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Exploring the beautiful nature of California


California Nature: Pinnacles National Monument


Rising out of the chaparral-covered Gabilan Mountains, east of central California's Salinas Valley, are the spectacular remains of an ancient volcano. Massive monoliths, spires, sheer-walled canyons and talus passages define millions of years of erosion, faulting and tectonic plate movement.

Pinnacles National Monument has more than 30 miles of trails, ranging from easy to strenuous. Many trails intersect, and you can plan a short loop or a longer all-day trip. Popular destinations are Bear Gulch Reservoir, High Peaks, and the Balconies area.

The Monument 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. It is popular with advanced rock climbers due to the many difficult and challenging climbs. The Monument is most often visited in spring or fall because of the intense heat during the summer months.
see the beauty of Pinnacles National Monumen Pinnacles National Monument is a release site for the endangered California condor, and the birds can sometimes be seen from hiking trails throughout the park.

More than 80% of the park is designated as the Pinnacles Wilderness area (15,985 acres), which provides even higher protection for the rock spires that give Pinnacles its name, as well as Chalone Peak, the highest peak in the Gabilan Range, and includes the creeks and canyons that are habitat for the endangered red-legged frog.

Prairie Falcons breed in this area in some of the highest densities of anywhere in North America. Peregrine falcons have recently returned to the Monument to breed also, but in far fewer numbers. A California Condor re-establishment program has been in place since 2003. Bobcats, mountain lions, coyotes, California Quail, Wild Turkeys, and many other birds and mammals live in the area.
Pinnacles National Monument has two main areas of caves; the Bear Gulch Caves are near headquarters in the East District, and the Balconies Caves are near Chaparral Campground in the West District.

The Bear Gulch Cave provides a home to a colony of Townsend's big-eared bats as they hibernate in winter and raise their young in the late spring and summer. Townsend's big-eared bats are listed as a "sensitive species" by the state of California, and we are required to protect them. The colony in the Bear Gulch Cave is the largest maternity colony between San Francisco and Mexico.

The lower half of the Bear Gulch Cave is usually open from mid-July through mid-May each year, depending on the presence of the colony of bats. The entire cave is closed from mid-May to mid-July while the bats are raising their young.
Pinnacles National Monumen is california nature at its best The Pinnacles Monument is located near the San Andreas Fault, which had a hand in creating the unique formations the Monument protects. The Pinnacles are part of the Neenach Volcano which erupted 23 million years ago near what is Lancaster, California today. The movement of the Pacific Plate along the San Andreas Fault split a section of rock off from the main body of the volcano and moved it 195 miles to the northwest. It is believed that the pinnacles came from this particular volcano due to the unique breccias that are only found elsewhere in the Neenach Volcano formations. Differential erosion and weathering of the exposed rock created the Pinnacles that are seen today.

Pinnacles Campground is located on the east side of the monument and offers tent, group, and RV sites. Each tent and group site has a picnic table and fire ring. RV sites have electrical hookups and share community tables and barbecue pits. Water spigots are located throughout the campground. Oak trees provide shade in many of the sites. Showers and a dump station are available. The swimming pool is open from middle of May through the end of September.
Pinnacles National Monument has the greatest number of bee species per unit area of any place ever studied. The roughly 400 bee species are mostly solitary; they don't live in hives. The yellow star thistle is one of many invasive plants threatening the ecosystems of Pinnacles. Many seeds are accidentally transported into the park on shoes and gear; you can do your part to prevent the spread of these pests by cleaning shoes, socks, and gear before visiting the park.

Pinnacles National Monument offers a variety of climbing routes that range from easy top ropes to the multi-pitch climbs along Machete Ridge.

Rhyolitic breccia is the rock that the High Peaks and other rock formations at Pinnacles are made of. Rhyolite breccia is composed of lava sand, ash, and angular chunks of rock that were explosively ejected from the Pinnacles Volcano.
 
 
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