Exploring Pinnacles National Park

   I hadn’t known much about Pinnacles National Park prior to investigating it to build out a map, other than associating it with Condors, and having applied for trail crew spots in my early 20s in the off-season from my Alaska work seasons. Visiting the area in the very beginning of March, right on the tail of some extended rain, I was treated to a lush landscape of green rolling fields as I winded through the remote roads approaching the eastern side of the park.  Pinnacles sits pretty much away from anything, an isolated gem of public land surrounded by private ranch land and cattle country.

The unique landscape preserved by Pinnacles National Park was formed from millions of years of volcanism, then ongoing fault movement along the San Andreas fault and erosional forces that carved away and exposed the volcanic rock features.  Visitors were first drawn to the area for recreation to explore back in the 1880s and in 1906 the area was set aside as the Pinnacles Forest Reserve. Then in 1908 President Theodore Roosevelt created Pinnacles National Monument, a status that held over decades of land disputes and continued expansions until National Park designation passed in 2012.  Much of the infrastructure and trails within the park including the stone structures in the Bear Gulch as well as the Reservoir were constructed by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930s.

   Arriving in the afternoon I headed straight to the Bear Gulch Nature Center and headed up the trailhead, to be immediately shouted at by some of the Acorn Woodpeckers working hard at stashing acorns in oak trees for later use.  Turkey Vultures and a few California Condors were constantly soaring on thermals rising up above the Pinnacles and would never be out of sight for long.  The High Peaks trail includes some handrailed sections with footings carved out of the volcanic breccia rock that are fun. From up top numerous viewpoints offered great vistas to the east and west as the sun sunk down. I finished the hike just at the time when I would need to switch on a headlamp, then headed to my campsite for dinner, raccoon stare downs and sleep.

   A cacophony of gobbles greeted me in the early morning, with some foggy low hanging clouds, and I encountered the massive group of turkey ladies and one brilliant tom strutting about in the parks overflow lot. I went back to Bear Gulch area and headed to the caves. The Talus caves of Pinnacles National Park offer a unique opportunity to explore a rare environment on impressively developed trails. Unlike traditional caves formed underground by groundwater erosion of bedrock, talus caves are created by the accumulation of large blocks of talus breaking off of hillsides and filling in the steep-sided canyons below, then followed by water erosion moving through. The caves here are home to nesting colonies of Townsends Big-eared Bats and sections may be closed during breeding seasons. While sunlight filters through into the caves from spaces between the boulders and they are not as complete a darkness as underground systems, a headlamp is still required to safely navigate.  Check for current cave conditions and closures at the visitor center on the west side or the Bear Gulch Nature Center the east side of the park.

  There are some really impressive staircases built through the cave, and aside from a few squeezes and some ducking, navigating is easy. I met a California Red-legged Frog inside on one stair section, one of a population of frogs that had disappeared from the area but have made a comeback after reintroduction. The Reservoir beyond is a good destination for wildlife watching before returning by the Rim Trail above the canyon.

   I made the long drive south, then north to enter the Park from the east, where I did another sunset hike up to the High Peaks Trail from the Chapparal Day Use Area, taking a few different trails and enjoying the spring flowers and Condors some more.  I descended, making it back in time to cook dinner in the dark and exit before the gate closed below.

   The Balconies Cave system was closed due to the higher water when I visited, so I didn’t explore that area or the longer North Wilderness Trail that loops through the northern section of the park. Another trail extends south in the park beyond the reservoir to a Fire Lookout and to South Chalone Peak offering some longer treks away from the crowds.

   Pinnacles National Park is definitely a little gem of a park and a great spot for a quick getaway to explore some unique features and trails. I was lucky with my timing to experience the park in mild temperatures and lush spring greenery to enjoy the spring flowers and abundance of bird life. If you visit, take a digital map (now available on Avenza Maps for 4.99, especially useful as there is limited cell service in the lower parts of the park below the high peaks.