Photo by: Jacob Lips
From an extinct volcano came the natural wonder, known as Pinnacles National Park, located in Central California. It covers 26,606 acres of land in the counties of San Benito and Monterey. Some 222,152 people visited the park in 2018.
The park has two sections: the East, which is characterized by shade and water, and the West, more identifiable through its high walls.
History
History of the park started some 23 million years ago when the now-extinct Neenach Volcano erupted. Pinnacles National Park is located near the San Andreas fault. The volcanic eruption caused the Pacific Plate movement, and a section of rock from the body of the volcano split off, which was moved 195 miles away. The pinnacles were then formed from the volcano, which geologists gathered from the presence of unique breccias.
As for the Pinnacles’ human history, the first settlers of the area were believed to be the Ohlone people, who were later driven out of the region by the Spaniards, in the 18th century. Eventually, the area became devoid of any humans until 1880, when residents of surrounding areas explored the caves and camped in the Pinnacles, then known as Palisades.
Word eventually got out about the tourism potential of the Pinnacles that in 1906, it was declared the Pinnacles Forest Reserve. It was designated as a monument in 1908. It was only during the term of President Barack Obama in 2013, the Pinnacles officially became a national park.
Photo by: Jacob Lips
Things to do
The Pinnacles is rich in geological history and to understand that is to better appreciate the park’s natural formation. Here are some of the activities one can take part at the Pinnacles.
Hiking
There are over 30 miles of trails at the Pinnacles, giving the hikers different views of the park. As the trails vary in terms of difficulty, so do the views: from flat stretches of grasslands to trekking through talus caves and mountain hiking at the rocky spires of the Pinnacles. Some trails also go through cool creeks. For those who want a spectacular bird’s eye view of the park’s surrounding valleys, one should climb the highest peak, the North Chalone Peak.
Mountain Climbing
Just looking at the Pinnacles, one understands that it is a great venue for mountain climbing. As with hiking, climbing routes also range from easy to difficult. The Pinnacles are a favorite nesting area for some birds. While it is great to see such large birds, there will be some areas in the Pinnacles where climbers and hikers are discouraged to go to especially during the nesting season. This is to ensure the successful fledging of the raptors. The species that usually nest at the Pinnacles are American kestrels, Cooper’s hawks, golden eagles, owls, peregrine falcon, prairie falcon, red-tailed and red-shouldered hawks.
The Pinnacles is also at the forefront of the re-establishment program of California condor. There are now 25 free-flying condors in the park.
Bird watching
On the topic of birds, there are over 200 different species of birds that call the park home, which makes it a perfect place for bird watching. The California condor is, of course, the signature bird with a wingspan that stretches around nine feet.
Cave exploration
Two talus caves are seasonally opened to visitors: Bear Gulch Cave in the east, and Balconies Cave in the west. They are home to Townsend’s big-eared bats, which is a variety of vesper bat. These bats are considered “sensitive species” in California, which explains why they will be protected. This is the reason why the two caves are closed during the times the bats will rest and raise their pups.
Camping
There is a Pinnacles campground for campers. The campground has a great view of Bear Gulch.
Flora and fauna
There is one habit among visitors that is widely discouraged from, but a lot of visitors continue to practice anyway: feeding wildlife. Feeding wild animals at the park is prohibited because it will disrupt their regular diets. Some raccoons were documented to have become aggressive after being repeatedly fed by humans. So the park administration requests the tourists not to feed animals in the Pinnacles.
Aside from the already mentioned raptors and raccoons, animals that live in the park are bobcats, coyotes, cougars, California quails, gray foxes, jays, skunks, squirrels, and wild turkeys.
As for vegetation, the Pinnacles is a combination of chaparral, grasslands, riparian and woodlands. Among the plants that can be seen in the park are blue oak, California buckeye, canyon live oak, coffeeberry, gray pine, hollyleaf cherry, and manzanita, among others.
Photo by: Jacob Lips