Hikes in Devils Postpile National Monument

While Devils Postpile Formation is the reason you come to Devils Postpile National Monument, you shouldn't leave without seeing Rainbow Falls, an attractive 101-foot single drop waterfall that leaps over volcanic cliffs and flashes frequent rainbows. Luckily for hikers, both attractions can be seen on the very same trek. Devils Postpile Formation is less than half a mile from the park's main trailhead, along the route to Rainbow Falls. ...Read more.

The main attraction in Devils Postpile National Monument is, of course, the Devils Postpile Formation, which has striking 60-foot tall cliffs of exposed columnar basalt. From the park's main trailhead, it is a 1-mile round trip hike to the base of Devils Postpile on a wheelchair-friendly route with 40 feet of elevation change. A second trail crosses the top of Devils Postpile and allows hikers to stand atop the tile-like tops of the basalt columns. ...Read more.

Minaret Falls is a tumbling waterfall in the Eastern Sierra near Mammoth Lakes. The waterfall plunges a slope above Pacific Crest Trail in the Ansel Adams Wilderness of Inyo National Forest. Starting from the main trailhead in Devils Postpile National Monument, it's a 3-mile round trip hike to Minaret Falls (with the option to link this trail with hikes to Devils Postpile and Rainbow Falls). ...Read more.

Near the entrance of Devils Postpile National Monument, and just half a mile from the Postpile formation, visitors can stay at a 21-site campground along the Middle Fork San Joaquin River. With sites backing up against a pine-covered ridge, Devils Postpile provides a fine camping experience in the Eastern Sierra near Mammoth Lakes with ample day hiking opportunities. ...Read more.

Kings Canyon is a rugged trench in the Sierra Nevada Mountains that is so remote it can only be accessed from one road. In such a landscape, where a pristine river slices down a canyon between sheer rock walls, you would not expect to find a long and level trail suitable for casual hikers, but that's exactly what you will find on Kanawyer Loop Trail. ...Read more.