Welcome to our Pinnacles National Park Guide. Our guide will give you an overview of the park, including camping, hiking, climbing, and more. Our pro tips and recommendations from local guides will guarantee you have an amazing experience at Pinnacles National Park.
History
Pinnacles National Park was formed by volcanic eruption some 23 million years ago. Its distinctive rock is a mix of volcanic and sedimentary rock, called Rhyolitic Breccia. They’ve formed into talus caves, canyons, and towering rock spires filled with flora and fauna. Pinnacles was first established as a 2500-acre national monument in 1908 by President Theodore Roosevelt. Then in 2013, President Barack Obama signed legislation that turned the monument into a national park.
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Overview of Pinnacles National Park
Pinnacles National Park is located in central California just east of the town of Soledad. The first thing you need to know about Pinnacles is that there are two distinct sides of the park—East and West—that have separate entrances and are not connected by a road, so you can’t drive through the park from one side to the other.
Here is an overview of the two sides:
| East Side | West Side | |
|---|---|---|
| Entrance Gate Hours | Always open | 7:30am to 8pm (cars can exit after gate closure) |
| Visitors Center | Yes (9:30am to 5pm) | Yes (9am to 4:30pm) |
| Camping | Yes | No |
| Bathroom | Yes | Yes |
| Running Water | Yes | Yes |
| Hiking | Yes | Yes |
| Climbing | Yes | Yes |
| Caves | Yes | Yes |
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Directions
West Entrance: Take Highway 101 to the town of Soledad and then onto Highway 146.
East Entrance: Get on Highway 25, from the North you go through the city of Hollister and from the South, the city of King City. The entrance is off of Highway 25.
Weather and climate
Pinnacles is know for its hot and dry summers, mild winters, and moderate precipitation. Summer days can easily reach over 100°F, but nights can still be very cold. As a result, spring is a very popular season to visit because of the cool temps, green grass, and abundance of wildflowers.
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Camping and lodging
Camping is only available on the East Side of the park. There are no cabins or hotels inside the park. For lodging options outside the park check out:
| South of Park | King City Chamber of Commerce |
| North of Park | Salinas Valley Chamber of Commerce |
| West of Park | Soledad City Chamber of Commerce |
| East of Park | San Benito County Chamber of Commerce |
The campground found on the East Side of Pinnacles offers tent, group, and RV sites. There are water spigots throughout, coin-operated showers, and dump stations. Most sites have a fire ring and picnic table. Most RV sites have electrical hookups. There’s a swimming pool open from mid-April to the end of September. Note: Pets are allowed in the campground and on paved roads but not on trails.
Our favorite adventure snacks: Emily’s Citrus Cashew Bliss Balls
Food and supplies
There are no restaurants or grocery stores inside Pinnacles National Park. So stock up on supplies before you get into the park. Surrounding towns of Hollister, Soledad, and King City offer a full range of options for food and supplies. The Pinnacles Campground Store located near the campground offers a very limited selection of food and supplies for purchase.
Pinnacles National Park Guide: Things to do and see
People visit Pinnacles to hike, bird watch, rock climb, see the unique geology, plants, and animals, or to simply enjoy the quiet wilderness. Here are a few of our favorite things to do and see.
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Pinnacles National Park Guide to Hiking
Hiking is probably the most popular activity in the park. With over 30 miles of trails there are plenty to choose from. Make sure to bring plenty of water and a headlamp or flashlight if you’re going to be heading into any of the caves. We broke up our favorite hikes by the East and West side and then by length and difficulty of the hike. Click here for maps of the trails.
| East Side Hikes | Difficulty | Total Distance | Elevation Gain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Moses Spring to Rim Trail Loop | Easy | 2.2 miles | 500 ft. |
| Visitors Center to Bear Gulch | Moderate | 4.6 miles | 300 ft. |
| Visitors Center to South WildernessTrail | Moderate | 6.5 miles | 0 ft. |
| Condor Gulch to High Peaks Loop | Strenuous | 5.3 miles | 1,300 ft. |
| Chalone Peak Trail | Strenuous | 9 miles | 2,040 ft. |
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| West Side Hikes | Difficulty | Total Distance | Elevation Gain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Balconies Cliff to Caves Loop | Easy | 2.4 miles | 100 ft. |
| Juniper Canyon Loop | Strenuous | 4.3 miles | 1,215 ft. |
| High Peaks to Balconies Cave Loop | Strenuous | 8.4 miles | 1,540 ft. |
| North Wilderness Trail Loop | Strenuous | 9.3 miles | 1,020 ft. |
Pinnacles National Park Guide to exploring caves
Pinnacles National Park has two main caves, one located on the East Side (Bear Gulch Cave) and one on West Side (Balconies Cave). Both require flashlights. While the Balconies Cave is almost always open, it can be closed due to storms and flooding. The Bear Gulch Cave has two sections, upper and lower. Due to the presence of the big-eared bats, sometimes the upper and/or lower caves may be closed. The lower half is usually open from the end of July until mid-May (so most of the year). For current conditions check here.
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Wildlife
There is an abundance of wildlife at Pinnacles National Park:
- Birds you may see include 20 species of raptors including the prairie falcon, turkey vultures, and acorn woodpeckers—but most of all people come to see the California condor.
- Tarantulas can be seen in September and October of each year while the males go searching for mates.
- Fun Fact: Did you know, with over 400 bee species, that Pinnacles has the highest known bee diversity of any place on earth?
- 49 mammals are known to live in Pinnacles. These include bobcats, chipmunks, black-tailed deer, raccoons, gray fox, squirrels, and many species of bats.
- Commonly seen reptiles include the common garter snake, coast horned lizard, striped racer snake, gopher snake, western fence lizard, and the western rattlesnake.
Pinnacles National Park Guide to Climbing
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People have been rock climbing at Pinnacles since 1933. It’s unique volcanic origin has created many types of rock faces—some are solid, impeccable, and clean, while other faces are crumbly, fragile, and dirty. Some climbs have both types in a single pitch! This creates a love/hate relationship for many climbers, and certainly requires a confident and adventurous spirit. For detailed information about Pinnacles climbing, check out A Climber’s Guide to Pinnacles National Monument by Brad Young. For the most up to date information check out the forum at http://www.mudncrud.com/forums/. Below are some of our favorite moderate, classic climbs at Pinnacles.
East Side Climbing
| Climb | Area/Formation | Style | YDS Rating | # of Pitches |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Center Route | First Sister West Face | Sport | 5.4 | 1-2 |
| Portent | Discovery Wall | Sport | 5.6 | 1-3 |
| Swallow Crack | Discovery Wall | Trad | 5.6 | 1 |
| The Direct Route | The Monolith | Sport | 5.7 | 1 |
| Rat Race | Tourist Trap Wall | Trad | 5.7 | 1 |
| Regular Route | The Monolith | Sport | 5.8 | 2 |
| Thrill Hammer | Tourist Trap Wall | Sport | 5.8 | 1 |
| Coyote Ugly | Tiburcio's X | Sport | 5.9 | 1 |
| Wet Kiss | Discovery Wall | Sport | 5.9 | 1 |
| Stupendous Man | Discovery Wall | Sport | 5.10a | 1 |
| Subterranean Tango | The Monolith | Sport | 5.10a | 1 |
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West Side Climbing
| Climb | Area/Formation | Style | YDS Rating | # of Pitches |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Costanoan | The Citadel | Sport | 5.4 | 4 |
| Old Original | Machete Ridge | Sport | 5.5 A0 | 6-9 |
| Corona | Badman Mezzanine | Sport | 5.6 | 1 |
| Dos Equis | Badman Mezzanine | Sport | 5.8 | 1 |
| Cool Daze | The Flumes Northeast | Sport | 5.8 | 1 |
| Lava Falls | Balconies West Side | Sport | 5.9 | 2 |
| Rebecca's Sailing | The Flumes Northeast | Sport | 5.9 | 1 |
| Bits and Pieces | The Flumes Northeast | Sport | 5.9 | 1 |
| Nipples and Knobs | The Flumes Northeast | Sport | 5.10a | 1 |
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Hope you enjoyed our Pinnacles National Park Guide. Because of its unique rock, abundance of flora and fauna, and exciting adventure opportunities, Pinnacles is definitely worth a visit. If you have any questions or comments about Pinnacles, or think there’s something we should add, comment below!
