Devils Postpile Short Loop

Dogs Leashed

Features Geological Significance · Historical Significance · Views · Wildflowers

The unique basalt columns of Devils Postpile National Monument are accessed with an easy, 1.5-mile lollipop loop. It starts out flat for the first mile, then climbs the adjoining hillside for a look at the columns from above, adding an additional half mile. The hike is brief but rewarding. Once you're in Red's Meadow, there are many more excellent options for further hiking depending on your group's wants and abilities.

Tickets are required for entry, either by shuttle bus or private vehicle. Private vehicle travel is restricted to early morning and late evening hours during the summer, all daytime access is by bus only. The road is typically closed to all vehicles during winter. See the Eastern Sierra Transit website to learn more: estransit.com/reds-meadow-s….

This trail is maintained to provide access to Devils Postpile National Monument. It is well signed, not just with directions, but even with information about the history and geology of the area.

From the parking area you should easily see the trailhead and begin to see the rise in the earth where the basalt columns are exposed. Walk down the well maintained dirt path to get a good look at the columns. If you want more of a hike and to see the columns from above, follow the path around to the top of the monument. Eventually the trail loops back to the original path.

Take your time, enjoy the views, smell the fresh mountain air. If you want just a little bit more, try hiking out to nearby Rainbow Falls.

Around 100,000 years ago, a lava flow that was dammed by the terminal boulders of a glacial moraine began to cool under ideal circumstances. It was a combination of slow cooling and mineral consistency that formed one of the world's most geometrically perfect examples of basalt columns. A glacier that carved a path along the Middle Fork of the San Joaquin River was integral to unearthing the basalt formation. Around 80,000 years after the columns began forming, glacial ice planed the top of the hexagonal columns and exposed the face of the formation. The iconic basalt columns were nearly blasted to build a dam after the area's exclusion from Yosemite National Park and its accompanying protections. Sierra Club members successfully lobbied President Taft to save the formation, and in 1911, Devils Postpile received National Monument status. - By Gina Teichert, Outdoor Project