A One Day in Pinnacles National Park Itinerary You’ll Want to Steal

Last Updated on 15th June 2023 by Sophie Nadeau

This post may contain affiliate links. Please check out my privacy policy and disclosure for more information.

Imagine soaring rock formations that reach 1,200 feet (365 m) high and caves formed by great boulders that have fallen down a mountain. This is just the beginning of what you’ll see when you visit Pinnacles National Park in California. and if you only have a short time to explore, then this one day in Pinnacles National Park itinerary will guide you to have a great time.

If you’re looking for a trip filled with adventure, this national park is the place to go. With more than 30 miles of trails ranging from flat to uphill climbs, there’s something for every kind of traveler.

So how will you spend your one day in Pinnacles National Park? This itinerary will guide you through the park, tell you all the things you must see, and give you all sorts of practical information like when is the best time to visit and how to get there.

About the Park

Pinnacles National Park was established in 2013, making it one of the newest national parks in the United States. It covers an area of about 26,000 acres in the Gabilan Mountains, about 80 miles southeast of San Jose and is located in the state of California. 

The park gets its name from the towering pinnacles that were formed by volcanic eruptions millions of years ago. These pinnacles have been eroded by wind and water, creating a dramatic landscape of spires, cliffs, and caves.

The park is known for its biodiversity, especially its birds. It is one of the few places in the world where you can see the endangered California condor, the largest flying bird in North America. Other birds that inhabit the park include golden eagles, red-tailed hawks, and turkey vultures. 

The park is also home to a variety of mammals, reptiles, amphibians, insects, and plants. Some of the creatures you might encounter are frogs, bobcats, coyotes, deer, bats, rattlesnakes, and tarantulas so definitely keep an eye out.

When to Visit Pinnacles

Most national parks are quite popular in the summer, but the best time to visit Pinnacles is actually in the cooler months. The summer can bring extreme temperatures that make hiking unpleasant and possibly dangerous if visitors aren’t properly prepared.

Pinnacles is most popular between mid-February and early June because the weather is nice, and the wildflowers are in bloom. However, fall and winter are both excellent times to visit as well.

How to Get to Pinnacles

There are two entrances to the park, an east entrance and a west entrance, but there is no road going through the park connecting the entrances. It takes a while to drive around to the other side (about an hour and a half) so make sure you go to the correct entrance. 

Pinnacles National Park is accessible by car from Hwy 101 to Hwy 146 for the west entrance or Hwy 24 to Hwy 146 for the east entrance.

Where to Stay Near Pinnacles

There aren’t any hotels in the park itself, but you can camp or stay in one of the nearby towns. The campground has tent sites, RV sites, and tent cabins for rent. It is open year-round, and it’s accessible from the east entrance.

Soledad is close to the park’s west entrance, and it has some good hotel options, including the Inn at Pinnacles and Bar SZ Ranch.

If you want to stay near the east entrance, you can stay in Hollister. Some options here are the Fairfield Inn & Suites by Marriott Hollister, SureStay Hotel By Best Western Hollister, and the Hollister Inn.

You can also make Pinnacles a day trip from San Jose or San Francisco.

One day in Pinnacles National Park Itinerary

Since you only have one day here, we recommend picking one side and sticking to it, so you don’t have to account for driving time between the entrances. If it’s your first time at Pinnacles, we recommend doing the east side. The west side has fewer trails and caves, while the east side has more to do and a larger visitor center and store, which is helpful if you forget something.

For this itinerary, we’re going to outline a guide for the east side of Pinnacles.

Many of the trails in Pinnacles connect to one another. We recommend doing the connecting loops, but they can also be done as out-and-back trails.

Moses Spring Trail to Bear Gulch Trail to Rim Trail

Arrive at the east side early to avoid crowds and get a decent parking spot. Unfortunately, Pinnacles doesn’t have many large parking lots, so to get a good spot get to the park bright and early.

Try to park in the Moses Spring parking lot or the Bear Gulch parking lot. If you have to park somewhere else, you’ll have to walk a bit more to get to the trailhead.

Take the Moses Spring Trail to the Bear Gulch Cave Trail to the Rim Trail. This loop is about 2.2 mi (3.5 km) in total. It’s the most popular Pinnacles trail because with it you get a bit of everything the park has to offer: rock formations, a talus cave, and a reservoir. It’s a moderate hike with about 500 feet of elevation gain, but it’s a good choice for children.

Moses Spring Trail takes you to the Bear Gulch Cave, which is open seasonally to protect the endangered bats that live in it, so check to make sure it’s open during your trip.

Sometimes the lower cave will be open while the upper section is closed. If the cave isn’t open, you can continue on the Moses Spring Trail to the Bear Gulch Reservoir.

Bear Gulch Cave is one of the two talus caves in Pinnacles National Park. You’ll need a flashlight (or even better, a headlamp) inside the cave. Some light peeks through the boulders that make up the cave’s ceiling, but it can be pretty dark inside.

This cave is definitely a highlight of the park. After the cave, you’ll be close to the Bear Gulch Reservoir. While you can’t swim in it, the reservoir is a good spot to take in the view and have a break.

Next, you’ll take the Rim Trail back to the parking lot. This trail offers some fantastic views of the rock formations and the surrounding area.

Lunch

If you’re hungry—and you likely are after all that hiking—now’s a perfect time to stop for lunch. There are some picnic tables at the Bear Gulch parking area, so stop there and eat whatever packed lunch you bring. You’ll want to bring lunch because there aren’t many options to buy food in the park.

This spot also has bathrooms and a place to refill your water so take advantage of those.

Condor Gulch Trail (and High Peaks Trail)

From the Bear Gulch parking area, take the Condor Gulch Trail. One mile (1.6 km) into the trail, you’ll reach the Condor Gulch Overlook. The hike to this viewpoint is moderate and the views are certainly worth it. 

After the overlook, the hike becomes strenuous, so if you or others in your group are not up for that, you can simply go back the way you came. However, the strenuous section connects the trail to the High Peaks Trail after another 0.7 mi (1.1 km), so if you’d like to see that, keep going. You can hike along the High Peaks Trail as long as you’d like before turning around. 

Or if you want a much longer hike, the Condor Gulch Trail and the High Peaks Trail connect in a big 5.3-mile (8.5 km) loop. If you want to do this, we actually recommend going counterclockwise, starting with High Peaks and finishing with Condor Gulch, instead of vice versa.

Be sure to bring plenty of water if you choose to do this. This can be a very hot hike in the afternoon and can take anywhere from 3 to 5 hours.

As the name suggests, this is one of the best areas to see the famous California Condor. You are more likely to see them in the early morning or early evening, so if you’re set on seeing one, plan to be in the High Peaks area during that time.

Condors are the largest land birds in North America. They have a wingspan of 9.5 ft (2.9 m), weigh 20 pounds, and are estimated to live 60 years.

They are scavengers with big territories; they can fly up to 200 mi (322 km) in a single day. Many people think the birds are ugly with their pinkish bald heads, but we’ll let you be the judge of that when you see one soar above you.

Dinner

Once you’re done in Condor Gulch and High Peaks, it’s time to relax. Head back to Hollister or wherever you’re staying for some food. 

We hope you enjoy your time in Pinnacles National Park!

Enjoyed reading about how to spend one day in Pinnacles National Park? Pin this article now, read it again later:

About the author: Lexi Cooper is a freelance editor and writer. Her parents taught her a love for traveling, seeing new sights, and learning about the world. Along with her passion for travel, she loves stories and dreams of spending her days reading and writing books and wandering the globe.