Snapshot Planning Your VisitWhen we visited the park We visited this park in mid-February. The weather was cool, but a front pushed through right before we got there, and heavy rain followed. We decided to make the most of our time on the East side of the park, and got in some hikes and exploring. We prepared with raincoats, extra water, hats, and mittens. It was a cold and wet hike, but one of the most memorable hikes we have done in a National Park. Definitely add this unique place to your list!  weather-us.com Things to Consider 1. The first thing to know is, there are two sections of the park, that do not connect. The east and west Entrance are about 1 hour and 15 minutes apart. 2. Check the website or with rangers for any park closures. This park protects many wildlife (especially birds) species and during nesting season, they close popular trails. 3. There are caves and tunnels to hike through here, so bring flashlights or headlamps with you. 4. Weather is unpredictable here. Check the weather ahead of time and prepare as needed. Extra water during warm months is very important! 5. The only place to stay in the park is camping. Plan on driving 30-40 minutes to reach the park from a nearby town. This park is smaller, so a day trip will allow you to see a lot here. 6. During busy weekends and seasons, the park can fill up quickly, limiting parking options. If you plan to visit the park, go during the week if possible or early in the morning.  How to Get There From the North (San Francisco Bay Area)
Where to Stay Outside the Park There are several small towns located near Pinnacles National Park. Soledad is a city located 20 minutes from the west Entrance and an hour from the east entrance. There are plenty of options for lodging here and other things to do in the area. King City, CA is a great place to stay if you are trying to see both sides of the park. It is about halfway between both east and west entrances, and will take about 35-40 minutes to get to one side of the park. There are a couple of lodging options here. Hollister is North of the park, and a place to stop if you are coming from Yosemite or the Bay area. It is about 45 minutes to the east entrance and an hour and a half to the west Entrance. There are several hotels here with convenience and gas stations. Pinnacles Campground The only campground and place to stay inside the Park is Pinnacles Campground at the East entrance. This 134-site campground is open year round with running water and a small camp store on-site. There are non-electric tent sites ($43-$55), electric RV sites ($59-$71), and a 10 tent-cabin sites ($129-$164). There are group sites also available. Make sure to pack most necessities before you get to the park.   What We Did We spent an afternoon at Pinnacles National Park on the East side of the park. The weather was not in our favor, and after hiking through the rain, our kids were wet and tired, so we decided to head to our next stop. We did try to make the most of our short time in the park! We decided to explore the east side of the park, because the big draw to the west side is the Balconies Cliff and Cave Trails. These were closed because of nesting season, so we wouldn't be able to access them. That is why we felt the east side of the park would work best for us. We stopped and got the obligatory park sign picture as we entered the park. We also saw turkeys on the hillside as we drove in. We had to stop and practice our turkey calls and see if we could get them to call back. It was a success! We then went to the east side visitor center. This visitor center is at the only campground in the park. It is small, but there were knowledgeable rangers there to help direct us on our short trip. It also doubled as a small market for the basics for camping. We then headed down the short drive to Condor Gulch Trail and Overlook. From here we could see the pinnacles and the High Peaks Trail. This is something we would have looked into completing if we had better weather. The trail is one that will take you to the other side of the park. We only stopped long enough to view this part of the park, as we wanted to make it to the Moses Spring Trail. We then drove to the end of the road, which led us to the Moses Spring Trail. The rain really started picking up on this hike, but we were able to make it about a mile to the spring. Everything was great and beautiful! We decided to continue on with the trail, which became the Bear Gulch Cave Trail. This trail had a little bit of everything! We climbed high, because the caves were flooding. We went through tunnels, along cliffs, and some rock scrambling. We followed the trail all the way to Bear Gulch Reservoir. It lead us to a very windy climb up slippery and steep stairs to the banks of the Reservoir. We didn't last long here because of the high winds and pelting rain. After turning around, we headed back to the car. It was about a 2 mile hike back to the car. When we got there, we used the restroom at the Moses Springs parking lot. It is one of the coolest restrooms I have seen built into the rock sides. It felt like we were in a fairy garden. Just another things unique to this small, but mighty park. Where this fit in our Road Trip We stopped here on our way from Yosemite to Monterey Bay, CA. We spent time hiking in the East side of the park, then made our way to the coast. We spent time in Monterey Bay and Carmel by the Sea, then headed down Hwy 1 to Big Sur, CA. This drive is breathtaking, and I highly recommend it, but be ready for some cliffs along the drive. NPS App and All Trails Maps I highly recommend using the National Park Service (NPS) App, as well as the All Trails App for hiking. There is limited service in the park, so planning ahead is helpful. These two apps allow you to download sights, maps, and trails so that you can access information anywhere. The NPS app also links to the full National Parks Website, with a plethora of information.
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