Justin M.

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.

Scarlett N.

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.

Sandee L.

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!

Ray D.

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.

Rosabell M.

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!

Steve A.

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.

Sarah B.

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!

Cecile A.

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.

Fran V.

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.

Ben H.

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.

Chance K.

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.

Lindsay D.

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.

Gordon V.

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.