Devils Postpile National Monument
| Devils Postpile National Monument | |||
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| Location: | California , United States | ||
| Specialty: | Cliff made up of basalt columns in a high mountain landscape | ||
| Next city: | Mammoth Lakes | ||
| Surface: | 3.2 km² | ||
| Founding: | July 6, 1911 | ||
| Visitors: | 67,400 (2005) | ||
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Devils Postpile National Monument is a protected area by the type of National Monuments in the mountain range Sierra Nevada in the US -Bundesstaat California . The core of the area is a 20 m high cliff made of regular basalt columns. The area was placed under protection by President William Howard Taft in 1911 and initially handed over to the United States Forest Service for administration. In 1916 it was transferred to the newly established National Park Service .
description
The reserve is located in the Reds Meadow Valley , a high valley on the western flank of the Sierra Nevada. The basalt cliff can be traced back to a lava flow that emerged from a volcanic eruption around 100,000 years ago about 3 km above today's area. It flowed into a basin that was originally not quite 150 m deep and slowly cooled down in it. The slow and steady solidification of the lava to basalt is the reason why the hexagonal columns of the area are among the most regular occurrences on earth. In the last ice age about 10,000 years ago, the valley was carved out by a glacier and the pillars exposed from the side and top. Due to erosion , around 20 m from the bottom of the original formation are still preserved today.
In addition to the basalt columns, two larger waterfalls and the nature of the high mountains with 360 species of plants, black bears , pumas and golden eagles are attractions of the protected area.
Around the reserve is the Inyo National Forest , a national forest . The main ridge north of Devils Postpile NM is part of the Ansel Adams Wilderness , a wilderness reserve . Two long-distance hiking trails, the John Muir Trail and the Pacific Crest Trail, run through the monument .
Yosemite National Park is 20 km to the northwest , and the Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks 55 km southeast .
Tourist facilities
Due to its location in the high mountains, the Devils Postpile National Monument is only accessible for a few months of the year between the end of June and the end of October; access is by shuttle buses . Private vehicles are only allowed if visitors arrive before or after the bus service is open or if they stay overnight in the area. The transport costs are to be paid in any case, regardless of whether the bus is used or not. This restriction became necessary in 1994 because the flow of visitors' vehicles permanently reduced the experience of nature and there are not enough parking spaces in the area.
At 3.2 km², the Devils Postpile National Monument is the smallest protected area in the Sierra Nevada and, due to its short opening times, only has a relatively low number of visitors of 67,400 per year. In the area is the Reds Meadow Resort , an upscale hotel and a simple campsite. The national monument is the starting point for day hikes and multi-day trekking tours in the Sierra Nevada.
Web links
- National Park Service: Devils Postpile National Monument (official site; English)
- Devils Postpile Geologic Story - online brochure of the United States Geological Survey (Engl.)