Wikipedia (
visit link) informs us:
"Pinnacles National Park is a U.S. National Park protecting a mountainous area located east of the Salinas Valley in Central California, about 5 miles (8.0 km) east of Soledad and 80 miles (130 km) southeast of San Jose. The park's namesakes are the eroded leftovers of the western half of an extinct volcano that has moved 200 miles (320 km) from its original location on the San Andreas Fault, embedded in a portion of the California Pacific Coast Ranges. Pinnacles is managed by the National Park Service and the majority of the park is protected as wilderness.
The national park is divided by the rock formations into East and West Divisions, connected by foot trails; there is no through road that connects the east and west entrances to the park. The east side has shade and water, the west has high walls. The rock formations provide for spectacular pinnacles that attract rock climbers. The park features unusual talus caves that house at least thirteen species of bat. Pinnacles is most often visited in spring or fall because of the intense heat during the summer months. Park lands are prime habitat for prairie falcons, and are a release site for California condors that have been hatched in captivity.
Pinnacles National Monument was established in 1908 by U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt. Pinnacles National Park was created from the former Pinnacles National Monument by legislation passed by Congress in late 2012 and signed into law by President Barack Obama on January 10, 2013."
And the See Monterey tourism website (
visit link) adds:
"PINNACLES NATIONAL PARK
The first 2,500 acres of the rugged Pinnacles were made a national monument in 1908 by President Theodore Roosevelt. Since 1908, the monument significantly increased in size to 26,000 acres and in 2013 President Barack Obama designated the expansive terrain as a national park.
Pinnacles National Park was once a spring and fall home to the Chalone and Mutsun tribes. The national park is now a popular spot for outdoor activities ranging from hiking to birdwatching to stargazing to rock climbing. It is also a perfect outdoor classroom for lessons in geology, botany and biology.
DIVERSE WILDLIFE
The unique topography and geographic diversity of Pinnacles National Park leads to an equally diverse range of flora and fauna. For example, Pinnacles National Park has 149 bird species, 69 butterfly species, and 400 bee species inhabiting its boundaries, the most bee diversity of anywhere on earth. 14 of California's 24 bat species make their home at Pinnacles National Park. It is home to the California condor, the big-eared kangaroo rat, the Gabilan slender salamander, the Pinnacles shield-back katydid, and the Pinnacles riffle beetle.
BIRDING
Avian life at Pinnacles National Park is astoundingly diverse, affording the avid birder a chance to see species they are unlikely to spot elsewhere. Raptors, owls, wrens, warblers, jays, woodpeckers and many other species reside at Pinnacles National Monument. Download the Pinnacles National Park bird checklist to learn all the bird species known to occur in the park.
PINNACLES PARK CAMPING
Pinnacles Campground offers tent, group and RV sites. RV sites have electrical hookups. Many sites are shaded. All sites have picnic tables and a fire ring. There are also communal barbecue pits. Showers and a dump station are nearby. A campground store, located in the visitors center, is open from 3 to 6pm. During spring and summer seasons, campers can enjoy the campground swimming pool and ranger programs at the campground amphitheater. See the Pinnacles National Park website to make reservations for Pinnacles Campground.
PINNACLES NATIONAL PARK HIKING
Pinnacles National Park has over 30 miles of trails, enough for an all-day trip for the avid hiker. Trails at Pinnacles Park range from easy enough for small children to quite strenuous. The Pinnacles National Park website has detailed trail information as well as large, thorough downloadable maps. See our Top Day Hikes in Monterey County page for a detailed description of one easy day hike at Pinnacles Park."