Pinnacles National Park is the latest addition to the US National Park system. It is ~2 hours south of San Francisco and 80 miles past San Jose. It has been a National Monument since 1908, and it was converted to a National Park in 2013. The National Park status is still relatively new, so you may still see brochures or old signs that label Pinnacles as a National Monument.
Getting Started
The park has two entrances – the East Entrance and the West Entrance. The East Entrance is easier to access, especially for RVs and trailers, and it has the Pinnacles Visitor Center. There are also more trails around the east entrance, such as the High Peaks Trail and the Condor Gulch Trail. The West Entrance has steep and narrow roads leading up to it, so it is not suitable for larger vehicles. While there aren’t as many trails by West Entrance, this entrance gives me access to my favorite trail in the park – the Balconies Cave Trail. The West Entrance also has a newer structure for visitors, including a nicer, newer bathroom. However there is a gate that closes at night, and it re-opens at 7:30 AM every morning.
Surprisingly the two entrances are quite far apart, so if you plan to drive from one entrance to another, make sure you have enough time in the day to do so. Because there are no roads through the park, the drive from one entrance to another will take 2 hours through windy roads. The two entrances are connected by hiking trails, so you can hike from one entrance area to another as long as you budget enough time.
It does get extremely hot and dry in the summer, so be sure to bring enough water, especially if you plan on doing long hikes. While there are taps at the trail heads, there are no water stations on the hikes. The Visitor Center is pretty tiny so there is a small selection for food and drinks (and ice cream).
Hiking Trails
My favorite trail is the Balconies Cave Trail. You can access this trail either from the West Entrance or hike to it from Bear Gulch Trail and Old Pinnacles Trail.
The Balconies Cave Trail made me feel like Indiana Jones. There are fallen boulders and giant rock formations throughout the trail, and, depending on the route you take, you either start or end at cave. It doesn’t look like much from the outside because you see a wall of giant boulders, but if you look carefully at the surrounding areas, you will see well-marked white arrows that point to the path you should take through the cave.
Squeezing through rocks at the Balconies Cave. You can’t tell but there is an opening here!
The path through the Balconies Cave is well-marked with white arrows
The trail through the cave is short, but you will still need a light because it is pitch black in there. My sister and I used the flashlight feature from our cell phones, and that did the trick for us. Inside the cave you are climbing over giant boulders trying to find your way out. And the best part was we were the only ones there so it felt like a real adventure!
From the East Entrance you can also take the Moses Spring Trail and/or the Rim Trail as a loop for a light hike in the park. If you prefer a more strenuous hike and have more time/water, you can take the Condor Gulch Trail and/or the High Peaks Trail to get to the Overlook point. If you are lucky you may see condors at the overlook!
No one around at Pinnacles National Park. We had the park all to ourselves!
How was your trip to Pinnacles National Park? Leave a comment below!