Mammoth LakesThe Mammoth Lakes area includes the Mammoth Mountain Ski resort, widely considered one of the best ski areas in the United States, Nearby includes Crowley Lake, Rock Creek Canyon, Devils Postpile National Monument, June Lake, June Mountain Ski Area, Bodie State Historic Park, and Mono Lake. Virtual Mammoth Lakes Map
|
|
Mammoth Lakes Highlight
Devils Postpile
Devils Postpile is a U.S. National Monument located in the Sierra Nevada Mountains just west of Mammoth Lakes. The Devils Postpile 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, have an average diameter of 24 inches and display an unusual symmetry.
Though the Postpile began as a molten mass, it shrank as it cooled, and it began to crack. Temperatures inside the lava bed were consistent enough to allow the cooling basalt to form six-sided columns. The Postpile's regularity of shape is probably its most remarkable feature. Temperatures are rarely consistent enough to form columns such as are seen here.
The feature was known locally in the 1890s as the Devils Woodpile. It was first recognized as the Devils Postpile in 1901 on various maps. The Postpile was part of Yosemite National Park in the late 1800s when Congress designated its boundaries. It was removed from the park in 1905 when Congress removed 500 square miles from the park under pressure from mining and lumber lobbying interests.
|
