NPS Website; Local Website
WHAT IS IT?Craggy rock spires that rise from the rolling chaparral-covered hills near the central California coast, evidence of a violent ancient volcanic eruption along the San Andreas Rift Zone.
BEAUTY (7/10)
Not until you near the top of the Pinnacles do you realize their defiant immensity. They rise steeply in sharp contrast to the desolate shrub covered hills below. Wildflowers line the trails up to the Pinnacles. Lizards scatter everywhere on the trail. Some try to outrun you while others wisely duck into the shrub brush. On top of the rocks, newly released California condors and numerous committees of vultures disconcertingly fly just overhead. Back down at the canyon floor, both the Balconies Caves and the Bear Gulch Caves Trail takes you through collapsed volcanic boulders that have formed claustrophobic but navigable tunnels.
HISTORICAL INTEREST (2/10)
You would be hard pressed to find evidence of any human life in the Pinnacles NM area.
CROWDS (6/10)
We arrived to an empty parking lot and made our entire Juniper Canyon ascent without seeing another hiker. Park documentation does warn that the parking lots fill on weekends but our weekday afternoon was filled with isolation. We passed a tired British hiker on the High Peaks Trail but saw no one else until we had finished our descent and marched along the canyon floor.
EASE OF USE/ACCESS (2/5)Pinnacles NM has two separate entrances, East and West. Despite being only four miles apart as the condor flies, no road connects through the Park. Pinnacles NM is a hiking-only site.
The East entrance is 30 miles south of Hollister, Calif. Take Calif. Route 25 south to Calif. Route 146 and into the Park. There should be plenty of signs. The West entrance is a narrow, winding 12 miles east of U.S. Route 101, near Soledad, Calif. along Calif. Route 146. Remember again, Route 146 does not connect with itself through the Park.
A flat five-mile one-way hike connects the two sides’ parking lots. From this trail, you can see the Park’s namesake pinnacles above. A more strenuous hike connects the two sides up and over the pinnacles. The Juniper Canyon and High Peaks trails are difficult but well worth it.
CONCESSIONS/BOOKSTORE (2/5)
A small number of standard California hiking and wildlife identification books. There are a few site-specific condor-related titles for sale as well. Bring you own snacks and make sure to pack enough drinking water. Pinnacles NM gets hot.
COSTS (3/5)
Entry is $5 per vehicle, free with the National Parks Pass.
RANGER/GUIDE TO TOURIST RATIO (2/5)
One Ranger greeted us at the door of the small Chaparral Ranger Station on the east end of the park. She answered all of our condor questions and helped us plan the day’s hike. Other than that, there wasn’t much to talk about.
TOURS/CLASSES (2/10)
No film, no Ranger talks and no exhibits at the Chaparral Ranger Station. The Ranger on duty indicated that the Bear Gulch VC situation was identical. Maybe it is best not to think about Pinnacles NM’s volcanic past. The San Andreas Rift Zone runs from Point Reyes in the north, through Los Angeles and ultimately into Mexico via Mexicali. The North American and Pacific tectonic plates are still moving, more earthquakes and volcanic madness are bound to happen.
FUN (5/10)
We did not have time to ponder the surrounding beauty; we could not let ourselves become mesmerized by the soothing countryside terrain and the angry rocks above. Instead, we focused on the wildlife that soon enveloped us. Namely, flies.
At all times, we resembled the Peanuts comic strip character Pigpen. If we dared stop, dozens more would find their way onto our skin. The 100-degree heat did not help the situation. The flies made us move much faster than our bodies desired. Sweat poured, muscles ached and the contents of our 3-liter water containers rapidly disappeared.
And then the vultures showed up. We love vultures, but still. Why must you circle just yards above us! We wondered aloud which one of us looked the tastiest or the most ready to drop. All of this ended up being fun, albeit in a morbid way.
WOULD WE RECOMMEND? (5/10)Everything about Pinnacles NM sounded perfect: great hikes, stunning scenery, the chance to see a California condor, crossable caves and few visitors. In practice, it did not turn out that way. The heat was unbearable, shade non-existent and, my oh my, the flies.
TOTAL 36/80
www.usa-c2c.com
© 2004-06