Devils Postpile National Monument - Natural Features

Devils Postpile National Monument was established because of two important geophysical features, the postpile itself and Rainbow Falls . The postpiles tower as a sheer wall of polygonal basalt columns up to 60 feet high, and glacial polish is evident on top of many of the columns. Rainbow Falls is a spectacular waterfall that exists near the southern end of the monument on the San Joaquin River . The river changes in character many times throughout its journey through the monument, changing along its course from a series of broad low-gradient meanders to scattered pools and fast-flowing rapids, cascades, and falls.