Pinnacles National Monument
Pinnacles National Monument
Paicines, CA 95043
Phone:831-389-4485
Web: www.nps.gov/pinn/
Size: 24,514 acres.
Established: Proclaimed on January 16, 1908. Wilderness designated on October 20, 1976.
Location:In the Gabilan Mountains, east of central California's Salinas Valley. Monument consists of two districts. The West District is accessible from US 101 near the town of Soledad, then east along CA 146 to the Chaparral area. The East District entrance is reached via US 25, south of the city of Hollister, then west on CA 146. The two districts are connected by trails, not by a vehicle road.
Facilities:Campground (private), picnic area, rest rooms (é), visitor center (é), museum/exhibit, self-guided tour/trail. Entrance fee required.
Activities:Camping, hiking, rock climbing, wildlife viewing, interpretive programs.
Special Features:Spirelike rock formations 500 to 1,200 feet high, with caves and a variety of volcanic features, rise above the smooth contours of the surrounding countryside. The monument is renowned for the beauty and variety of its spring wildflowers and is also a release site for the endangered California condor, which can sometimes be seen from its hiking trails.
See other parks in California.