Beacon Basin

The Avalanche Transceiver Training Center at Mammoth Mountain 

Are you looking for a fun and convenient way to practice your companion rescue skills? The Beacon Basin is just the place!

Located in Gus’s Pasture, just uphill of Main Lodge at Mammoth Mountain, the Beacon Basin is FREE and open to the public 7 days a week during operational hours (8:30 am to 4:00 pm). You do not need to purchase a lift ticket to use the beacon park, and you can access the park without riding a lift.

There is a control box at the top of Gus’s pasture with instructions on how to turn on and use the system. Several beacon boards are pre-buried in the search area, so you can change up your target for multiple runs through or set up a multiple burial scenario. This system allows you to search, probe, and dig up the targets. Just remember to rebury the boards afterward. Finally, when you finish for the day, please remember to turn off the system at the control box. Check out the video above for other details on the transceiver training area.

We want to offer a huge thank you to Mammoth Mountain for funding and hosting this system and to Mammoth Mountain Ski Patrol for maintaining it. Please be sure to say thank you if you see any patrollers while visiting the park!