Pinnacles National Park
Pinnacles National Park is divided by the rock formations into East and West Divisions, connected by foot trails; no through road connects the east and west entrances to the park. The east side has shade and water, the west has high walls. The rock formations provide for spectacular pinnacles that attract rock climbers. The park features unusual talus caves that house at least 13 species of bats. Pinnacles is most often visited in spring or fall because of the intense heat during the summer. Park lands are prime habitat for prairie falcons, and are a release site for California condors that have been hatched in captivity. Pinnacles was originally established as a national monument in 1908 by President Theodore Roosevelt, and was redesignated as a national park by Congressional legislation in 2012, then signed into law by President Barack Obama on January 10, 2013.

Bear Gulch Cave
Stoke your sense of adventure during a hike through Bear Gulch Cave. Traverse a trail through the cave, making your way under limestone ledges and through tight stone passageways. As you hike, look for local wildlife, including the resident colony of bats that dwell within the cave. Bear Gulch Cave is not a typical cave. The upper and lower cave sections were formed over many thousands of years as running streams of water weathered away larger boulders, creating narrow chasms and canyons. Occasionally, larger chunks of rock broke off and landed on top of the chasms, creating the “roof” for the cave sections. The cave is home to a colony of Townsend’s big-eared bats. Look carefully and you may be able to see bats hanging in clusters inside the cave. Note that their ears resemble those of rabbits. As you explore the area, admire the views of rocky peaks and huge boulders visible from the trail. Inside the cave itself, listen for the sound of rushing water.

High Peaks/Balconies Cave
The park's most exciting hike is the trek to the High Peaks, a series of jagged pinnacles that can be seen from miles away. The highest of the High Peaks sits at 2,720 feet/829 meters, which may not seem like much until you’re on top looking down. Though you can reach the peaks from either the east or west entrance station, the trek is shorter from the east side at Bear Gulch (6-mile/9.7-km round-trip, depending on which trail you take). Either way, you’ll climb about 1,400 feet and be amazed by the final mile of trail: a feat of very creative trail building by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930s. The path wanders through a rocky labyrinth, tracing along a series of narrow passageways, and ascending over, around, and in between a maze of boulders. Handholds and footholds are blasted into the rock; steel guardrails are embedded for safety. When you reach High Peaks’ summit, look down and across at the park’s huge expanse of undulating grasslands and rock monoliths. Look up for condors too—you might be closer to them here than anywhere else in the park.