What to Know Before Hiking the Devils Postpile Trail

We hiked to Devils Postpile National Monument, a hidden gem in Sierra Nevada, California. Here is everything you need to know before going.

The stunning Devils Postpile National Monument is one of those hidden germs in California that even many locals haven’t had a chance to visit. It’s a unique rock formation with a long and fascinating history, but it is tucked away deep in the Sierra Nevada mountain.

Good planning is the key to visit Devils Postpile! We had been dreaming about it for years, but the road leading there is closed for most of the year. Snow lingers in the shaded mountain forests well into the summer, and typically, the area is only accessible from July through the end of September. And of course, this can vary depending on the weather each year.

When we finally got the chance to go, we weren’t going to miss it for anything! So off we went on a road trip during what was probably the hottest weekend of the late summer. But everything went smoothly, and not only got to see Devils Postpile up close but also discovered much more along the way.

What is Devils Postpile National Monument?

Devils Postpile is a rock formation of columnar basalt on the eastern side of the Sierra Nevada mountains. It was shaped by hot lava and ice. Formations like this are considered small geological wonders, and honestly, they do look pretty amazing.

Around 100,000 years ago the valley was filled with lava, and when it cooled off it started cracking due to the pressure below. The cracks were shaped like hexagons, which you can really see if you also hike to the top of the monument.

At the top, you can see the marks of the glacier passing over during the last ice age which then shaped the monument even more. The tallest basalt columns reach up to 18 meters hight.

Devils Postpile was originally part of Yosemite National Park, but in 1905, gold was discovered in the area and the park boundaries were redrawn. In the past, the site was also known as Devil’s Woodpile. The area was designated a national monument in 1911 to ensure its protection.

These kind of basalt columns are quite rare, but there are more around the world. For example, the Devils Tower in Wyoming and Yellowstone National Park has some. Also, Mexico, Canada, Russia, Japan, Greece and Scotland has similar rock formations.

One of the most famous place to see basalt columns is the Giant’s Causeway in Northern Ireland. I have seen this kind of formations in Reynisfjara Black Sand Beach in Iceland when I was there.

MAMMOTH LAKES

When planning a visit to Devils Postpile, the best and most versatile place to stay is Mammoth Lakes. It’s a small mountain town best known for its ski resorts and long winter season.

The way to stay any closer to Devils Postpile is by camping at the Red Meadows Campground or booking a rustic cabin at Red Meadows Resort.

In the summer, Mammoth Lakes welcomes many mountain bikers, hikers and nature-lovers like us. It’s truly a fantastic destination for anyone who enjoys the outdoors and mountain adventures. It is close to many natural hot springs, fascinating Mono Lakes and even to Bodie Ghost Town.

Mammoth Lakes is also a perfect place to see fall foliage at Eastern Sierras.

The elevation at the Mammoth Lakes is 7,881 feet, and at the ski resort where we stayed it was 9,000 feet. So many people do experience some mild symptoms of altitude sickness. For me it was mostly a mild headache with a loss of appetite.

Our hotel, Mammoth Mountain Inn gave us some tips of where to eat, and we were very impressed with the restaurants they pointed us to. One was in our hotel: Mountainside Bar & Grill, and the other one was called The Mogul Restaurant which was located downtown.

It’s not too often that we enjoy the food so much two nights in a row on our travels.

GETTING TO DEVILS POSTPILE

Devils Postpile National Monument is about a half hour drive from Mammoth Lakes deep in the Sierra Nevada mountains. The road is very narrow, at some spots just one lane, and very twisty. During the summer there is a mandatory shuttle you will have to use.

The road is open only for a few months during the year, usually from mid-June to mid-October, since the area is covered by the snow most of the time.

When the shuttle is not running, you can drive up yourself but just know that the parking is located at the Red Meadows Resort and is very limited. So it is best to arrive early if you want to find parking.

You can also drive up yourself if you are heading there before 7 a.m. or after 7 p.m., or you are staying at Red Meadows.

Shuttle tickets are sold at the Mammoth Mountain Adventure Center which happened conveniently to be in front of our hotel. Since our visit was at Labor Day weekend, the line to the shuttle was very long, but it moved fast. When a full bus left, a new one arrived almost right away.

On regular days the buses run anything from every 20 minutes to every 45 minutes between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. Ticket prices were $15 for adults and $7 for kids (under 3 years old for free) for a day pass. More information about the timetables can be found from NPS website.

Our own car was parked at the hotel, but if you drive over to the Adventure Center, you can park along the road, and either walk or use a complimentary shuttle going between the parking lots.

HIKING TO DEVILS POSTPILE NATIONAL MONUMENT

The shuttle bus will drop people to Red Meadows Resort or in front of the ranger station in the mountains. If you want to head down to the trail right away, make sure to choose the latter one.

This is a very easy hike, only 0.4 miles one way on a smooth trail. The views to the mountains and San Joaquin River were incredible, and then suddenly there was the wall of basalt columns in front of us. It was amazing!

I definitely recommend hiking to the top of the Devils Postpile even though it is uphill. There you will get a chance to see the actual shape of the basalt columns up close, as well as the marking left behind by a glacier that once covered the area. You can clearly see the direction where it moved, it is like nature leaving its signature behind.

After climbing up to the monument we sat down to have a snack and enjoy the view. our daughter also got the Junior Ranger book from the ranger station and kept filling it in.

The cool thing about it was that they let you return the book to the Mammoth Lakes Welcome Center, so we didn’t have to return to the ranger station. The next day we stopped at the Welcome Center and she got her Junior Ranger badge.

Another popular hike we really wanted to do was the Rainbow Falls trail which is 2.5 miles one way. However, the rangers were warning people not to go there since it was close to 90 F (32 C) down there and you will be hiking back uphill. We were both already out of breath due to the high altitude and we had our 2 year carried in a baby backpack, so we decided to skip seeing the waterfall.

You can find our tips for hiking with kids from here.

We ended up hiking to the Red Meadows Resort where they have a little general store, and from where the shuttle picks up the hikers. Once we reached the Red Meadows Resort we got some ice cream and lined up for the shuttle to go back to the hotel.

🎒🎒🎒

Our trip to Devils Postpile was great and we absolutely loved the entire area. We arrived in Mammoth Lakes via scenic Tioga Pass through Yosemite National Park and had so much fun!

From there it is easy to continue your road trip to places like Manzanar National Historic Site or even all the way to Death Valley National Park. Or, if you are heading north, you could make your way to one of our all-time favorite spots; Lake Tahoe.

Just a heads up: a trip to Devils Postpile requires a bit of planning. The area is only open for a short part of the year, and accommodations during peak season book up fast, so it is a good idea to reserve early. It’s also smart to have a backup plan in case the mountain roads haven’t opened yet due to snow.

This really was such a fascinating place. Have you ever seen rock formations like this anywhere?