Pinnacles National Park

Pinnacles National Park is the baby of the 59 national parks in the U.S. It was established just three years ago in 2013. It was at first a national monument before it became a national park. Although it may be young and small, it offers spectacular views of the Pinnacles, condors and caves. You can pretty much knock a lot of trails out and basically see the whole park in like 2 – 3 days. Pinnacles is located 140 miles south of San Francisco, about a 2-​hour drive. When my friends and I visited during memorial day weekend, we were on a time crunch. We wanted to do the popular High Peaks Loop (~7 miles roundtrip) but settled for a short 2.4-mile loop to Balconies Cave from the west side. Any of the High Peaks Loops offers great views of the park and highlights all the cool things of the park. Even though we didn’t get to do that trail, it was still really cool to explore Balconies Cave.
Balconies Cave:
It can be visited from both the east and west sides. From the west side, follow Highway 146 to Chaparral Trailhead parking. There is also an overflow parking south of it if this parking lot is full. The trail starts where the restrooms are. It is a pretty straight-​forward path. You will know you’re at the cave when you see these metal gates at the entrance. Remember to bring a flashlight or headlamp because the cave will get VERY dark at some point. It was super fun exploring this cave. Watch your head as you have to duck at some places. Once you’re out, the trail will loop around back to the parking lot. Don’t forget to look up every once in a while to see the Pinnacles and maybe you’ll be lucky to see a condor.
From the east, you would have to park at the Old Pinnacles Trailhead parking lot. Follow Old Pinnacles Trail which will eventually lead you to the cave. It is about a 5.3 mile roundtrip moderate hike, roughly 4 – 5 hours.
Fees:
Cars/​motorcycles– $ 15/​vehicle — valid for 7 days
Individual, hike/​bicycle — $ 10/​person — valid for 7 days
Pinnacles National Park Annual Pass– $ 25 — valid for a year
National Park Annual Pass– $ 80– valid for a year
Campgrounds:
There is only one campground in the park and it is in the eastern boundary. The campground offers tent, RV and group sites, showers and a store. Each campsite has a fire pit and picnic table. Water is also located throughout the campground. It is $ 23/​night for a campsite.
Visitor Center:
It is located at the eastern portion of the park. It is a small visitor center that has a bookstore, information, convenience store and exhibits. There are picnic tables, restrooms, water and parking in this area. We also saw a swimming pool next to the visitor center too. That was interesting… Definitely come here to get a brochure which will detail many of the hikes you can do. There are lots of loop hikes, both short and long. I took a picture of the trail section of the brochure so that can help you plan before coming here.
Weather:
During the summer and early autumn, the temperature can reach above 100 degrees F. When we went during memorial day weekend, it was already 90 degrees out. IT WAS HOT. You have been warned. Bring LOTS of water and sun protection.
Junior Ranger:
I wish I knew this before coming here but you can become a junior ranger by just filling out the junior ranger booklet without attending a ranger talk like most parks. Visit the visitor center, Bear Gulch Nature Center or the west side visitor contact station to get a booklet or you can download it online. Complete at least 6 activities in the book. Visit one of centers or you can mail it in when done. Complete the pledge and certification on the bottom and then receive your junior ranger patch!
NOTE:
NO ROADS CROSS THE PARK! So if you want to go to the west side, you would have to drive around the park to the east side and vise versa. It is about an hour drive from one end to another. Also, as usual, check road conditions before coming here. I would also check the status of the caves too. There are two caves in the park, Bear Gulch and Balconies. Balconies Cave is more accessible throughout the year while Bear Gulch is closed seasonally for the bats breeding season. Both caves are closed for a couple weeks during the beginning and the end of the year due to bat roosting. When we went, Bear Gulch was closed.

This review is for High Peaks Trail loop:
This park has a lot of character! Great views, fun caves to drop into, awesome rock formations that you can climb, and unique features like the narrow paths with rails.
The trail is a bit in the open, so if hiking during the summer, make sure you bring sunscreen, a cap and lots of water!!!

One of our favorite places ever – beautiful rock formations, cool caves, wildflowers in season! We have been coming here for years hiking in from both the east and west entrances. The east campground has a seasonal pool; refreshing on a hot summer day after a long hike. Now wouldn’t it be great if they would install yurts you could use when you need a quick stay?

May 17, 2016 it was 92 degrees by 1 PM. Day hikers, you need to be prepared if you want to hike in Pinnacles. Best days are Monday through Thursday because the park is packed on weekends –its only a couple hours from Silicon Valley and parking gets difficult. Come as early in the morning as you possibly can before the sun is pounding down on your trail. You will be carrying your water for any hikes with elevation. Know how much you need to keep hydrated. The Nature Cabin at Bear Creek is very small but shows the geology, flowers and animal scat (fake) and paw prints of various animals. The endangered condors are in the park and you’ll see photos most likely rather than the birds. 23 million years ago, the Pinnacles were closer to Los Angeles than San Francisco having literally inched its way North along the San Andreas faultline. The hike to the top pinnacles is not recommended for the out of shape, especially after mid morning on crowded weekend trails. Photographers, the best shot of the Pinnacles are in early morning. You will be shooting into the sun after that.
Get your national parks passport stamped at the visitor center that used to be a private campground with a pool. Cinder block flush toilets nearby.

Went to pinnacles yesterday! 14.5 mile hike, didn’t see any condors, but had s great tim, carried my 14 Lb backpack with water and food, getting ready for Half Dome! What a beautiful park, the caves and the mountain tops are so beautiful.

Pinnacles National Park is miniscule in size on a California map, but big in delivery! I’m so glad I chose this place over Big Sur (since we were running short on time) because Pinnacle National Park is hands down, a tucked away gem. This beaut boasts with rock formations, caves, a calm reservoir and high peak trails that will make your tummy somersault in place and take your breath away all at once. We hiked roughly 6.5 miles during this day and covered several trails that interconnected. What I love most about Pinnacles is their spectacular views. In addition, their jaw-​dropping rock formations give rock climbers a chance to show off their skills, which is pretty neat. I suggest that if you’re ever on the way to Frisco or down south to Pismo, check this spectacle out. It’s an incredible park that is worth a full day’s hike.

We came here for a day trip and hoped to find a camping spot but it was all booked. Came with family & we had packed lunch. We found a nice picnic table near a stream… Soooo nice! Lots of shade and very peaceful. We went on a short hike through the caves. It’s really fantastic. Enjoyed it thoroughly. Want to come here again for a longer hike and maybe camp here! Highly recommend this place!

Great hiking location, the parking pass went up to $ 15. But it’s a 7 day pass, great weather and open all day 7:30−8pm. They have many trails to pick from. Every trail has many things to see, rivers, birds, flowers, butterflies and much more. So quite and peaceful.

PINNACLES NATIONAL PARK is located in a wilderness area in between Hollister, CA and Soledad, CA. The park has two entrances, one at the east which can be accessed by way of Route 25 which passes through Hollister, and one to the west, which can be accessed by exiting from Highway 101 at Soledad, followed by a drive of several miles over a narrow winding road.
EAST HALF AND WEST HALF. Roughly speaking, the park can reasonably be characterized as comprising an east half and west half. The two halves are NOT connected by any road, but a level trail connects both of them. The level trail can easily be hiked by any child of the age of eight years old and older. Although the connecting trail is one continuous trail, the eastern half is called Old Pinnacles Trail and the west half is called Balconies Trail. I recommend the upper Balconies Trail, not the Balconies Cave Trail. The Balconies Cave Trail requires some contorting and fancy footwork and, it times, is totally lacking in any natural light. The upper Balconies Trail offers some great opportunities for Ansel Adams-​style landscape photography.
EAST HALF. The east half of Pinnacles National Park provides camping sites (the west half does not). The stone formations on the east side are narrower and resemble some of the obelisks and monoliths found at Joshua Tree National Park. The east half has a large store with souvenirs, gifts, groceries, and even beer. The east half also has a lovely little nature museum, located at Bear Gulch. The west half does not have any store.
The showpiece of the entire park is the combination of Condor Gulch Trail and High Peaks Trail. High Peaks Trail brings you up to the top of Hawkins Peak. These two trails provide many photo opportunities. The best light conditions are early morning, and at this time, the color of the monoliths will be a golden orange. I would guess that at sunset, the east half of Pinnacles National Park is in shade. By the way, Condor Gulch Trail and High Cliffs Trail require that you be in good physical shape. These two trails are safe, even for little children.
These two trails have a few turnout spots that lead to a lookout, and here you need to keep ahold of children, otherwise they might tumble over a steep slope. When you get to the very top of Hawkins Peak (the very top of High Cliffs Trail) you have the option of following a big loop that takes you down to Bear Gulch area. Alternatively, you have the option of going down into the western half of the park by way of a zig-​zag trail. This zig-​zag trail down passes many spures and monoliths, but they have a fatter and more pudgey shape than the monoliths on the east half of the park.
The east half has the Bear Gulch Cave trail which takes about 20 minutes to walk through. During much of the time, there is absolutely no natural light, but if there are many other hikers are in the cave at the same time, you can see by the light of their flashlights. A rushing stream goes through the cave and I am surprised that children are allowed in the cave (as it seems to me that if a child decides to climb down into the stream, then that they would perish). Bear Gulch Cave was created by chock stones. Chock stone is the technical name for large boulders that tumble into a gulch and get stuck in mid-​air by way of being wedged between the cliffs.
WEST HALF. The west half of Pinnacles National Park has two parking lots, located near each other. From the parking lot area you can take the level Balconies Trail, which immediately provides you with Ansel Adams-​style scenery of majestic cliffs, and the next half-​hour of walking skirts the base of these cliffs. Also, from the parking lot you can go directly up the Juniper Canyon Trail, which is VERY AEROBIC, and which leads you to the very top of Hawkins Peak, where the trail connects to High Peaks Trail. The walk up (and also the walk down), provides majestic views of Resurrection Wall, Juniper Canyon, and many lop-​sided weirdly-​shaped obelisks. The trail is well-​maintained and is wide and has ample room for people to pass each other, however, there is one particular location where if you go close to the edge and slip and fall off (or faint) then you will be instantly killed, and at this location you can look down, down, down into Juniper Canyon and see a nearby footbridge and artificial tunnel drilled through a cliff. A minute of walking downhill from the dangerous lookout, will take you to the footbridge and tunnel.
CONCLUSION. To conclude, Pinnacles National Park is more interesting than Joshua Tree National Park (where I went on 23 separate weekends) and much more interesting than Lessen National Park, and a million times more interesting than Redwood National Park. Highly recommended if you like to have good memories, and if you like landscape photography. By the way, if you do your hiking in the month of March, you will be treated to millions of colorful wildflowers.

What a hidden gem. Get out your flashlight & walking shoes… Make sure to charge your cell phone so you can take many breathtaking photos!

I love this place. I’ve been a couple times in the winter months, and every time it’s been a great day.
High Peaks is great and recommended for a first time, but if you’re looking to avoid crowds you should consider the 9 mile hike to North Chalone Peak. I passed one group on their way down on my way up, and otherwise saw no one. Definitely a strenuous hike, though not with the dramatic steep parts of the high peaks trails. Mostly exposed, so very hot. I’m small and needed 2 liters in the winter. But you get amazing views of the high peaks, farms, hills, and even a hint of Monterey Bay at the top. I had the peak to myself for an hour. Just butterflies, condors, lizards, and me.
Oh yeah, the drive to the park on the 25 is beautiful too. Stop by Vertigo Coffee in San Juan Bautista on your way down.

Most beautiful place I’ve been to. They offer so much; have trails, waterfalls, caves, tunnels and I’ve only been there once! Plan on going again even though it takes me 3 hours for a round trip drive. Totally worth it.
Plan and research before you go. Make sure which trails you want to take and always take in account of how slopes will slow you down and taking breaks here and there. Bring snacks, drinks and garbage bag for your trash.
You need to go to the visitor center first to buy a parking permit ($ 15; valid for a week) and can definitely ask them about the trails and the hike! They are happy to help.

A myriad of hikes for all levels. We did Bear Gulch Caves to the Reservoir and down Moses Trail. GORGEOUS! Lots of vistas of the craggy peaks. We may have spotted a condor. We will be back soon to do it again.
FYI-​You need a strong flashlight for the caves.

Pinnacles is a small park, but no less deserving of its National Park status than any of the others in the system! It is, though, in something of a transition stage, as it’s elevated status brings in more visitors than it seems quite ready for.
Although many reviews already mention this, it is worth repeating: you cannot drive through the park east/​west! There is a Visitor Center on each side, but there are all these big pesky rocks in between, which means if you want to travel from one side to the other, you have to take a long drive (well over an hour) around the rocks, or walk over – or under – them.
This makes the park spectacular for hikers, but probably not terribly exciting for anybody else. You can loop hike around the entire park in a day, but in your car you won’t see much. The hike we did in Pinnacles is easily one of my favorite hikes of all time. The trail is incredibly scenic and well maintained. The famous «Steep and Narrow» section is a lot less scary than many would have you believe, and my seven-​year-​old kid, pregnant sister, and one-​year old nephew (in a pack) did the whole thing with no problems.
You can create your own loop, but I would recommend the following: Park at Old Pinnacles Trailhead, then fork off to take the High Peaks Trail to the top. There a sign will give you two options for traversing the high areas of the rocks… take the Steep and Narrow; it’s the best part of the hike. Descend on the Juniper Canyon Trail to the west side of the park (this section is breathtaking), then connect to the Balconies Trail to cross back east through the cave. The cave section itself is short, but it is DARK and could be frightening for some. From there, the smooth and easy Old Balconies Trail will take you back to the parking lot.
Here’s the one serious problem with the park – PARKING. We actually didn’t take the route above, because the trailhead parking was full early in the morning. There is no overflow at all; your only other option is to park at the Visitors Center, adding some considerable mileage to your hike. We ended up finding a spot (after much circling) at the Bear Gulch Day Use and adjusted our hike to ascend the Condor Gulch Trail (also lovely). There is a shuttle, but it’s running hours are extremely limited to only the busiest times. So… something really needs to be done about that.
For hikers this park is a must-​do experience. The east-​side campground is wonderful and has a few electric RV sites, a pool, and showers, as well as being adjacent to the Visitor Center and store. To do the hike make sure you have good shoes and a headlamp for the cave. Binoculars are also helpful if you want to spot a condor… which of course you do. Visit in the spring before the heat sets in. Just go! It’s amazing!
**JUNIOR RANGERS: The workbook here is a really fun one and good for all ages. It can be done with no hiking, and a ranger talk is not required. A really nice patch is given rather than a badge (though this might have changed… when we were there, they were still phasing out the National Monument stuff).

The Find Your Park Campaign has infected our family like a bad cough.
The majority of its National exposure the Pinnacles has been a National Monument, but that changed in 2013 when it became a National Park. It’s a hidden gem right within striking distance from the Bay Area.
The talus rock formations are a sight to be seen. The trails are well kept and the caves are a beautiful, yet dark wonder. REMEMBER TO BRING FLASHLIGHTS.
The park is small. It’s become very busy since its induction to the NPS, so be patient. The Rangers, volunteers and staff are pretty amazing. They’re knowledgeable and easy to talk to with recommendations for do’s and don’ts. One particular Ranger has really made an impact in my 4 year old’s life. They made such and impact that I signed up to volunteer!
There is wildlife there that will mesmerize you. There have been California Condors sighted there. I can ramble on and on, but the bottom line is to visit and see for yourself.

Visited the Pinnacles on a Sunday with a group of 20+ to hike up to the balconies, through the high peaks then to finish through the caves. Note that there are two entrances, east and west. We entered from the west entrance and parked at the chaparral lot. Not sure which trail we hiked but our venture comprised of 9-​miles, five hours. Weather and conditions this time of year made for a comfortable hike. You will most likely need a flashlight, food, 2L water, and non-​ankle length socks! Sliding socks can make for a miserable trek. The views we reached were beautiful and thus many inevitable pictures were taken to showcase for it but of course, you won’t get the same breathtaking scenes and shots as you would from actually being up there, up close and personal. No condors or bats were spotted during this outing but there’s my excuse for a return trip! Standing amongst the huge rock formations and carved mountains has a way of making one feel extremely small and force perspectives to shift to a more natural and humble state. 5/​5, visit if you have the chance. Parking +entrance is $ 15, good for the entire week.
Update**
Camping at the pinnacles is achievable only thru the east entrance. If gps-​ing, simply type in ‘pinnacles campgrounds’ and it will take you there. Camping fees were reasonable especially when split amongst friends!

Pinnacles National Park is fairly one of the newer national parks in California. I came here recently in the beginning of January hoping that it wasn’t freezing cold with snow. Surprisingly, the weather was perfect in the 50’s with no snow and lots of sunshine!
My bf and I did the 12 mile loop hike starting at bear gulch parking lot, to the balconies cave, and back to the bear gulch cave. Both caves were unique and worthwhile seeing, especially the bear gulch cave that leads to the beautiful reservoir that should not be missed.
I would highly recommend this trail to all the adventurers out there!
Tips:
— Prepare to pay $ 15 for a parking permit.
— Gets fairly packed on the weekends, start early! (Place opens at 9)
— Bring a flash light for the caves

Such a beautiful place! There are lots of nice trails in the park, but my favorite is the one that goes through the Balconies Cave. Best to bring a head lamp if you explore it, as you’ll need to do some climbing and it’s difficult to do with a flashlight in hand.
Spring is a great time to come to the park. It’s quite hot, but nothing like summer (which can be brutal). Lots of beautiful wildflowers, too.
We saw some interesting wildlife on our trek, including snakes, lizards, chipmunks, turkeys, raccoons, and maybe even a condor (though it was so far away, it could have been a turkey vulture for all we knew!).
The most important thing you can bring to the Pinnacles is water! Parking is difficult here, and even if you’re lucky enough to find a spot at a trailhead, you won’t find any drinking water on the trails. If you arrive after around 11 am, you’ll have to park in one of the outer lots, which makes for an even longer hike. One time my sister and I visited here, both of our husbands got heatstroke. Be careful! This place will kick your butt if you’re not prepared.

For my 600^th review, I wanted someplace special and reserved this place for this occasion.
Back in February 2014, I had my third surgery on my left knee and used this place as my motivation in getting back up to speed. Three months later, on May 26, 2014, about a year ago from today, I got to fulfill that promise to myself while crossing off another item on my bucket list.
The journey it took was painful, but I was mentally prepared for my road to recovery as I had done so the two previous times. The first surgery was the hardest, but this was the most rewarding. I knew what to expect and challenged myself to be able to hike and be one with Mother Nature once again.
Pinnacles has been around for a long time, but it recently became a National Park not too long ago. The park’s namesakes are the eroded leftovers of the western half of an extinct volcano (Neenach Volcano which erupted 23 million years ago), that has moved 150 miles from its original location on the San Andreas Fault, embedded in a portion of the California Pacific Coast Ranges. Due to its proximity to San Andreas Fault, it created the unique landscape of spires and rock formations that forms the Pinnacles Valley that is ever-​changing and transforming to this day.
There are two entrances — appropriately named East and West. We drove to Gilroy towards Hollister and took the East Entrances where the campground and visitor center are located. If you get here early enough, drive towards the Bear Gulch Area and find a parking spot there so it’s closer to your hiking spot. If the lot is full, you have to go back to the visitor center and catch a shuttle back. So the lesson is to get here early.
Depending on the time of year, the weather can change in an instant and it usually gets hot here real quick shooting up to the 90’s and even 100 degrees. Once you get here, be prepared and carry everything you can think of in your backpack from snacks to plenty of water. Being that it was May, it was cool in the morning and suddenly rose to over 90 by the time our hike started.
But don’t let that deter you as there are plenty of shades under trees and the rock formations themselves. There are even caves to explore and some caves require flashlights for you to venture into. I cannot truly explain the beauty and magnitude of this place as it is huge. I felt like a speck of dust walking besides the cliffs and monolithic ancient stones. However, I enjoyed every minute of it no matter how much pain I was in as I kept pushing myself one single step at a time.
Being out there walking again where the ancient Ohlone tribe once lived made me appreciate it even more. It re-​energized my mind, body and spirit and felt lucky that I was breathing and walking, albeit with difficulty, here on this earth. It’s good to be alive and mobile, things that sometime we take for granted. This is by far the most therapeutic hike I’ve ever had and the best physical therapy money could buy.
We plan on returning again to explore the caves and other trails. Bet on it.
NOTE: Entrance fee is $ 10 for any vehicle (including motorcycles) and that is good for 7 (seven) days. Annual pass is only $ 20 and it’s valid for one year from the month of purchase. Best deal for a National Park entrance fee I’ve ever seen.

This is a wonderful drive down from Silicon Valley area. We departed from San Jose about 9:00 and the ride was a rustic countryside-​filled, leisurely jaunt down to the 146 west.
Easy and lots of country eye candy, which is my thang.
Camping and hiking here are simply wonderful. The key is less people and wonderful landscapes. The rock formations at Scout Peak off High Trail was my favorite view, for sure
Stop sit and watch condors, glory in the great scene before you!!! There are restroom pits there as well for the bladder fragile (me!)
Loved my visit— twas wonderful. Simple beauty and wonders everywhere one looks
Oh!!& caves and a beautiful reservoir for your pleasure here as well!