Devils Postpile National Monument

Devils Postpile National Monument is run cooperatively with the National Parks Service and the National Forest Service. It is in the Eastern Sierras near the ski resort area of Mammoth Lakes. The monument is a rare and fascinating geological formation that is the result of ancient volcanoes and glaciers--a landscape of fire and ice.

From the town of Mammoth Lakes, turn on Minaret Rd going uphill from town. Keep going until you see signs for parking for the mandatory shuttle. You can purchase your tickets for the shuttle at the Adventure Center near the Main Lodge. Tickets are $7 per person

Shuttle and trail map

We got off the shuttle at stop 6, the stop for the Ranger Station and Devils Postpile. It's an easy 0.4 miles to the Postpile from stop 6 and then another 2 miles to Rainbow Falls from there walking mostly along the banks of the Middle Fork of the San Joaquin River. Along the way, you pass through the area affected by the 1992 Rainbow Fire. After checking out beautiful Rainbow Falls (we even got a rainbow!), we doubled back and met the return shuttle at stop 10. I recommend going to stop 10 instead of stop 9 for the return on a busy summer day because the shuttle completely filled up at stop 10. All in all, we probably hiked about 4 miles. There was some elevation gain going back to stop 10, but it was relatively flat.

This was a wonderful hike, my husband's favorite of the many hikes that we took on our camping expedition together. It has been on my bucket list for at least 10 years, so I was pretty excited too! Here is another link worth checking out for more information about the park and the surrounding areas.