Pinnacles is located 50 miles from the Pacific Ocean Southeast of Monterey CA in the Mountains. It is about 150 miles South of San Francisco. The park has two sides an East and West but no road connects the two sides so if you want to go to both you have to exit the park and drive around, about two hours of driving. The West side of the park is off CA 146 which is only 1.5 lanes wide so don’t bring your RV to the West side. The East side is off of CA 25 and it is two lanes and many turns but Dundee made the trek no problem. The park is home to the CA Condor a bird of prey and they live in the cliffs in the mountains around the park. Also living in the cliffs and caves are bats. Please be careful when hiking and trekking through caves and cliffs during mating season as we don’t want to interrupt these fine animals. There is about 30 miles of hiking trails here in the park between the two sides. The West side has some easy to moderate trails but over half of the trails are strenuous as they go up the mountains. The East side has mainly moderate hikes but also strenuous ones that is also due to the elevation gains you will enjoy during your hike. The busy time for the park is February through early June per the NPS but I was there on the first of June and have to say the park was empty. On weekends it may be busier but I have to say that right now there are very few people in this park. The park does sit on the San Andreas Fault here in California so let’s hope no earthquakes. If you are looking for a quiet place to relax and enjoy some nature this is for you. Being close by would make this park a wonder to hike and enjoy nature.
The park had an entrance station but no ranger was at the station. There was a sign saying to go to recreation.gov to pay for your fee of $30 but while I was in the store two people tried to pay at the camp store.
Pinnacles Campground – The campground is the only one in the park and has 134 spots to choose from for your camping needs. The campground has 10 tent cabins for those who don’t have their own gear or just don’t want to lug their gear to the park. The park has 30 RV sites near the front of the park and these offer you no shade or much in the way of privacy. There are many group sites if you have a group less than 20 people and no RV or trailers. The rest of the 134 spots in the campground are regular campsites with a picnic table and fire ring. Fires are allowed sometimes so please check with the camp store / ranger station to validate if they are allowed. The campground also offers a dump station for the RVs. One of the cool things about this campground is you can walk to the pool, yes a pool in a National Park. By the pool there is also a couple of showers so you don’t have to be hygienically impaired too much. The restrooms by my campsite were under construction so a couple of port a potties were provided however I did not see anyone working on the restroom when I was at the park. Additionally, the campsites were mainly dirt and some offered little or no shade. I was able to have one with some trees at the back of the site so there was little shade. If you can bring your own shade that would be good as temperatures can reach the mid to upper 90’s within the park. This campground did have a camp host which is something that others on the tour did not have so that is a plus. The non-RV loops do not allow for any generators allowing you to enjoy the peace and quiet if you choose. Each of the sites has a “bear box” for their food if you don’t have a hard sided vehicle to place your food and other scented items. I don’t utilize them as Dundee is hard sided. During the day when I was outside or inside the Dundee squirrels would come up to the van’s screen door and try to get into the van. I sent them packing with a yell. When it started to get dark I was sitting outside and was less than 1 foot from the van door sitting diagonally from the door when something caught my eye. I yelled and it scampered under the van. I then looked under the van and the creature came around the front and I saw a raccoon looking at me. Guess they are not afraid of people and like the food they leave behind. I ran into a camper and explained what happened to me with the raccoon and they told me that while loading the bear box a raccoon went into the box and they were only an arms length away from the box. Note: One of the guys here doing some ground maintenance told me to get rid of the squirrels I should throw them some bread. That would be a bad move and only attract more squirrels. DO NOT feed the animals they are wild and need to remain that way, please.
Bench Trail – The trail starts at the camp store and goes into the campground. You will go through the electric sites and at the end of these sites you will go down a hill and continue on the road. At the end of the campground you will see the trail heading into the trees. The first part of the trail until the trees is about 0.3 miles. The trail has some shade and some spots that there is no shade at all, so hike early. The continues and you will have to pass through a gate, and be sure to make sure it is closed, as the sign will say. The path is soft dirt at times during this part of the journey. You will come across a sign on the other side of the road welcoming you to Pinnacles National Park, aka the selfie / photo spot. After this you will come upon a parking area with vault toilets and water. Get some if you need. Continue up and the trail will go to the left and over a couple of walking bridges over the “river.” Stay to the left again and the trail will head up and until this point it was fairly flat but no more! The elevation gain is only a few hundred feet but that will be done in less than a mile. You will see a bunch of NPS buildings on the left and that means you are almost to the Bear Gulch picnic area parking. The picnic area is further up from the parking area so keep going. The picnic area is in a nice shaded area for some relaxation and getting a snack after the hike, of 2.3 miles. Be aware the squirrels are very aggressive here like the campground so protect your food from these creatures. The Bear Gulch picnic area will allow you to meet up with some additional trails like the Bear Gulch Cave Trail, the cave was closed in the spring to allow the bats and their new offspring to bond. You can also take the Condor Gulch Trail, or the Moses Spring – Rim Trail.
Moses Spring – Rim Trail – The trail head is just above the Bear Gulch visitor center and picnic area. If you go to the top parking area and on the right is the trail head. The trail is an out and back that is 2.2 miles and has 500 feet of elevation gain. The hike is not covered/shaded except for the first .5 miles as that is when the split from the Gear Gulch Cave Trail and the Rim Trail happen. Stay to the right for the Rim Trail. The trail has many switchbacks on the way to the top but at the top you are rewarded with the Bear Gulch Reservoir. The path is hard dirt and some gravel with many spots there are rocks to walk across. The body of water is a dam of the Bear Creek and there are some places to sit around and enjoy the views of the surrounding canyon walls. The reservoir also is the connection point to the Bear Gulch Cave Trail allowing you to go out one way and back the other way.
Bear Gulch Cave Trail – The trail head is just above the Bear Gulch visitor center and picnic area. If you go to the top parking area and on the left is the trail head. The hike is shaded for the most part and it will take you though a man made tunnel, natural tunnel and then up a bunch of stairs. This trail will also allow you to go through the Bear Gulch cave provided is is not baby season, when I went and that intersection was blocked off. Going to the right at this point you are able to go though the man made tunnel. A bit further along you will come to another tunnel that is not man made and is a bit short at the beginning so I had to slide down since I was unable to duck walk. (The way back I crab walked under this point.). Then comes the stairs. They are built into the side of the wall and have a handrail that is a bit lower than ADA standards. At the top of the stairs is the Bear Gulch reservoir. The hike will have about 300 feet of elevation gain and is about 2 miles round trip. You can take the Rim Trail back if you want or the other way if you want to try something else.
