• Devils Postpile Formation

    Devils Postpile

    National Monument California

There are park alerts in effect.
show Alerts »

  • Tentative Opening Date Announced

    A tentative opening date of May 25, 2013 has been announced for Devils Postpile and Reds Meadow Valley. Campgrounds will not be open until mid-late June. Limited visitor services will be available. This is condition dependent and subject to change. More »

  • Devils Postpile Sets 37-Foot Vehicle Length Restriction on the Devils Postpile Access Road

    Devils Postpile has a limit of 37 feet for vehicles on the monument road. This may change during weather events, construction activities, vehicle congestion, or for safety reasons. Call or email for more information. More »

Accessibility

RESTROOMS
Devils Postpile National Monument is continuously improving the accessibility of its facilities. Currently, there are two ADA compliant comfort stations (bathrooms) within the Monument's day-use and campground areas.

PICNIC AREAS
A variety of wheelchair-accessible picnic tables and campfire pits are provided throughout the day-use area. These are not located in areas where paved access is provided. The terrain is flat, hard-packed dirt. Some areas contain loose pumice soils, which can pose issues to visitors in wheelchairs whithout assistance.

RANGER STATION
A wheelchair-accessible ramp facilitates entrance to the Ranger Station for visitors with disabilities. The ranger station is very small and can be challenging with respect to maneuverability.

CAMPGROUND
There is one ADA compliant site in the monument's campground. The site is hard-packed dirt with an ADA compliant picnic table. It is flat with easy access to site parking. It is located in the A-loop (site A-14).

TRAILS
Although our day-use and campground facilities are equipped with ADA accessible features, the 0.4 mile trail to the Postpile formation is not yet fully accessible.

The start of the trail, which is hard-packed gravel and leads from the Ranger Station to the eastern edge of Soda Springs meadow, can be accessed by wheelchair. Beyond this point, however, the trail continues uphill towards the formation and a series of tree roots, uneven surfaces, and pumice soil make wheelchair access difficult and unsafe in some areas. Just before the arriving at the postpile formation, there is a steep slope with rock steps leading down to the base of the formation which prevent wheelchair access. All terrain wheelchairs are not available for rent at the monument at this time.

Funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act was awarded to the monument to build a partially accessible trail with railings and interpretive signs to bypass these steps and provide accessibility to the base of the postpile where visitors can best appreciate the formation. Although this trail is not completely accessible, it doesprovide easier access for visitors with disabilities with assistance. This trail was completed and opened in 2011.

The trail to Rainbow Falls is not accessible.

Did You Know?

The "posts" of Devils Postpile are about 60 feet tall.

The Devils Postpile that you see today is only a fraction of the size the original lava flow formation that filled this valley. Natural processes, especially glaciers, have eroded the rest.