairway Homes project on the very southwest corner of the property at the base of the Sherwin Range. The dream was this would be where golf and skiing came together. Today there are nearly 300 condos in Phase 5 including very large almost home-like properties. Dempsey didn’t live long enough to see the phase completed. The Sherwin Ski Area was quashed by environmental and Forest Service issues. The prolonged completion of the land exchange for the ”back 10” of the golf course came too late in the real estate cycle of the 2000’s. Those final holes will likely remain unfinished until the development of Phase 8.
The balance of the Snowcreek development properties were eventually sold to the development company Chadmar who developed Phase 6 known as The Lodges. This phase was sold out in the mid-2000’s. They have commenced with construction of Phase 7 known as Creekhouse. The Snowcreek Athletic Club was subsequently sold to a partnership including the owners of the Double Eagle Spa and Resort in June Lake.
Additional Real Estate and Landholdings in the Meadow
Other condominium projects located in the Mammoth Meadow include Mammoth Creek Condos, Snowflower, Sunrise and La Vista Blanc. The longstanding Sierra Meadows Equestrian Center is located at the east end of the Meadow and has thrived in the non-winter months under newer ownership. Adjacent to Mammoth Creek is a historic log cabin (the Hayden Cabin) that now houses the Mammoth Museum. This has become a popular spot for summer parties and weddings. Numerous segments of the growing bike trail system have been developed through the Meadow and are very popular. Also, the world renown Mammoth Motocross track lies just over a knoll to the southeast of the Meadow.