Bear Gulch Day Use Area — Attraction in Soledad

Starting at 8:30am at Bear Gulch parking lot (via park East entrance), we hiked Condor Gulch trail and the High Peaks trail. Between a lot of stopping to sight seeing and stopping for a sack lunch, the loop took 6 hr 20 min. There were many hikers of many ages on the trails. I found this hike family friendly. We saw 7 condor flying directly overhead on the Condor Gulch trail. It was a awesome sight. The Pinnacles are definitely worth your time. There's also a small water pond, many caves, and rock climbing. Wonderful wonderful experience. Hike difficulty is moderate to (strenuous for the...

The Pinnacles is a great place to hike. There are various hikes to accommodate all levels of hiking experience. Just remember to bring plenty of water, snacks and sun screen Good hiking shoes or boots are a must. You'll need the traction on the trails. My first time there on a weekend. Parking at the trailheads is limited and get full quickly. Lots of over-flow parking behind the store and shuttle buses to the trailhead. The shuttle buses are free and carry twenty four persons each. Unlike the Yosemite shuttles there is a 24 person strick limit. No packing people in like sardines. I...

Fun hiking area that you can hike to from the main parking lot in under an hour (especially if the shuttles are busy, it is a fairly easy and quick hike that will be shorter than waiting in the line). Good suggestion is to go to the pinnacles overlook hike location early in the day and then go to the caves later in the day when it is warmer out. The second hike is much more shaded and cooler once inside the cave whereas the first is unsheltered and very warm in the sun - but you can also see the birds flying...