"Unique and Interesting" Top 5 Page for this destination Devils Postpile National Monument by Hopkid

Devils Postpile National Monument Travel Guide: 33 reviews and 47 photos

Unique and Interesting - Devils Postpile National Monument

This area was designated a national monument in order to protect a unique geological formation and some of the surrounding natural wilderness. The postpile is considered one of the world's best examples of columnar basalt. This feature was formed as a result of an eruption of volcanic basalt lava. As the lava cooled, it formed vertical and horizontal columns in the most stable geometric shape, a hexagon. The columns were later glacially polished exposing the column cross sections and the hexagonal shape at top of the formation.

The national monument also includes hiking trails that go into and out of the NPS area and the Inyo National Forest. Rainbow Falls and a portion of the San Joaquin River. Take the shuttle bus from the Postpile Stop to the Rainbow Falls stop (No. 9) and hike 1/2-mile to the falls, or hike 2.5 miles from the Postpile through a portion of the Ansel Adams Wilderness.

Devil's Postpile...the main attraction

Rainbow Falls

Pros and Cons

Pros:See an unique geologic feature
Cons:Not accessible during winter
In a nutshell:Any NPS site is worth visiting including this one!

Last visit to Devils Postpile National Monument: Aug 2006
Intro Written Aug 20, 2006
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Reviews (4)

Shuttle Bus - Devils Postpile National Monument

Shuttle Bus Transportation (1)

The road from Mammoth Mountain main lodge down to the Reds Meadow Valley is mostly single lane and somewhat trecherous.... more travel advice

Rainbow Falls - Devils Postpile National Monument

Rainbow Falls Things to Do (2)

Named because of the rainbow that is consistently formed from the spray of the falls, this waterfall on the San Joaquin... more travel advice

Get a National Park Service Passport - Devils Postpile National Monument

Get a National Park Service Passport Favorites (1)

These are really fun and spark interest in the National Park Service system. The brainchild of a marketing genius, the... more travel advice

View from base of Postpile - Devils Postpile National Monument

Devil's Postpile Things to Do (2)

Take the shuttle bus to Stop No. 6 and walk approximately 1/2-mile to reach the base of this very unique geologic... more travel advice

Comments (4)

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Jim_Eliason Jul 18, 2008 at 6:40 AM

Nice page Andy! I need to figure out how to get here!
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Dabs Dec 3, 2006 at 9:59 AM

Just read an article about how attendance at the NPS parks is way down, too bad as there's some really cool stuff to see!
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travelfrosch Oct 4, 2006 at 5:16 PM

Nice!
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tessy Sep 15, 2006 at 2:14 PM

What a wonderful day you spent there! Beautiful scenery!