What a great experience at Devil's Postpile NP. Easy 1/2 mile hike with some climbing, steep portions of trail. What an incredible experience. Steep climb to top but worth it. Ample parking in dirt lots. Cool info signage about the area. Seeing this phenomenon was amazing. Two miles further to Rainbow Falls. Devil's Postpile is closed 10/6-10/11, major road work repairs. read more

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We came here in July and really enjoyed this monument. It is so interesting with all the columnar basalt. The columns tower over 60 feet and these columns were formed approximately 100,000 years ago from a volcanic lava flow that cooled. The lava flow cracked into these multi sided columns. When you stand on a column you will see it forms a perfect octagon. WOW! Nature is so incredible. To get here, we took the shuttle from the main Mammoth Lakes Lodge. It was an easy ride down here and back. Parking is available at the lodge. The only vehicles that were allowed on the road besides the shuttles were for campers who had reservations and sites. Take your time when you are here to really study these structures. I highly recommend when visiting Mammoth Lakes. read more

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Great experience! The hike to Devils Postpile is short walk, less than half a mile from the parking lot. The monument is surreal. It's amazing to see. Past Devils Postpile, you can actually hike to see Rainbow Falls, which is pretty spectacular sight. The hike round trip is roughly 5 miles, but mostly flat ground with very little elevation. Check the National Park Service for the most to updated information, such as closures, parking, etc. There are two options, arriving before 7am to drive in and paying the fee when you leave or taking the shuttle. We opted for getting there before 7am to avoid the crowds. Definitely worth a visit if you're in the Mammoth area! read more

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It's a pretty neat geological formation to see, but parking is scarce and it was too crowded when we went, with tons of people on the trail to and from Devil's Postpile to the parking lot. It's about a 0.7 mile hike to Devil's Postpile from the parking lot. After we got there and took pictures, we were running out of daylight so we made the not so good decision to hike to Minaret Falls instead of the farther Rainbow Falls. On the hike to Minaret Falls you eventually come to a fork in the trail. The little trail sign says to take a right to Minaret Falls but Google Maps says left, so we made the mistake of going left. This way takes you up a steep winding trail, and Google Maps eventually says you're off the trail and routes you on a trail that doesn't exist. After realizing our mistake, we backtracked to the fork in the trail and decided to try to rush to Minaret Falls and back before dark as we'd already invested so much time and energy. We finally got to Minaret Falls around dusk but were getting swarmed by mosquitoes. We took some quick pictures while getting eaten alive by mosquitos and rushed out of there, swatting mosquitos off us the whole time. My girlfriend was freaking out because there were no bathroom facilities on the trail so she inevitably had to just pop a squat off the trail, crying. We finally managed to get out of there covered in sweat and mosquito guts from the hoards of mosquitos we killed, as people casually, nonchalantly were walking to Devil's Postpile from the parking lot, oblivious to the hell we just went through. The travesty/irony was comical. read more

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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. read more

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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! read more

Devil's Postpile National Monument - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Mammoth Lakes, California

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A little bus ride, some hiking.Get there early and it is well worth it. The Postpile have been here since the ice age. When you get there- I was in awe. read more

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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! read more

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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. read more

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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! read more

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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. read more

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. read more

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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. read more

Devil's Postpile National Monument - The pile of the Devils posts - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Mammoth Lakes, California

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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. read more

Devil's Postpile National Monument - the pile of posts belonging to the devil himself - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Mammoth Lakes, California

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. read more

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. read more

Devil's Postpile National Monument - Rainbow Falls (early October) - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Mammoth Lakes, California

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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. read more

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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. read more

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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*** read more

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. read more

Devil's Postpile National Monument - Devil's Postpile - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Mammoth Lakes, California

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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. read more

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! read more

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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!! read more

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. read more

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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. read more

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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! read more

Devil's Postpile National Monument - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Mammoth Lakes, California

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! read more

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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. read more

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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. read more

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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! read more

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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. read more

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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. read more

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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. read more

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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! read more

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. read more

Devil's Postpile National Monument - Devil's Postpile - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Mammoth Lakes, California

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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. read more

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. read more

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. read more

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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. read more

Devil's Postpile National Monument - Panorama view of it - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Mammoth Lakes, California

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. read more

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