Pinnacles National Park Camping & Hiking
Price: $85
OVERVIEW
Pinnacles National Park located east of the Salinas Valley in Central California. The park encompasses 26,000 acres of spectacular rock formation and remnants of an extinct 23-million-year old volcano. There are more than 30 miles of hiking trails that showcase the beauty of the park up close and personal. Hikes range from flat stretches of grasslands to uphill climbs through talus caves onward to the rocky spires that Pinnacles is famous for. Condors are often observed soaring on the morning thermals along the ridge and coming in to roost on their favorite trees in the evenings. Pinnacles National Park is a nesting place for the endangered soaring bird, the largest in North America.
Check out this video from Bartell’s Backroads:
CAMPING AT PINNACLES CAMPGROUND
Pinnacles Campground is located in the unique Pinnacles National Park, 32 miles south of Hollister, California. It is located on the eastern side of the park and is situated in a rolling landscape dotted with shady Valley Oak, Blue Oak, and Coast Live Oak trees. A gentle, seasonal creek runs through the grounds. Springtime finds Pinnacles bursting with a wide variety of vivid wildflowers that line every trail and fill entire meadows with color. Deer and wild turkeys roam the area, and condors can be viewed from within the campground. The park ranges in elevation from 824 ft along the South Chalone Creek to 3,304 feet atop North Chalone Peak.
ADVENTURE HIGHLIGHTS
- Meet up with Adventure People you traveled with in the past or experience Adventure People for the very first time and forge new friendships!
- Explore the unusual rock formations and remnants of an extinct 23 million-year old volcano.
- Every evening, gather with Adventure People for a picnic-style community dinner.
- Unwind each night around the campfire roasting marshmallows and sipping your favorite beverage.
ITINERARY
FRIDAY
We kick off the weekend by arriving at our campground anytime after 1 pm and checking in with your trip leader. Located in the unique Pinnacles National Park, located 32 miles south of Hollister, CA and 29 miles northeast of King City, CA on Hwy 25. You’ll be immersed in the outdoors while still having simple comforts like a hot shower and flushing toilets.
If you arrive early, Pinnacles National Park has more than 30 miles of trails, ranging from easy to strenuous. Many trails intersect, allowing for a short loop or a longer all-day hike.
This evening, we’ll get to know your fellow Adventure People as we sit around the campfire with your drink of choice.
SATURDAY
This morning, we’ll hit the trails for a full day of exploration! The Bench Trails provides direct access to the park from the campground. Hopefully, the Balconies Cave and Beach Gulch Cave, which houses a large colony of Townsend’s big-eared bats, will be open. The cave is usually open in March as long as the hibernating colony of bats shows no signs of disturbance. Townsend’s big-eared bats are listed as a “sensitive species” by the state of California, and they are protected. The colony in the Bear Gulch Cave is the largest maternity colony between San Francisco and Mexico.
After exploring the caves, we’ll walk through the heart of the Pinnacles rock formations, particularly along the steep and narrow section of the High Peaks trail. The Condor Gulch Trail to High Peaks Trail Loop is a 5.4 mile heavily trafficked loop trail that features a lake and is rated as difficult. This is the #1 rated hike in central California, but there are less strenuous trails if you’d prefer to do something else.
High Peaks Trail at Pinnacles National Monument threads its way through the wreckage of a volcano destroyed by the San Andreas Fault millions of years ago. The Monument, about 100 miles south of San Jose, celebrates the assortment of rock formations created as the volcano gave way to greater forces of plate tectonics.
This from the easter entrance of the Pinnacles provides the most direct route to the High Peaks, where a series of ladders and multiple tight squeezes take hikers through a geological maze that has made the Pinnacles a favorite among hikers from throughout California.
While the rocks and expansive vistas are the main attractions, you might get lucky and spot some of the rare California condors that nest in the park and soar high above.
Trails on this hike:
Condor Gulch Trail; High Peaks Trail; Bear Gulch Trail.
Starting from the Bear Gulch parking area, you can go either way. Condor Gulch Trail is a bit steeper, so you may want to start out there to get your climbing done on fresh legs and spare your knees on the way down.
Springtime adds wildflowers to the awesome scenery, making it a near-perfect hike.
SUNDAY
Sunday is departure day and the end of our incredible weekend. After breakfast, we’ll pack up camp and say goodbye to our new friends until the next adventure.
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ITINERARY DISCLAIMER
Adventure People reserves the right to modify trip itineraries at the discretion of your tour director as necessary due to weather, conditions, illness, injury, group dynamics, safety, or other unforeseen incidents. Additionally, any travel times listed are approximations only and subject to vary.
PAYMENT POLICIES
Our camping trips require payment in full in order to reserve your spot. Should you need to cancel, all cancellations must be advised in writing. We calculate your refund on the day we received written notice of cancellation. The applicable cancellation fees shall be determined with reference to the date on which the request to cancel is received by Adventure People. All refunds will be processed within a few days of your cancellation. Cancellation of a tour Product or failure to join a tour Product will result in retention of funds by Adventure People, as follows:
30+ days prior to start date: 50% of the trip price shall be held by Adventure People
14 days prior to start date: 100% of the trip price shall be held by Adventure People
No exceptions will be granted to our Cancellation Policy.
We reserve the right to cancel trips with inadequate participant attendance, in which case all money paid to Adventure People will be fully refunded. Adventure People CANNOT be held responsible for any personal expenses, such as airline tickets due to changes in itineraries or tour cancellations.
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