Overview:
A visit to Pinnacles National Park is a must for any Van or RV lifer. It’s one of the newest national parks so a lot of people don’t know it even exists. It’s a small park but has a few excellent hiking trails that give you a great opportunity to see the California Condor which lives in the park.
Adventure:
Pinnacles National Park is a wonderful place full of adventure for any Van or RV lifer. The park is home to the endangers California Condor which you can see flying high above the mountain tops. You can’t miss them since they are so big. The main adventure in the park besides bird watching is hiking and camping.
Hiking
There are several hiking trails throughout the park for you to enjoy. They range from easy to hard. The main hiking trails in the area are:
- Condor Gulch Trail to High Peaks Trail Loop (Hard 5.5 miles)
- Moses Spring and Rim Trail Loop (Moderate 2.5 miles)
- Old Pinnacles Trail Loop (Moderate 9.5 Miles)
Campground
There is only one campground close to the national park entrance and that is Pinnacles Campground. The campground is located by the east entrance of the park and 32 miles south of the city of Hollister. The campground has 134 sites, 25 electrical hookups, shared community tables, barbecue pits, water, a camp store, and restrooms. The campground even offers a shuttle bus that runs from the campground to the park or you can take the 1-mile hiking trail to the entrance. The campground has very limited cell service.
- Website: Pinnacles Campground
- Website: Pinnacles Campground Reservations
It’s a privilege to have Pinnacles National Park for our enjoyment, so please practice Leave No Trace principles.
Directions:
Pinnacles National Park is accessible through highway 101 for the West entrance, and highway 25 for the East entrance. From highway 101 you must pass through the City of Soledad to find highway 146 which will lead to West side of Pinnacles. To enter East Pinnacles you must find highway 25 through the City of Hollister coming from the North, and King City through Bitter Water Road (G-13) when coming from the South. NOTE: There is no through road between the east and west entrance.
Address: 5000 East Entrance Road
Paicines, CA 95043
References and Links:
- Website: Pinnacles National Park
- Fee: $30 per car
- East Side: 24-hour access to trails. No overnight parking outside of the campground area.
- West Side: The entry gate is open from 7:30 am to 8:00 pm. Day-use only.
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