Pinnacles National Park

Pinnacles National Park is a national park in San Benito County east of Salinas Valley in Central California. The eroded volcanic remnants form rock spires and cliffs across a mountainous landscape, offering hikers narrow gorges and rocky summits.

President Theodore Roosevelt designated the territory as a national monument in 1908, and it gained national park status in January 2013. Volcanic activity shaped the rocks about 23 million years ago, while tectonic shifts moved them from their original location south of the park.

The Chalon and Mutsun groups of the Ohlone people lived in this territory and left stone tools within the current park boundaries. Their traces appear at several spots along the trails, where visitors can find signs of earlier settlements.

The park divides into eastern and western sections connected only by hiking trails, with no through road between them. A campground sits in the eastern half near the visitor center, and most trails require moderate to demanding fitness because of elevation and rocky terrain.

The volcanic formations contain talus caves that shelter 13 bat species and serve as nesting grounds for California condors. Some of these caves remain dark and cool year-round, while the condors nest on rocky ledges above the peaks.

Location: San Benito County

Inception: January 10, 2013

Operator: National Park Service

Website: https://nps.gov/pinn

GPS coordinates: 36.48690,-121.16700

Latest update: December 12, 2025 22:53