Pinnacles National Park — Attraction in Soledad

Pretty underwhelming compared to the many other national parks we've visited. The volcanic formations are interesting but not epic, and these make up only a small part of the park. The majority consists of rolling grassy hills with some oaks, pines, and chapparal, like the rest of California's coastal range. When we visited in October, everything was extremely dry and brown; based on this and the high summer temperatures, I would only return in March, April or May. Because there are no vehicle roads that cross the park, it's effectively segregated into East and West Pinnacles, which are about 1:40 apart by car. This is an extremely important detail which our friends missed when they tried to reach the campground from the west side, making their drive considerably longer. The only practical way to see both sides is to hike several miles across it in a 5 mile loop, which wasn't something we could do with children. The most interesting feature on the east side of the park for us was the Bear Gulch cave hike, which is not actually a true cave but a deep creek canyon covered with huge boulders, which has a series of walkways with metal rails to navigate it. But I suspect this is impassable when the creek is flowing strongly. Note there is limited parking near the trailheads and it fills quickly on weekends. We parked on the edge of one of the lots, behind several other cars doing the same, and were surprised and upset to receive a $210 parking ticket, despite the fact that the park was unstaffed during the federal government shutdown. Guess they couldn't pass up the income...

The campground is 2-3 miles from any of the trailheads. It's managed by a concessionaire (so it was open during the shutdown) and is reasonably well maintained. The campground was full on the weekend but only sparsely populated on weekdays. We were very disappointed to find a fire ban in effect, which meant no campfires whatsoever. One consolation is that the stargazing here is pretty great. We did appreciate having flush toilets and free hot showers, though there are only two showers per gender for the whole campground, so expect a wait. Our kids enjoyed the pool, though it's not heated and was quite cold in October, so they swam for no more than 5-10 mins. The campground store and bookstore (open though the visitor center was not) were both quite nice and well stocked, and we appreciated that the store was open until 6. Outside, there are two EV chargers, CCS combo plugs, which were always in use. We enjoyed seeing quite a bit of wildlife within the campground, inluding a large flock of turkeys, many deer, a bobcat, and a very bold group of racoons who raided our trash and even stole some snacks from inside our tent! Be sure to use the provided bear boxes (actually racoon boxes). We also enjoyed seeing the condors circling above the park, though we never saw them up close. We did NOT enjoy the copious flies, gnats and mosquitoes, which are inevitable considering all the stagnant water within...

As an avid traveler and a dedicated nature enthusiast, I recently went to Pinnacles National Park. Nestled in the heart of California, this park offers a unique combination of awe-inspiring landscapes, wildlife, and beautiful wildflowers.

From the moment I arrived at the park, I was immediately struck by the majestic beauty that surrounded me. Towering rock formations and dramatic cliffs caught my attention. It reminded me of Sedona but a lot closer to home. The park's diverse ecosystem, shaped by millions of years of volcanic activity, showcased a unique blend of flora and fauna that truly exemplified the wonders of nature.

Traversing the park's network of well-maintained trails, I found myself immersed in a captivating wilderness. The trails cater to varying levels of difficulty, allowing hikers of all experience levels to explore this natural haven. Whether you're seeking a leisurely stroll or an adrenaline-fueled adventure, Pinnacles National Park has something to offer everyone. If you're into rock-climbing, there's definitely spots to do that here. I wouldn't come in the summer it gets too hot - the trails aren't all that shaded...

One of the highlights of my visit was the iconic High Peaks Trail, which took me through a labyrinth of towering rock spires, offering breathtaking panoramic views along the way. The trail's challenging terrain added an edge to the experience, making every step an adventure. I also had the opportunity to spot a variety of wildlife, including lizards and turkey vultures soaring above. Don't think we saw any condors, but I could be wrong.

The Balconies Cave Trail was super cool. As I climbed through narrow passages and marveled at the intricate rock formations, I couldn't help but be in awe of the sheer beauty and geological history that unfolded before my eyes.

The park's commitment to environmental preservation and visitor education is obvious. The visitor center provided an interactive learning experience, with exhibits that highlighted the park's rich cultural and natural heritage.

We didn't camp but you can definitely camp here, stargaze, and wake up to the sounds of nature. Picnic areas also if that's your thing.

Super cool place to visit if you're in the area to see unique rock formations and learn about how places...

This is one of the lesser known and underrated parks. The directions to get here are easy. The park is small compared to other national parks but does not disappoint. You can cover the whole park in a day or leisurely do it over two days if you have time. It's perfect for short hikes and picnics.

We camped here in March. We arrived on a Saturday morning at 11. The national park rangers were helpful and allowed us to change our camp site to a standard tent only one. We had initially booked a RV hook up site in the camp ground as no other sites were available. But closer to the weekend, many of the reservations got cancelled and tent sites opened up. So a tip on that front, wait till Wednesday if you want to book a camp site at Pinnacles. We took site number 59 after we went around looking at all the open sites available. Recreation.gov doesn't have the camp site photos online for this park. The camp site was perfect and right next to the creek. There was one large tree that shielded us from the rain that weekend.

This park is best explored during the cooler months. Even though we went in March, it was pretty hot especially if you are going to hike.

We did one large loop of 11.5 miles starting at old pinnacles trail head and then going counter clockwise, doing Bear Gulch caves, High Peaks and Balconies cave and then back to our car still old pinnacles.

The pinnacles are a beautiful and stunning. They are hidden in the middle of the park. The caves are really fund to explore, especially the Balconies cave. Lots of crouching and squeezing through large boulders. We couldn't spot any bats maybe because we didn't know how to. The caves were cool compared to outside temperatures. Do bring flashlights if you plan to explore the caves. During rainy season, the caves might be slippery so you will need good shoes with traction to go through the caves.

If you manage to climb up to high Peaks, you may get to see Condors. We saw 4 Condors up close and they were just chilling there without being bothered by us. The trail to high Peaks can be a little scary for people as it is steep.

The park has a variety of landscapes of greenand brown. I loved this park and might come back in October to...