One of many rock formations
Pinnacles National Monument is located approximately 100 miles south of San Francisco and 300 miles north of Los Angeles in the Gabilan Mountain Range of California. There is no through road in the park. The west entrance is accessible from U.S. Highway 101 at Soledad, and the east entrance is accessible from State Highway 25 south of Hollister. The Pinnacles are an assortment of towering rock formations jumbled between and in the vicinity of the two dominate peaks in the park: South Chalone and Hawkins. Trails, moderate to strenuous, wind through these rock formations, taking the visitor over the ridge and down to the opposite entrance station.
Instructions
1. Fly into San Francisco International Airport, rent a car and travel southward on U.S. Highway 101 toward San Jose. Just south of Gilroy, continue on the 101 toward Salinas and Soledad if seeking the west entrance. Take the State Highway 25 turnoff toward Hollister and south to Pinnacle if desiring the east entrance. State Highway 146 leaves Soledad west and Pinnacle east, with both ending at the mountain range.
2. Opt to fly into Los Angeles International Airport instead and travel north on Interstate 405 to the Ventura Highway exit, U.S. Highway 101, and follow it north to San Lucas. The west entrance is further up at Soledad. To access the east entrance, State Highway 198 cuts eastward over the ridge at San Lucas. Look for Highway 25 north to Pinnacle and the park’s east entrance.
3. Stop at either the Chaparral Ranger Station in the west or the Bear Gulch Visitor Center in the east to acquire necessary trail maps as well as trail and weather information. If choosing to cross the entire ridge, allow for added time to return to the original trailhead.
4. Establish lodging at either Soledad or Salinas from the west entrance. There are no park camping facilities from this access point.
5. Camp at the Pinnacles Campground from the east entrance. Most of the small towns along Highway 25 have limited lodging and dining facilities.
6. Visit for 1 day and hike the Juniper Canyon Loop. Just over 4 miles and accessible from the west, the trail follows Juniper Canyon before a series of switchbacks continue toward the ridge. From the ridge, you can see most of the park in its entirety, staying to the west of Hawkins Peak. Follow the loop back down the ridge, cross a narrow bridge, travel through a near-perfect dimensional man-made tunnel and return to the trailhead.
7. Hike from the east, and a similar trail leaves from the road end at Bear Gulch, joins the Juniper Canyon Trail and after a series of switchbacks returns to the east. The Bear Gulch Cave Trail is accessible here.
Tags: east entrance, State Highway, west entrance, accessible from, Bear Gulch, Juniper Canyon
