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Pinnacles National Park: A Visitor’s Guide

Pinnacles National Park: A Visitor’s Guide

January 18, 20151330Views

History meets beauty at Pinnacles National park, a geological mystery created more than 20 million years ago when an ancient volcanic field began forming the iconic rocks that exist there today. A few powerful explosions followed by lava flows and landslides resulted in 26,000 acres worth of beauty destined for adventurists and naturists.

Named after its breathtaking spires and rock formations, more than 250,000 people visit Pinnacles National Park each year. The Northern California Park has lots to offer including camping, hiking, biking, mountain climbing, cave exploration, and stargazing.

Brown bears
Photo from Adam Willoughby-Knox/Unsplash

Wildlife

Spend a day admiring nature by learning about the Park’s vast ecosystem. Home to a variety of mammals including bison, bears, bobcats, and even blue whales. Bats, birds, reptiles and insects also take refuge in the Park’s magnificent landscape. These animals reside here because the area covered in a mosaic of different habitats.

Vegetation

Ironically, the Park’s violent and dynamic past brings peacefulness to visitors through its serene rock formations and diverse vegetation. Hiking through Pinnacles National Park you’ll witness chaparral-covered slopes, and spikes of white flowers blooming from the tips of branches during the spring season. The trails eventually meet the woodlands, a mixture of non-native grasses, perennial native grasses, and a variety of annual and perennial forbs.

Pinnacles National park
Photo from Cyrus Crossan/Unsplash

Juniper Canyon Trail

From the Chaparral Trailhead Parking lot, you can hike the 1.8-mile Juniper Canyon Trail. For a breathtaking view you won’t forget, make sure to take a pit stop at Bear Gulch Trail, featuring an overview of the park. This spot is great for families, as it provides plenty of tables for picnicking, as well as nice, clean restrooms for the little ones.

Balconies Cave

Those interested in dark, unexplored places can tour the caves at Pinnacles National Park. Feeling adventurous? Check out the Balconies Cave, but make sure to wear your headlamp, as you’ll have to crawl to get through. Here’s a little sneak peek of the beauty that awaits you at this marvelous national park.

Related articles: 5 High Altitude Camping Destinations in California also Camper’s Guide: California’s Carrizo Plain National Monument

Featured Image from Kaylyn Abbott/Unsplash