Devils Postpile National Monument
Established in 1911 by presidential proclamation, Devils Postpile National Monument protects and preserves the Devils Postpile formation, the 101-foot high Rainbow Falls, and pristine mountain scenery. The formation is a rare sight in the geologic world and ranks as one of the world's finest examples of columnar basalt. Its' columns tower up to 60 feet and display a striking symmetry.
About 1.5 hours from Fresno by car.
Alerts
- ClosureNPS ↗Reds Meadow Road Access Restrictions in 2026
Reds Meadow Road remains under construction in 2026 and will be closed Monday through Friday through November 1 (closed for the season starting November 2).
Fire nearby
- WildfireDome
29 mi from the park's reference point · 6,788 acres · 95% contained
Within 50 miles, as of 2026-10-14. Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge. Check the park's alerts and the managing office before you drive.
Fees & passes
Free. No entrance fee here.
Nearly all visitors must use a shuttle bus (with fee) to visit Devils Postpile. For those excepted from the shuttle requirement, Inyo National Forest charges an entrance fee to Reds Meadow Valley, which you must pay in order to drive to Devils Postpile.
Hours
| Devils Postpile National Monument | Daily · All Day |
Hours by date. Standard hours apply on every date not listed.
| Dates | Hours |
|---|---|
| Standard hours | All Day |
| Sep 14 to Oct 31, 2026NowRoadwork |
|
| Oct 16 to Oct 31, 2026October No Overnight Parking | Sunrise to Sunset |
When to go
August draws the most visits here and January the fewest, averaged over 2021 to 2025.
Visitor centers
- Devils Postpile Ranger StationPassport stamp
The Devils Postpile Ranger Station is open daily from 9 am - 5 pm during the operating season which is typically mid-June to mid-October. Rangers can help you plan your adventure at Devils Postpile.
No campgrounds, no webcams, no things to do or events in Park Service data. What is here comes from the official page. The rest lives there.
Checked nightly. Modules appear as soon as the Park Service publishes the data.
Explore
Films
National Park Service productions, public domain.
Map
Interactive map by the National Park Service
On the National Register nearby
- Devils Postpile National Monument Ranger CabinBuilding · Mammoth Lakes · 1 mi
Public land nearby
Distances are approximate. Wilderness Atlas publishes a center point and an acreage for each area rather than a boundary, so each area is treated here as a circle of the same size and the figure is the gap to that circle.
Forest Service trails nearby
These trails are outside the park on National Forest land, within 15 miles of Devils Postpile. Each one opens on Trailhead Atlas.
Distance is measured from the park's reference point to the nearer end of the trail.
Guidebooks for California's national parks
We earn a small commission if you buy through these links. It does not change what we list.
Titles come from Open Library's catalog, matched by subject.
Reference
Wildlife
Seen this monthAmerican Black Bear 4× · American Pika 1× · Yellow-bellied Marmot 1× · Pacific Marten 1×Research-grade observations within 25 km, last 30 days, via iNaturalist
Full checklist: 99 birds, 43 mammalsHide
Raptors & owlsAmerican kestrel · Bald Eagle · Cooper's hawk · Golden Eagle · Great Horned Owl · Osprey · Red-tailed Hawk · Turkey Vulture
Waterfowl & wadersBufflehead · Common Merganser · Double-crested Cormorant · Great Blue Heron · Virginia rail
Shorebirds & seabirdsCalifornia gull · Killdeer · Spotted Sandpiper · Wilson's snipe
Gamebirds & dovesBlue Grouse · Mountain Quail · Mourning Dove
WoodpeckersBlack-backed Woodpecker · Downy Woodpecker · Hairy Woodpecker · Lewis' woodpecker · Northern Flicker · Red-breasted Sapsucker · White-headed Woodpecker · Williamson's sapsucker
Hummingbirds & swiftsAmerican Black Swift · Anna's hummingbird · Broad-tailed Hummingbird · Calliope Hummingbird · Rufous Hummingbird · Vaux's swift · White-throated Swift
Also on the checklistAmerican Dusky Flycatcher · American Grey Flycatcher · American dipper · American robin · Belted Kingfisher · Bewick's Wren · Black-headed Grosbeak · Black-throated Sparrow · Blue-gray Gnatcatcher · Brewer's blackbird · Brewer's sparrow · Brown-headed Cowbird · Cassin's finch · Cassin's vireo · Chipping Sparrow · Clark's nutcracker · Common Nighthawk · Common Yellowthroat · Dark-eyed Junco · Evening Grosbeak · Fox Sparrow · Golden-crowned Kinglet · Green-tailed Towhee · Hammond's Flycatcher · Hermit Thrush · House Wren · Lazuli Bunting · Lesser Goldfinch · Lincoln's sparrow · MacGillivray's warbler · Mallard · Marsh Wren · Mountain Bluebird · Mountain Chickadee · Nashville warbler · Northern Raven · Pine Grosbeak · Pine Siskin · Purple Finch · Red Crossbill · Red-breasted Nuthatch · Red-winged Blackbird · Rock Wren · Ruby-crowned Kinglet · Savannah Sparrow · Song Sparrow · Steller's jay · Swainson's thrush · Townsend's solitaire · Tree Swallow · Violet-green Swallow · Warbling Vireo · Western Meadowlark · Western Tanager · Western Wood Pewee · White-breasted Nuthatch · White-crowned Sparrow · Willow Flycatcher · Wilson's warbler · brown creeper · cliff swallow · northern goshawk · olive-sided flycatcher · spotted towhee
Small mammalsBelding ground squirrel · Broad-footed Mole · Brush Deermouse · Bushy-tailed Woodrat · California Ground Squirrel · Coronation Island vole · Deer Mouse · Douglas's Squirrel · Golden-mantled Ground Squirrel · Heather Vole · Lodgepole Chipmunk · Montane Vole · Mountain Pocket Gopher · Northern Flying Squirrel · Western Jumping Mouse · Yellow-bellied Marmot · common porcupine · dusky shrew
PredatorsAmerican Black Bear · American Marten · Common Gray Fox · Coyote · Cross Fox · Long-tailed Weasel · Ringtail · common raccoon · least weasel
Hoofed mammalsMule Deer
BatsBig Brown Bat · Black Bat · Brazilian Free-tailed Bat · California Myotis · Hoary Bat · Long-eared Myotis · Long-legged Myotis · Pallid Bat · Pinto Bat · Red Bat · Small-footed Myotis · Yuma Myotis · little brown myotis · western mastiff bat
Also on the checklistCatamount
Activities
Activity guides for this park Camping in the national parks · Fishing in the national parks · Hiking in the national parks · Horseback riding in the national parks · Stargazing in the national parks · Wildlife watching in the national parks
Weather & climate
Devils Postpile National Monument is located at 7,560 feet above sea level just west of the Sierra Nevada crest. As such, it experiences typical summer weather in the Sierras. Afternoon thunderstorms are possible in July and August. Daytime temperatures can range from the mid-70s to mid-80s (degrees Fahrenheit). Evening temperatures can drop into the low 40s (and even the low 30s in the months of September and October).
Questions people ask
Does Devils Postpile charge an entrance fee?
No. Devils Postpile is free to enter.
Source: National Park Service
Is Devils Postpile open year-round?
Yes. The grounds are open 24 hours a day, year-round. Dated exceptions are listed under Hours.
Source: National Park Service
Is anything closed at Devils Postpile right now?
1 active alert as of October 14, 2026: Reds Meadow Road Access Restrictions in 2026.
Source: Alerts
How busy is Devils Postpile?
99,652 recreation visits in 2025, number 220 of 387 units that report visitation.
Source: Most visited parks
Is there cell service at Devils Postpile?
At the park's reference point, FCC coverage maps show Verizon 4G LTE and AT&T 5G. No reported coverage for T-Mobile. Coverage inside the park varies by location.
Source: FCC Broadband Map
When was Devils Postpile established?
1911. It covers about 1.2 square miles.
Source: Wikipedia
What is the weather like at Devils Postpile?
Devils Postpile National Monument is located at 7,560 feet above sea level just west of the Sierra Nevada crest. As such, it experiences typical summer weather in the Sierras.
Source: Weather & climate
Follow this park
- Alerts feed (RSS)
- Every active Park Service alert for this unit, one item each, rebuilt with the nightly data refresh.
- Add dates to your calendar (.ics file)
- Fee-free entrance days that apply here and each published hours exception, as all-day events.
