Fees & Passes

Key Information

1. Parking/transportation fees are possible

   You may need to pay for parking, or for a shuttle, ferry, or other transportation while visiting the park.

   More about parking/transportation fees

Nearly all visitors must use a shuttle bus (with fee) to visit Devils Postpile. For those excepted from the shuttle requirement, Inyo National Forest charges an entrance fee to Reds Meadow Valley, which you must pay in order to drive to Devils Postpile.

2024 Free Entrance Days in the National Parks

Come experience the national parks! All National Park Service sites that charge an entrance fee will offer free admission to everyone (other fees, including timed entry or reservation fees, may apply). Mark your calendar for these entrance fee-free dates:

• Monday, January 15 — Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
• Saturday, April 20 — First Day of National Park Week
• Wednesday, June 19 — Juneteenth
• Sunday, August 4 — The Great American Outdoors Act
• Saturday, September 28 — National Public Lands Day
• Monday, November 11 — Veterans Day

 

Shuttle Bus Fees and Information

The Reds Meadow Shuttle Bus, operated by the Eastern Sierra Transit Authority, has provided transit service into the Reds Meadow Valley and to the Devils Postpile National Monument for over 30 years. Most visitors must ride the shuttle to access the Valley and Devils Postpile. Visit the shuttle bus information page for shuttle schedules and other information regarding shuttle bus logistics. Keep reading for a list of exceptions and exception vehicle fees.

Ticket Prices

• Day pass: $15/adult or $7/child age (3–15)
• Three-day pass: $30/adult or $14/child age (3–15)
• Season pass: $75/adult or $35/child (age 3–15)

Children age two and under ride free.

Well behaved, leashed and muzzled dogs are welcome to ride the shuttle. Muzzles are available for purchase in pet stores in Mammoth Lakes and at the Mammoth Mountain Adventure Center where shuttle bus tickets are sold.

Commercial tour operators or large groups should call Eastern Sierra Transit in advance at 760-872-1901 so they can be prepared for your visit.

Exceptions to the Mandatory Shuttle Bus

Vehicles meeting any of the following criteria may drive into the Valley (fee required):

• Visitors with a valid disability placard or license plate
• Campers staying in a valley campground
• Guests of the Reds Meadow Resort
• Vehicles towing stock trailers or carrying watercraft (watercraft must be suitable for use on valley lakes. There are no boat launches in the valley.)
• Hunters transporting weapons or large game
• Vehicles arriving before 7:00 am or after 7:00 pm or any other time when the shuttle buses are not operating.

Fees for Exception Vehicles or When Shuttle Bus is not Operating

If you drive to Devils Postpile, the US Forest Service charges a standard amenity fee (entrance fee) to enter Reds Meadow Valley. (This fee is also valid for Mono Lake South Tufa Reserve and the Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest if visiting while the fee is still valid.)

• Day Pass: $10/vehicle
• Three-day Pass: $20/vehicle for three of five consecutive days.
• Season Pass: $35/vehicle
• Camping Pass: $10/vehicle good for the duration of stay
• Free for Interagency pass holders.
• For additional information regarding the shuttle operation please contact Eastern Sierra Transit Authority (ESTA) at 760-872-1901

Fees and Information for Bicycles

The fee does not apply to cyclists riding both into and out of the valley. Cyclists taking the shuttle out of the valley will have to pay the shuttle bus fee on the way out. Exact change is preferred to make the transaction go smoothly.

For visitors wishing to ride the road in, but not out of the valley, buses may carry up to three bikes on front-mounted bicycle racks. Biking off road is not permitted anywhere in the Reds Meadow Valley with one exception. Mountain biking is permitted on the Starkweather Trail only after the shuttle bus has stopped running for the season.