How to Spend a Morning in Pinnacles National Park

Welcome to Pinnacles National Park in California. Join us as we hike through talus caves, search for California Condors and other animals, and learn how the jagged rock formations formed.

Why a Short Stop at Pinnacles National Park?

A quick trip to San Jose, California gave us opportunity to visit one of the newer and smaller national parks. We had a short period of time to spend in the park. That meant we had to be economical and strategic during the stay.

We arrived in Oakland early in the morning and had hours before our hotel room would be ready in San Jose.

But learning that Pinnacles National Park was only a couple hours drive away, and being national parks ambassadors (well, maybe not ambassadors, yet), we picked up our rental car and drove for a morning visit to the park.

Which Side of the Park Should I Visit?

It is important to note that Pinnacles National Park has two entrance stations (one on the west and one on the east). There is no road connecting both park entrances. And this means you must carefully plan for a short visit to the park.

There are camp grounds within the park, and hiking trails do connect both sides of the park. But, a one-day trip requires you to choose sides.

We chose the more popular east entrance. We felt this gave us the best opportunity to see the things we most wanted to see and our best shot at seeing the California Condors.

Why Should I Visit Pinnacles National Park in the Morning?

It gets hot, really hot at the park. Summer temperatures can be 100 degrees Fahrenheit (or warmer). Many of the hiking trails are uncovered with little to no shade. Getting an early start is recommended.

Also, there is limited parking throughout much of the park, so the earlier you arrive, the better your shot at finding a parking spot.

We visited in mid-March. However, unusually warm weather hit the park during our visit. There were plenty of heat advisory warnings throughout the park. We were happy we chose an early morning visit and departure by noon.

Start at Bear Gulch Nature Center

After checking in at the entrance station and paying our $30 entrance fee (valid for seven days), we followed the one road through the camp grounds and then veered left to Bear Gulch.

We found our way to the Bear Gulch Nature Center and had to loop around the road a second time before claiming a parking spot.

The Bear Gulch Nature Center is a small but central location for you. Here. we found our National Park Passport stamp cancellation station. We also grabbed our park maps, asked the Park Rangers about conditions along hiking trails, and learned about the park from the displays on site.

Hiking Bear Gulch Cave Trail

After our visit to the Nature Center, we grabbed our water bottles and set out on the Bear Gulch Cave Trail.

This trail leads you through talus caves to the reservoir at the trails termination.

Talus caves are formed differently from the more commonly known limestone caves. Talus caves are basically loose rocks that have fallen from steep cliffs. During the rockfalls and slides, rock debris forms jagged (sometimes unstable) caves as the rocks and boulders settle in the lower valleys and crevices.

Our hike through Pinnacles led us in and out of a number of these talus caves. There were times when sunlight gleamed through the openings at the apex of the rocks formations. And there were times when we needed to use flashlights to make our way through the caves.

Sometimes we needed to duck under a low-lying rock. And there were times we needed to suck in our bellies to slither through sliver-like openings.

The caves were wet. There were caves where we needed to step into inches deep running water.

Bats are frequently spotted throughout the caves. Although, during our visit we did not see any. We were on the paths with a lot of other hikers (and some louder kids), so I’m sure the bats put their cloaking gear on.

Of course, pictures of the trail can’t do it justice. It’s doubtful a video can also fairly give you a great idea of the trail’s many features. I would like to try, though. So click the below link to see a video of our hike highlights.

A Short Hike Along Old Pinnacles Trail

Our hike along the Bear Gulch Trail was enjoyable, but did get our feet a little wet.

And the trail was our primary objective during this short visit.

But, before leaving the park, we did want to at least head to the Old Pinnacles Trail and the end of the road in the east side of the park.

So, that’s what we did. We found the very last parking spot in the small lot, and took a brief foray along the path.

As I mentioned, it was really warm when we visited, and we were approaching the noon hour. If attempting this 5.3 mile round-trip trail, we would have left much earlier in the day with a good supply of water and snacks.

We’ll try this trail on a future trip. It gives you a fantastic up close view of the jagged rock formation that gives Pinnacles its name.

It’s also a great place to spot those California Condors, especially during nesting season.

Searching for Wildlife

I was hopeful to see the California Condors during our visit. The species, once on the brink of extinction, is now increasing slowly.

By 1982, there were only 22 California Condors left in the world. Today there are more than 500. Many of those make home in Pinnacles National Park.

The impressive birds can have a 10-foot wide wingspan and fly to a dizzying 15,000 feet in the air.

While the condors have found a home within the park, the turkey vulture also makes a home here. There are distinct wing patterns that differentiate the two species. However, from the ground, it might be difficult to distinguish them.

I did capture a video of birds in flight over the peaks. I like to think it was a group of California Condors, but I don’t know for sure.

While we may not have seen California Condors, we did spot many other birds, including a Nuttal’s Woodpecker. It is one of six woodpecker species you might spot within the park.

A loud, squawking Western Bluebird followed us during most of our brief time at Old Pinnacles Trail.

We also saw a deer grazing in a meadow near the east entrance, so I’ll call it a successful animal sighting adventure for a short visit.

Final Thoughts:

Was a short trip to Pinnacle National Park enough time to do everything we wanted? Of course not.

Would we do it again? Absolutely.

The great thing about National Parks is that they are always changing. Changes of seasons bring a different cadence to a park. We loved spotting a deer near the entrance to the park. But, we would have cherished opportunities to see even more animals (especially the California Condors up close).

Our jam-packed schedule in San Jose made this brief trip perfect for our family. And we now have reasons to return to check out the west park entrance and explore its trails and offerings too.

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