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 60 feet high and display an unusual symmetry.”
The first time I tried to visit the Devils Postpile, it was closed because of a government shutdown. That was in 2014. Lucky for me, the government was open on my next opportunity and so I was able to drop in for a visit. If you're a fan of Huell Howser and his California Gold television series, click HERE to watch the episode when he visited the Postpile. For more information directly from the National Park Service on the Devils Postpile, click HERE.
I arrived pretty early in the morning, and when I hiked to the postpile, I found that early morning is not the best time for photographs. The face of the postpile was completely in shadow and would be until sometime after noon.
So I hiked back to my truck and drove to the trail head for Rainbow Falls.
The Rainbow fire of 1992 devastated a large portion of the Ansel Adams Wilderness area.
After hiking a little over a mile to one of the viewpoints for the 101-foot-falls, I discovered that late afternoon is a better time to visit, as that's when they will be in full sun and the rainbows in the San Joaquin River mist the most pronounced.
Above the falls.
Even without seeing any rainbows, it was still a great hike through some wonderful scenery. I retraced my steps back to T Red and headed back to the Devils Postpile. This is my story.
It's a short hike to the Postpile, and it's a pretty one.
Who doesn't enjoy hiking in the mountains, along a river on a beautiful day? No one, that's who. Except that one grumpy guy that everyone knows.
Pretty cool.
The trail makes a loop around, behind and up to the top of the postpile. It's a little steep, but nothing too strenuous. And the view from up top is well worth the hike.
A close-up look at the tops of some of the postpiles. Maybe in a few hundred thousand years, these piles will be at the edge.
The hike back down from the top was a breeze. The Devil's Postpile was well worth the visit and I'd like to make a return trip sometime, during the late afternoon. Even with all the places I visit, my list of destinations seems to always grow longer.
Feel free to download any of my photos that you take a shine to. No charge, no worries about copyrights. Enjoy.
