Devils Postpile National Monument

From the visitor's center, it is only a couple hundred yards to Devil's postpile. However, I would recommend going a couple of miles further in the same hike and visit Rainbow Falls as well. There are several great campgrounds in the area of Devil's Postpile, with several hiking trails, toilets, and water, although I don't think that the water is potable. Take care if you are pulling a trailer or driving an RV. It is a narrow and winding road down with very few wide spots to pull to one side.

Updated !!!! July 9th 2025 I leave 3 stars to get your attention only. This place not opened for private car and closed from Monday- Wednesday. Also from Thursday to Sunday, you can visit this place by taking the public paid shuttle bus. Gps to the Mammoth Main Lodge. On the right hand side, where you see the big Mammoth Statue. Where you can purchase the shuttle bus ticket. There are 2 free parking spots - one on the far left , one right in front of the ticket kiosk, further than that will be paid parking. Worth a visit if you are at Mammoth town during weekend Downside: shuttle bus required. Google hours ‘s wrong. Waste of time to travel here and cannot drive inside.

Make sure you check all logistics before you go. There are days you have to take shuttle and private car is not allowed.

Gorgeous natural landmark. The hike to it is very easy and I highly recommend it. Loved every second of my experience at this place. Rainbow Falls also in the National Monument is absolutely gorgeous. If you want to get here you need to take a shuttle bus ride from Mammoth by the way

Super nice! It's definitely worth the drive to see it! Highly recommend it! There is a long drive from the national park entrance to get to the beginning of this hike. About 35-40 minutes. Once you get there, there is plenty of parking and a couple of portable restroos. Once you start the hike, in about 15-20, you'll get to the Devils Postpile area. There are a couple of waterfalls you can hike to as well.

September is a great time to visit Devils Postpile National Monument. The shuttle bus is mandatory until mid-September, which means most visitors would have to park their cars at the Mammoth resort adventure center before hopping on a bus ($15/person). The shuttle is convenient way to get to the park, and you probably wouldn’t want to drive that road anyway. We started at the ranger station and made a 4-mile hike to stop by at the rainbow falls and arrive at Red’s meadow resort where we took the shuttle back to the adventure center. Beautiful hike and lots to see!

Found this by accident,and happy we did. They are doing crazy amounts of work on road into park . Drive slow and remember it's one lane at times. Place was beautiful and hike was great to fall. Really busy and people parked all over the place. But very surprised. Enjoy

September 2024 We took a shuttle from the Mammoth statue, which arrives every 20-30 minutes. The ticket costs $15. The ride takes about 30 minutes to reach the visitor center, which is also near the Devil's Postpile. At the visitor center, they provide information about trails, buses, and anything else you might need. It's one of the best visitor centers I've been to so far, and the rangers are really friendly.

The hike to this place was very easy to get to. If you continue on the trail, you can get to rainbow falls, I think it's about a 5 mile hike but totally worth it. Make sure to take plenty of water and snacks. The postpiles were stunning! It's a must see if you're visiting Mammoth!

Updated !!!! July 9th 2025 I leave 3 stars to get your attention only. This place not opened for private car and closed from Monday- Wednesday. Also from Thursday to Sunday, you can visit this place by taking the public paid shuttle bus. Gps to the Mammoth Main Lodge. On the right hand side, where you see the big Mammoth Statue. Where you can purchase the shuttle bus ticket. There are 2 free parking spots - one on the far left , one right in front of the ticket kiosk, further than that will be paid parking. Worth a visit if you are at Mammoth town during weekend Downside: shuttle bus required. Google hours 's wrong. Waste of time to travel here and cannot drive inside.

An easy, short, flat walk from the shuttle stop. The columnar basalt is super cool! There's an uphill hike (mostly stairs) to the top to see the hexagonal floor of the postpile. The national monument is not closed, despite what Google maps says. But it is under construction, so you do need to take the shuttle to get to Devil's postpile ($18 per adult). Also just a heads up the shuttle line is really long and the shuttles are packed to the hilt!

Devils postpile is a must see when you are in Mammoth Lakes just up from the main lodge. You can turn into the kiosk at Minaret Vista. Take your time going down the road. In some places it is single lane and the road is under construction. There are two parking lots . The walk to the Post Pule is only .4 miles and easy. From the post pile you can walk 2.5 miles to Rainbow Falls this is worth the walk. Make sure you take food and water. I would suggest early morning to avoid heat and direct sun. The falls show the rainbows closer to noon. If you are there when transit is running you can take the bus down. If you check your stops you can walk up to reds meadows and get on a different stop I on the other hand did not follow some of my own advise I walked in with a single bottle of water was going to eat back at the car so for me a single protein bar was not enough. I made it to Rainbow falls and part of the way back. I need 911 to get out there was full cell service in the area so the call was easy and this was more due to my overall health not the difficulty of the trail. I was very fortunate that the park ranger Alex arrived and was able to get out. The call was to 911 To get out it was the Ranger who help Alex made a difference The last .2 miles of met with Mono Search and Rescue another park ranger and the fire department who carried me out on a litter. To the parking lot all were concerned with my health and well fare . They even drove us back to our vehicle. Lesson learned 1.It is just under 9000 feet take it slow. 2. Bring Food and water. If you do not normally hike 5 miles before going work up to this. You also should see Reds meadows and the Ansel Adam's Wilderness along the way. Why Five stars the views the location can not be beat. I would give 10 stars for the help provided by the Rangers The fire Department and search and rescue. May I be smarter next time.

Came during a busy June weekend and were required to take a shuttle from Mammoth mountain. This walk is so easy and had a perfect picnic area for lunch. A must see while in Mammoth!

While visiting Mammoth Lakes, it is highly recommended that you take a drive or bus to the Devil's Postpile National Monument which is inside the National Park which is approximately 15 miles from town. It is closed during the weekdays and open only on weekends. It is usually closed for Winter. The National Park requires a $30.00 entrance fee. Once inside the park, you drive about 1/2 hour to the Devil's Postpile National Monument trailhead parking lot. The hike to the Devil's Postpile National Monument is marked with signs and the trail is not to difficult. The hike to the national monument is a gigantic rock formation and there are only 2 of these formations in the United States, the other is at the Colombia River outside of Portland, OR. The hike itself is very short (0.4 miles) and relatively easy. It is a loop hike back to the parking lot. The parking lot provides toilets and water and a little ranger station. During heavy tourist season, you have to take a shuttle bus to the park and it costs about $17.00 per person. The monument itself is spectacular and a must see. You can go to the Rainbow Falls trail for an additional hike of 2.5 miles which I highly recommend.

Absolutely stunning place. Fascinating to walk above the piles (small trail sign) and see what they look like from above. Loved to be taken to the walk by bus with a friendly driver, super informative. We walked to Rainbow Waterfall from there and loved our 4 mile walk.

Cool monument, short hike. Hexagon shaped columns formed by lava and ice make for a nice geology lesson and a unique photo op. You do take a somewhat narrow and winding mountain ride to get down to the parking lot but they do have shuttles that drop you off at other starting points as well. The parking lot was about halfway full when we arrived at 10am on a Sunday and filing up pretty quickly.

This is the worst trail to do. You have to pay $15 per person to ride the shuttle to the start of the trail. I've never experienced this before. THE WORST!! The wait time is about 1-2hours to get on the shuttle to the trail. I would never come again, all of a sudden people want to start hiking SMH. Too f***** crowded!! People need to Stay at home!! F***

America the Beautiful (National Parks Pass) works here!! During the off season you can drive down there and then just walk like 15 minutes and you're here--it's great. Parking can get a quite full if that happens tho. It's a really neat natural phenomenon and super cool to learn how it happens.

This is such a majestical and curious place! Nature is the coolest, and this place tests one's understanding of rock formations! Great facilities and decent parking. Theres alot of neat things to see in one stop too! It is a very manageable hike to the post pile. But the ranger is so sweet and absolutely makes this experience for littles going for their Jr. Ranger badge!! A must see in the Mammoth area!!

This small national monument packs a big punch with its two star attractions. The Devil's Postpile itself is a perplexingly incredible displace of geometry in nature, and is a short walk from the parking lot area. If you have the time and energy, continuing on the trail another ~2 miles to Rainbow Falls is well worth it. I recommend coming in the off-season: late September or early October is ideal, when you can actually drive instead of taking the shuttle, (hopefully) avoid the big crowds, and still enjoy nice weather. If you are doing the full hike (there's really only one trail here) then a half day should be sufficient.

Plan ahead for the shuttle or drive depending on time of year. Go earlier if driving because parking it limited. The trails are very well marked and relatively easy. Only a couple of inclines on the way to Rainbow Falls.

Very cool National monument to check out. The drive in is a little like driving the road to Hana in Maui. There is a small section very narrow. Make sure you fallow the last turn road all the way down to the main parking lot. I went on Friday the shuttles were no longer running. So the parking lot was full by the time I left around 12pm. Started hike around 8:30am it was shaded and saw two deer, lots of chipmunks, squirrels, birds. I hiked to rainbow falls and back it was 6 miles. Make sure you bring water and snacks.

Cool natural feature close to Mammoth. You will need to take the bus there unless you are camping close by. Get your tickets ahead and understand there will still be a line. Devil's Postpile is not far from the drop off point. The dropoff area has restrooms and water. You can take the trail to the top of the pile and see if from above. It is cool to is the hexagon patterns from the top. It's a short hike but steep (moderate difficulty). Look for trails to take you down by the river. You can continue to Rainbow Falls past Devil's Postpile.

This is a nice easy hike that you can take your kids on. Easy parking and not far from the start of the trail you will see the Devils Postpile National Monument. It is much larger than I expected and quite grand to see in person. There were quite a few people on the trail, but most everyone was wearing a mask and respectful of keeping the 6 foot distance. Here is information that gives you the history on how they were formed, which I loved reading about. If you want to continue on the trail you can head to Rainbow Falls and also Lower Falls, but that hike is a bit more strenuous and long.

Plan ahead- take the shuttle from the resort. We planned poorly and didn't make it to see this place. Unfortunately since I was definitely a tourist I didn't understand whatever signage that was put up- if there was any.

Such a cool place to visit. So awesome that these hexagonal piles are natural. Make it a trip out and make it to Rainbow Falls while you are at it!

There is a shuttle from 7am-7pm you have to take, but if you get there before 7 am you can park in the parking lot. It is a 30 min drive from mammoth lakes town (pass by minaret vista), very winding, sometimes one lane. Getting thete before 7 am is useful if you want to bring a dog bc otherwise you need to buy a muzzle for your dog to ride the shuttle with your dog. this is one of the few national parks in the US that allows dogs. from the devils postpile parking lot you can get to the actual moniment in like 15 min, slight incline. can also reach the top of the postpile (trail is before you actually reach the monument). air is crisp and cleane, not too crowded, beautiful views, cool rocks, walk your dog here. a very cool thing to do during summer in mammoth!

Very nice place. There is a very short 0.4 mile hiking trail till Devil's Postpole from the parking lot. There is a loop trail to the top of the Postpile. Don't forget your mask if you visit this place during COVID-19. It's a short hike but don't forget to take water with you. You never know, you might like to continue the trail to the next vista point, Rainbow Fall, 2.5 miles away from parking lot.

The devil's postpile is a pretty cool rock formation caused by fire and natural disasters. It is about a mile hike from the parking lot and there are signs to point you to the right direction. Dogs are allowed on the trail so there are alot of dogs. There are other hikes that can be accessed from the Postpile. You can also hike to Rainbow falls from the Postpile. The parking lot is pretty big and there are public restrooms.

While we were in the area we decided to visit Devils Postpile National Monument on a Saturday about 1:30pm in late September. I can only imagine what it is like when it is busy. The wait to get in was about 10 minutes, the parking lot was full so you have to park at Red's Meadow and take the shuttle that runs every 30 minutes. In peak season, you have to park at Mammoth Mountain and take the shuttle bus. The actual postpile is a short, easy 0.4 mile hike from the shuttle stop at the parking area. You can also hike to the top of the postpile or continue on to rainbow falls. We chose to just check out the postpile on this trip. After what we have seen in this area, we plan to come back. There is so much to do and it is gorgeous. Red's Meadow where we parked has a store and a cafe as well as what we think are rustic cabins to rent. There are also several campgrounds in the area.

Definitely great short hike. Definitely take water and sunscreen if hiking in summer. There is a lot if trees, but there are lots of open areas, too. Well worth the extra 2.5 mile hije to Rainbow Falls.

Very Interesting Place! Devils Postpile is a really unique thing to see. It is an easy hike so outdoor enthusiasts of all levels shouldn't have too hard of a time. It is a lot bigger than I thought it would be when I actually saw it in person. Travelers Tip: Remember to bring water and a day bag with a first aid kit, etc. Regardless of the length or difficulty of a hike, it is always important to have what you need in case of an accident. Overview: I would recommend to a friend. I'm a fellow traveler so I appreciate when other people have given me tips/recommendations while in a new city. If this information is helpful, please let me know by hitting the like button. Even if this review helps only one traveler then it's worth it to know I'm contributing towards making someone's experience better, giving to the global community, and paying it forward. Safe Travels!

Came to Mammoth rather unprepared, but was set on visiting this monument. Over summer, taking the shuttle is pretty much mandatory but it's super easy. Tickets can be bought at the kiosk at the gondola and if you buy a combo ticket, you get 5 bucks off. Within the valley you can hop on and off as much as you want, meaning you can hike a certain trail and hop back on the bus to another stop. As it was Monday, there weren't a lot of people there. Shuttles were only half full at most and you know crowd numbers are low when you recognize people that you've met on the trails. Bus staff was overall friendly and helpful. There are different types of trails but I focused on taking the 6 to 10 hike (Postpile to Rainbow Falls), which is moderate. At 10, there is a small restaurant and a general store. Bought me some nice ice cream there. Afterwards, I actually went back to 6 because the afternoon sunlight falls a lot better. I also had the pleasure to meet one of the staff members, Julie, who was such a pleasure! Honestly, people who say it's just a pile of rocks should steer clear of any type of nature. The postpile looked amazing and the hike to Rainbow Falls was well worth the effort. The monument also has a few lakes if you want to have a flat walk and get away from crowds.

Cool place to visit, especially if you are in the Mammoth Lakes area. Lots of hiking trails and cool rock formations in the area. We rode our ebikes down, so we avoided the crowds and the price of the shuttle bus (You can ride down to the Postpile for free on a bicycle). There are not too many cars on the road there, and the road isn't too steep, so definitely try this if you have an ebike with gears. Minus one star because they don't allow bicycles on trails; sad, especially since the trails are wide enough to accommodate bicycles.

John Milton: Why not? I'm here on the ground with my nose in it since the whole thing began. I've nurtured every sensation man's been inspired to have. I cared about what he wanted and I never judged him. Why? Because I never rejected him. In spite of all his imperfections, I'm a fan of man! I'm a humanist. Maybe the last humanist. -- Al Pacino, "The Devil's Advocate" And let me be an Advocate for Devil's Postpile! It is an exceptional National Monument even though it's namesake is really just a short hike away from the Ranger station and only has maybe a half-hour to hour worth of exploration time and that includes the steep walk up to the top. But, the surrounding area is so gorgeous...with numerous hiking trails...waterfalls such as Minaret Falls and Rainbow Falls that you really need at least half a day to explore, like my son and I did, but preferably a full day to explore (as I will do on a future trip). Of course, my son thought the six miles of hiking we did was the Bataan Death March (we hit the Postpile, Minaret Falls and Rainbow Falls) plus he got nauseous on the long shuttle bus ride down from the Mammoth Adventure Center (during summer, the only way in during peak times although you could hike or ride down from the Summit or surrounding mountains and shuttle back up). I'll post a few photos but highly recommended...and the views of the Valley from the top as you ride in are Yosemite like in their stunning beauty. A favorite visit for sure during our Hwy 395 vacation!

First and foremost, I wanna give a shout out to the U.S. government for the shutdown. No, really....thanks for nothing. Prior to the government shutdown, we had made plans to go to Yosemite and Mammoth Lakes for a long weekend getaway trip. The hotel was already booked so we were planning on going one way or the other. The irony of the government shutdown is that it made our trip to Mammoth Lakes faster than usual. What would normally take a 6+ hour drive instead took us 4 hours. With Yosemite being closed (but open to thru traffic) we just leisurely breezed on through the park, and even felt like it was our own private park. There were minimal cars on the road, and we enjoyed the beautiful scenery nonetheless. When we arrived at Mammoth Lakes, we asked the locals about Devil's Postpile and they all encouraged us to go ahead and "sneak in" the park. We're here, might as well do it. We went on ahead and proceeded that winding road both on Saturday and Sunday. On Saturday, we went to Rainbow Falls first (that's another review) and on Sunday, we planned on hiking towards Devil's Postpile. We trekked down towards the parking lot and a couple of Park Rangers met us. They stopped us from continuing, but they were absolutely nice about it. They were not rude or anything, but in fact they were very helpful and accommodating. They, too, were frustrated with the government shutdown and "advised" on where to proceed in order to get to our destination. Yes the park was closed, but the hiking areas were still open to the public. After heeding the advice of the Park Rangers, we located the area and hiked from there. It's a short hike from where we parked and the trail is easily marked by signs and ribbons to guide us. A reminder that we were in the wild, so they told us to be on the lookout for Black Bears. The locals said to stay in a pack and make lots of noise; the bears will see/smell/notice us first before we see them. You're in high altitude country, so the short trek might be a challenge if you have asthma (which Da Wifey has) and if you're not used to it. You might be panting and breathing heavily, but it is so worth it once you'll get there. There's a sign before the area and a few steps up and over a hill before you descend and finally get to your destination. Once you have arrived, go ahead and marvel at these magnificent and natural rock formations. Since it was a Sunday, I couldn't resist "Kaepernicking" in front of the monument. It was showing homage to my team as well as giving a big F U to the U.S. government. About the history taken from Wiki: "The name "Devil's Postpile" refers to a dark cliff of columnar basalt. The formation was created by a lava flow at some time less than 100,000 years ago. Because of its great thickness, much of the mass of pooled lava cooled slowly and evenly, which is why the columns are so long and so symmetrical. A glacier later removed much of this mass of rock and left a polished surface on top of the columns with very noticeable glacial striations and glacial polish. Together they look like tall posts stacked in a pile, hence the feature's name. If the lava had cooled perfectly evenly, all of the columns would be expected to be hexagonal, but some of the columns have different polygonal cross-sections due to variations in cooling. A survey of 400 of the Postpile's columns found that 44.5% were 6-sided, 37.5% 5-sided, 9.5% 4-sided, 8.0% 7-sided, and 0.5% 3-sided. Compared with other examples of columnar jointing, the Postpile has more hexagonal columns." The Monument was once part of Yosemite National Park, but discovery of gold in 1905 near Mammoth Lakes prompted a boundary change that left the Postpile on adjacent public land. Later, a proposal to build a hydroelectric dam called for blasting the Postpile into the river. Influential Californians, including John Muir, persuaded the federal government to stop the demolition and in 1911, President William Howard Taft protected the area as a National Monument." Just think, we almost lost this wonderful treasure had the plan to build a stupid dam gone thru. Thank goodness for John Muir preserving a lot of California's natural wilderness for future generations to enjoy. I can cross off another one from my bucket list.

The NM is a must visit when in the area! I highly recommend going off-season as you can drive rather than have to use the shuttle. The road to the parking area is fun but a little scary to drive. It is basically a one lane winding, high-grade road, so you really have to drive carefully and use the turnouts when there are other cars. It is a gorgeous drive and a short hike to the foot of DPP once you park. The monument itself is pretty epic to behold and when there are not a lot of people, if you can have it to yourself, it is such a humbling experience. You can hike to the top of it via a loop trail, but beware that it can be strenuous due to the ascent and the altitude. Totally worth it though! The view is amazing and the hexagonal patterns of the top is pretty awesome! The Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) and John Muir Trail connect through here as well!

While traveling through the area we decided to stop for a hike. This place is awesome. Killer views. Loads of geology. Stop and enjoy a day hike.

Wonderful natural formations that are great to see from either the ground or above. The hike from the ground is fairly straightforward but seems a bit longer than advertised. You can do the loop if you want, but it's definitely more strenuous than advertised. However, the view from the top and the ability to see the formations up close is more than worth it. The surrounding area itself is also very beautiful. The drive down is long, and if you're not used to narrow roads, it may be a bit of a struggle. However, I found it to be worth it. I noticed that a lot of the bad reviews here are about the shuttle service which thankfully I was able to bypass by coming at a time of the year when the shuttle wasn't running. After reading those reviews, I can tell you that driving down yourself is probably a lot easier and less stressful, at least for me.

With a name like Devil's Postpile, I had my doubts. It sounded ominous and eerie. And really, what was a postpile anyways? Well, it's quite literally a pile of posts. In this case beautifully smooth basalt "posts" carved from glaciers. Once you visit the monument it all makes sense. Or you could just look through the photos. Devil's Postpile NM wasn't our intended destination. In fact, our October 3 day weekend trip to Mammoth was entirely spur of the moment and done on the fly. We had zero expectations, and that's just how I like it. We decided to drive around the ski lodge and check out the autumn scenery. As we were driving down from a Vista, we saw several car loads of people turning onto a ranger guarded road. Being adventuresome, and a tad nosey, we decided to pay our entrance fee ($10) and take a look around. The road was a little windy, but well paved and with plenty of turnouts. The main road heads down into the valley, so be careful not to ride the brakes. There's plenty to see, and several roads to explore. There's an endless amount of things to check out that a day really isn't enough. After about 15 minutes of driving (and some exploring) we made it to the main parking lot of Devil's Postpile. It was completely full, surprisingly so for being mid-afternoon. There was an empty ranger station and a few bathrooms. There was absolutely no potable water to be found, which was a bit strange considering the amount of visitors and campgrounds nearby. The trail-head was clearly marked, and nicely maintained, although a tad dirty. You can tell this easy little trail sees plenty of folks, both of the two and four legged variety. If you're looking for a nice quiet nature trail, this isn't it. But it is your only option for viewing the beautiful Postpiles. So put on your patient panties, expect to walk slowly behind crowds of non-hiking tourists, and be careful to avoid stepping in dog poo. Even so, it's entirely worth it. This is a magnificent geological feature that must be seen. This is a living, breathing National Monument and everything around is simply glorious. Quick Note: If you have the time, hike a bit further to Rainbow Falls. The views are splendid. On your return hike, take a quick detour to the left. Cross over the bridge to Soda Springs Meadow and walk down to the creek. There you'll find Soda Springs, as evident by the red colored iron deposits along the bank. This color is especially bright in the summer to late Fall.

LOVED IT, the hike, the monument, the shuttle drivers, the air, every last thing! Buy a ticket to board the shuttle at the Mammoth Mountain adventure center, cost $7 for adults. Dogs are welcome but they MUST be muzzled. (You can buy one inside if you did not bring one.) The shuttle has 10 stops so you can hope off wherever you like and hike to your destination. We got off at # 6, the Devil's Postpile stop. From here it is about a half mile, very easy hike to the monument. Stop.... take it in, take a selfie, take a moment to read the who what where and why of it all. Quite a sight, then take the beautiful hike to Rainbow Falls and back to the cafe for lunch. Be sure to drink plenty of water and wear sunscreen as there's not a tremendous amount of cover on this hike.

When I was a kid, I used to put gobs of Play-Doh into the plastic Fun Factory machine to make variously-shaped Play-Doh bars. I was like a junior steelworker. I had driven by the Devils Postpile exit many times, but I never knew anything about the place. When I finally visited and approached the site, Play-Doh was the first thing that came to mind. This is Nature showing off like an adolescent. Look mommy, I can make 60-foot tall hexagonal basalt columns. How else to really explain all of this? Oh sure, geology says that the postpile is actually the result of an ideal stew of lava ingredients cooling very slowly and cracking into hexagonal columns. Uh-huh. You stick with your theory and I'll stick with mine. Kids can do amazing things and this kid's antics are worth the trip.

This spot was ok rainbow fall was much better if you are into rock definitely go take a visit. Although I wasn't very intrigued there was many people there that were and seemed to be enjoying it.

This was my second trip visiting the Devil's Postpile National Monument in Mammoth Lakes. I'd hadn't visited this place for over ten years and it hasn't changed much. I visited during the fall time in September when they don't run the shuttle service, so I was able to drive down the whole way. It's about a 15-20 minute drive all the way down on a one lane road to the trailhead of the monument from the gates. Bathrooms and a small ranger station are provided once you get to the bottom At the trailhead you have the option of hiking many different trails such as the PCT, Minaret falls and Rainbow falls. I decided to hike some of the other trails to make my entrance fee worthwhile. Just the drive and scenery of the national forest are amazing to see which makes it worth visiting if you're in the area. Even if you aren't very mobile, the walk to the actual postpile isn't too far. The postpile is quite a sight to see and you are able to walk to the top of it as well. This is definitely worth a stop if you're passing through Mammoth.

It is interesting to see. Not for super hardcore hikers, but still can enjoy hiking and learning history at the same time. Not only Devil's postpile, but also the trees after fire in 1992 is ridiculously interesting.

We came here a few days before the autumnal equinox (September). The hike is really short, about 0.3 miles from the parking lot. We pretty much had the place to ourselves because it's right after the summer months. I recommend seeing the columnar basalts from the bottom, then go back a bit and take the stairs where it says "hike loop to the top" or something like that. That way you can what the top of these columns look like. Watch out though. The stairs can be exhausting for some people, so take your time. Also, the tops of the columns can be slippery even on gorgeous and clear days. The view is phenomenal! I really felt like 'coming home'. At the top of the columns there's a trail towards Rainbow Falls if you want to go.

My visit was on 8.11.20 and I was at the parking lot around 7:45 within 15minutes that it took me to get my kids ready and the baby on the hiking carrier the parking lot was full, so if you want parking lot by the beginning of the trail then plan to get there early. The walk to Devils Postpile is fairly small and easy, but our plans were to go to rainbow falls so we kept going. This hike is actually a little more than 6miles round trip and there are places where the hill can be a little steep, but there's plenty of places along the way with shade where one can take a break if not used to hiking. My 4 yr old complained about his feet at 5.5 miles but I told him to suck it up. He has done 14 mile bike rides and is used to physical activity, but if your children are complainers don't take them on this hike. I saw kids crying others complaining and some very unprepared parents. One water bottle per person just won't cut it specially during hot days. So take snacks for kids and plenty of water. At the top of waterfall there's some steep stairs that will take you down to the bottom of the waterfall (I did not attempt to go as I didn't want to roll down with the baby inside the hiking carrier )

I was so excited to go see this natural landscape I about couldn't stand myself. It was the first week of May, so I thought that it wouldn't be too hot. Well, I was right, it wasn't hot or open because of snow. I will have to plan another trip that way. Planned another trip, computer said they were open when we left Fort Bragg, CA. Within our trip we decided to go thru and stay in a Camping yurt in Yosemite. That would have been great if my Mother hasn't gotten food poisoning from sausage on a pizza purchased there. Low and behold, I can not drive out of Yosemite because of my vertigo. Now, Mom sick all night, she has to drive us out of there, we get to that nice new gas station East off the park... I have to eat, she needs sleep; she sleeps in the car as I go in and eat. I can finally drive and head north, as we approach the exit for Devils Postpile.... IT IS CLOSED YET AGAIN!! I would love to say that it was an awesome sight to be seen, but I can not. Please Highway department, IF YOU KNOW THAT YOU ARE GOING TO BE DOING ROADWORK AND COMPLETELY CLOSING DOWN THE ROAD... LET THE WEBSITES, Internet and the rest of us who have tried seeing it, now twice, SOME INFORMATION!!! Not even the rest area or visitors center into Mammoth Lakes had a clue!!!! Disappointed to say the least!!! Wound up staying in Reno because we needed to drive to cool off!!! Yosemite's disappointment with failing to contact us later about the sickness ( yes, we did make a report) and your lack of road crew preparation informing the public... How about someone sending out a solid, please restore my faith in further adventures, especially in that area of California!!! Jody Fagundes AND Diana Berry Fort Bragg, CA

Always a good visit to see rainbow falls and DP, but brought my national park pass which is interagency and the ranger at the station on top of road denied it and made me pay once I left. She was a goon for that. Literally says online that it is accepted.

Personally, I wasn't very impressed with the Devil's Postpile. Aside from the fact that you need to wait a very long time for the expensive shuttle, this is really just a pile of rocks in an unusual formation. Best to only take a few minutes to take pictures, and then move onward and hike to Rainbow Falls instead.

Located within Inyo National Forest, near the town of Mammoth Lakes (home of Mammoth Mountain Ski Area), is Devils Postpile National Monument. It is an 800-acre park and two of its most impressive features are Devils Postpile and Rainbow Falls. Devils Postpile is an unbelievable, seemingly manmade, columnar formation made from cooled basaltic lava. The pictures speak for themselves. It brings to mind the Wizard of Oz's Emerald City and Superman's Fortress of Solitude. From there you can make your way along the hiking trail to Rainbow Falls where water flows from a 100 foot cliff of volcanic rock. A rainbow can sometimes be seen in the mist rising from the rocks below when the sun is overhead on a clear day. The first thing that you will need to know if you plan on visiting is that Devils Postpile Monument is open only 5 months out of the year, from mid-June to mid-Oct. The other thing you will need to know, depending on when you plan to visit, is that you may be required to take a shuttle bus to reach the various trailheads. The shuttle bus runs from mid-June into September. Tickets can be purchased at the Adventure Center located at the main gondola building at Mammoth Mountain 10001 Minaret Rd, Mammoth Lakes, CA 93546 (800) 626-6684. If you are visiting after September then you will be allowed to drive your own car into the valley without needing to use the shuttle. The day I visited they had reached their capacity so I was told to return in two hours. The shuttle passes cost $7 for adults, $4 per children 3-15, and children under $2 are free. If you are driving your own car into the valley then the One Day Pass is $10 per vehicle. During shuttle season you are able to bypass the shuttle if you have a handicap placard, an inflatable float tube, if you are staying in the campground, or if you are a hunter who is transporting weapons or game. I suppose if you really feel motivated to drive your car during shuttle season then you can always just bring an inner tube or mount a big game carcass to the roof of your car, although I don't recommend it. The 30 minute shuttle makes 9 stops. The most popular stops are number 6 and 9, Devils Postpile and Rainbow Falls. I recommend starting at the Devils Postpile trailhead and hiking to Rainbow Falls. It's about a 5 mile roundtrip hike. If you want to shorten the hike you can hike to the falls and then take the shuttle back from bus stop number 9. I saw a number of people on the trails with dogs and I even a few parents pushing strollers. Dogs must be leashed and muzzled. Be sure to visit the southern section of the National Forest. There are a number of scenic lakes and trails that are well worth the visit.

Definitely a great place to visit, can get a good workout in, too. The trails are good for jogging if you're into that. Also, if anybody sees a piece of camera lens foam in the river, that's my fault. A gust of wind blew it away because I failed to secure it. Sorry.

I guess I don't get it. It was a very long drive to get to the monument and although it was a relatively short walk to see the postpile, I couldn't figure out what all of the hulabaloo was about. It's somewhat interesting formed rock in a mountain. Big deal. Next.

When you live in the San Francisco Bay Area, seeing the Eastern Sierra sometimes seems unattainable. That's especially so in the Winter when all the passes are usually closed and the best and longest way is sometimes to go to Reno and then drive South. In the Summer or at least after the snow clears, driving access is easier, albeit long. Some time ago, my parents came to town and we did one of our "famous" driving trips. We went to Yosemite, continued on through the Tioga Pass, and began our exploration of the Eastern Sierra from a motel at June Lake. We eventually continued onto Mono Lake, Bodie and points North, but before we did we went to Mammoth and explored Devil's Postpile National Monument. Established in 1911 by presidential proclamation, Devils Postpile National Monument protects and preserves the Devils Postpile formation, the 101-foot high Rainbow Falls, and pristine mountain scenery. The formation is a rare sight in the geologic world and ranks as one of the world's finest examples of columnar basalt. Its columns tower 60 feet high and display an unusual symmetry. Please note that you have to take the Reds Meadow Shuttle into the park and then walk in further. This reduces the number of vehicles entering the Valley and helps keep the area more pristine. The formation is gorgeous, but you can get yourself killed if you're inclined to climb where you shouldn't. And for some odd reason, there's a little microclimate here that makes this place a little chilly, considering how hot it was when we started out. The added hike to Rainbow Falls is also worth your effort.

2nd time to Devil's Postpile NM, this time we camped down at Devil's Postpile NPS Campground. They have only 21 sites, first come, first serve, $14/night, Two loops: Loop B (with river behind it), or Loop A (no river). If you don't get one of those sights there are many campgrounds around there, but it's part of Inyo National Forest and $20/nt. Stayed at Loop A, site A3. Not too far from bathrooms. Bathrooms for women's 3 flushed toilets, 2 sinks, soap, hand dryer didn't work when we were there, outlet i should have brought my phone charger. Shuttle is FREE if camping & going around the park, if u want to go to Mammoth Lakes then it's $7 per person. If not camping, it's $7 per person Mandatory Shuttle from Mammoth Lakes to Devil's Postpile. Hiked: Devil's Postpile - easy hike, best in afternoon for photos, morning too dark. Rainbow Falls - nice in the summer even, best for Rainbow in the Afternoon, not in the morning! Lower Falls - pool you can swim in the cold water. Base of Rainbow Falls - cold water u can swim at base of it. Sotcher Lake - don't go in the water there's leeches in there! Saw bear poo, then later a Bear! It saw me then turned around & ran up the hill. Saw a bald eagle too up in the tree. Fishermen in the water in inflated things. Starkweather Lake - just took some pics, saw fishemen in the water. Minaret Falls - best early summer, when we went Aug 10, 2013 not running so great. Agnew Meadow for Wildflower Hike - short, best in early summer, by August not much to look at. Minaret Vista before going into the park or after leaving the park - nice for photo ops! Worth going! More hiking to do in there if I ever go back & maybe swimming in the pools.

If you're in the Mammoth area, do this hike. It's a pretty easy hike, so don't let the name intimidate you. First thing's first: Getting there. Go to the adventure center, buy a shuttle ticket for $7, hop on said shuttle, exit stop #6, and get to stepping. The Postpile is rather small, yet still impressive. Once you've taken the requisite pics, keep going and hike to Rainbow Falls. The burn areas have a special kind of tragic beauty to them, so stop and ponder. We went on a really hot day, so we were glad we took our camelbacks and snacks. The stairs to the falls were rather steep, so make sure you save plenty of energy for the walk down the stairs and back up. Once you've finished taking in the water, treat yourself to a couple of cold ones at the little cafe/market on the hike out.

I was free to drive around. No shuttle bus on a Friday. Parking lot wasn't crowded on a Friday. The hike was easy to the bottom of Devils Postpile. Walking up to the top of Devils Postpile took some effort but gave me a nice workout. Very slippery on the rocks. There is a pine tree growing near the edge of the cliff. The view at the top of Devils Postpile was breath taking. Well, if you slip and fall, you would meet the devil. J/K.