A Day in Pinnacles National Park: Exploring Bear Gulch Cave and Reservoir
Image courtesy of nps.gov
SHARING IS CARING!
UPDATED POST: May 10, 2022
Pinnacles National Park is California’s newest national park. Formerly a national monument, it was redesigned as a national park in 2012 and signed into law by President Barack Obama in 2013. We decided to head out there one Saturday to put our annual National Parks Pass to use. There are so many national parks in California as well as our neighboring states of Washington and Nevada so we knew getting an annual pass would be worth it for our family.
Thrifty Tip
Instead of getting a one-time pass/one-time entry fee every time we visit a national park, we buy an annual pass that we can use for entry to all national parks for a year. You can recoup this “investment” in just 3 uses. The annual pass is free for military and 4th graders and just $20 for seniors. You can also visit national parks for free during National Parks Week every April. Visit the National Parks Services website here for exact dates.
East entrance of the park
The park gets its name from the high, pointed rock formations found within the park which are actually remnants of an extinct volcano from 23 million years ago. Through tectonic plate movement, these rock remnants have ended up here in Northern California from an original location 195 miles southeast, near modern day Los Angeles in Southern California. Amazing, isn’t it? Explaining that to your 9-year old and watching her eyes widen in sheer wonder is truly beautiful.
These volcanic crags and cliffs make this park popular with rock climbers of all skill levels but because the rocks here are made of weak volcanic breccia, climbing is recommended only for those who are trained and well equipped. You can find more rock climbing information in Pinnacles National Park here.
Pinnacles National Park is home to the largest bird in North America, the California condor. We weren’t lucky enough to see one during this trip, maybe next time :) The park also counts the California red-legged frog and more than 400 species of bees (more than any other place in North America) as its residents.
PARK HOURS
Pinnacles National Park is open year round. The East Entrance to the park is open 24 hours. The West Entrance is open from 7.30 a.m. until 8 p.m. Pinnacles Campground, East Pinnacles Bookstore, East Pinnacles Visitor Center, Bear Gulch Nature Center, and West Pinnacles Visitor Contact Station have varying times of operation due to staff availability.
The park website offers the most current information on operating hours and area/cave closures. You can check the status of the caves here.
FEES
$30/vehicle
$25/motorcycle
$15/bicycle or walk-in
$55 Pinnacles National Park Annual Pass
FREE for US Military and US citizens/permanent residents with permanent disabilities
$0 Every Kid Outdoors Pass
$80 US National Parks Pass
Passes are good for seven days from the time of purchase. Vehicle and motorcycle fees include all passengers.
PETS
Welcome on paved roads and campgrounds, not on trails
Because we only had about half a day left to explore the park, we decided to just explore the Bear Gulch Cave and Reservoir. We really should have started the day earlier than we did but some people (not pointing fingers at the one writing this post lol) enjoy sleeping in on Saturdays.
The park has two entry points: an east and a west entrance, but there is no road that drives through and connects these two points. You can, however, hike between these two entrances. The hike takes approximately 2 hours and takes you through beautiful mountain scenery and those majestic craggy spires.
Image courtesy of QT Luong/terragalleria.com
Start in the East Pinnacles Visitor Center where you can get trail maps and park souvenirs. Park rangers are always around and are always helpful in making recommendations for hikes and activities for your group. You can choose to park here and avail the shuttle service (only available on the east side) to take you to the Bear Gulch Day Use area or head on over to the Bear Gulch parking lot and pray that you will get parking. The lot is small and spots are hard to come by. Luckily, a car was leaving when we pulled up so we were able to snag a spot.
Because we were pressed for time, we did not get to check out the Bear Gulch Nature Center (also located on the east side) which has a small theater and a ranger information desk.
We visited the park in the fall and it rained as we approached the mouth of the cave. Because the fall season is erratic, we usually bring waterproof/water resistant clothing/footwear in the car to change into in case the weather chooses to play tricks with us. So come prepared according to the season.
Before you start your hike, make sure you have plenty of water and some snacks. A flashlight or better yet, a headlamp, is necessary as there will be darker portions of the cave that will be hard to navigate without a light source.
BEAR GULCH CAVE AND RESERVOIR
This cave is one of two talus caves inside the park. The other one, Balconies Cave, is on the West side. Talus caves are formed when big chunks of eroded rocks fall into a heap onto the ground. Some larger rocks form a “roof” creating these tunnels known as talus caves.
The Bear Gulch Cave is home to a colony of Townsend’s big-eared bats, considered a ‘sensitive species’ in California. To protect them and their young, the entire cave is closed from mid-May to mid-July. The lower half of the cave is usually open from mid-July through mid-May each year, depending on the presence of the bat colony. Check the national parks website before you visit.
BEAR GULCH CAVE TRAIL
Roundtrip distance: 1.5 miles
Parking: Lot (small)
Pets: No
The trail starts at the parking lot. Use the bathroom here as there are no bathrooms along the trail. This hike is short and easy, albeit tight in some areas. The trail is not lacking in magnificent scenery such as these jagged rock cliffs.
Light drizzle midway to the cave
Magnificent scenery along the trail
You will also encounter small tunnels that lead up to the main cave.
The trail splits into two parallel routes to reach the reservoir. The Bear Gulch Trail takes you into and through the talus cave while the Moses Spring Trail takes you over the cave. Both trails reunite at a point just before the Bear Gulch Reservoir. The plan was to take the Bear Gulch trail to the reservoir and the Moses Spring Trail back so we could experience both trails in one visit. Unfortunately, by the time we were ready to head back to the car, rain was coming down hard so we decided to just take the cave trail back again for some shelter from the rain.
Inside the cave, you will find metal railings, platforms and stone stairs to help you navigate the trail. Because the Bear Gulch creek flows through the cave, waterproof hiking shoes might be a good idea as some parts of the trail might be wet and slippery. You will also be scrambling over and under rocks so waterproof pants might make for a comfortable hike, too. Alaina breezed through the hike but B and I had to wiggle out of some areas. But all in all, it was very doable and not difficult at all.
The payoff for the very little effort of the hike is this astounding view of the Bear Gulch reservoir backdropped by those jagged peaks of volcanic rock. At the time of our visit, it was also blanketed in fog making it look almost ethereal.
Bear Gulch Reservoir
We would have wanted to stay longer but by the time we reached the reservoir, rain was pouring and there really was no shelter from the rain save for the cave. This plus A kept complaining that her shoes and pants were soaked (after adamantly refusing to wear her waterproof gear that morning). She learned the hard way that day ayayay. As we were hiking on the way back, I was already talking to Bogey about coming back in the spring or early fall to see more of this park.
On some Saturday nights and full moon nights, you can join a park ranger for a 1 hour, 1 mile hike under the stars which begins at the Peaks View parking lot on the east side and heads to the South Wilderness trailhead and back. Nighttime cave explorations are also offered from spring through fall by park rangers. These activities are free but reservations are required since they are limited to 25 people only. You can check the park’s website for a calendar of monthly events.
HOW TO GET THERE
Pinnacles National Park is a little over 2 hours drive from San Francisco on US-101. The closest airport is Monterey (MRY) Airport which is 38 miles away and San Jose (SJC) Airport which is about 74 miles away. There are no gas stations inside the park so fuel up before your trip.
WHEN TO GO
Spring and fall are the best times to visit. Summer can get extremely hot with temperatures over 100 degrees so it might be best to avoid the park during those months. Winter, with its cooler temps, might be a good time to visit, too.
WHERE TO EAT
There are no restaurants inside the park so bring snacks or a picnic lunch with you. We love this picnic backpack for picnic lunches. It has everything you need and more (did I mention it has a wine compartment? lol). We just swapped out the breakable plastic wine glasses for something a little bit more kid-friendly such as these silicone drinking cups.
Thrifty Tip
Instead of eating out, pack a healthy lunch and eat in one of several picnic areas in our national parks. We like bringing our insulated water bottles instead of constantly buying water in plastic water bottles. Not only are you being environment-friendly, it is wallet-friendly too! :)
WHERE TO STAY
There are no lodging options inside the park. There is a campground located on the east end which is open year-round. If you decide to camp, make your reservations here. The closest cities outside the park are Hollister, Soledad, King City, Salinas and Monterey. I usually check Airbnb and Expedia for our accommodations if we are not camping. Since we are IHG (Intercontinental Hotel Group) and Marriott Bonvoy members, I usually look for hotels within these chain hotel groups close to the area we are visiting to get points. If there are none close to our destination, I consult Airbnb for homes/cabins for rent.
This time around, we stayed in the Holiday Inn Express in San Jose/Morgan Hill because we were seeing friends in that area the next day. It was clean, affordable and had a free hot breakfast.
Thrifty Tip
Although we like trying local restaurants in our travels, I also look for hotels with free hot breakfasts so that we could put more towards our lunch and dinner food budgets.
The indoor pool was a bonus since it rained the night we checked in. It was not fancy and the tile around the pool needed maintenance but it’s a pool and A has never seen a pool she doesn’t like (lol).
Thrifty Tip
Sign up for hotel memberships (usually free) to get points for future stays. I like signing up for hotel credit cards (especially when they are giving away promotional points) to earn points towards hotel stays. I have been a Starwood (now Marriott Bonvoy) American Express credit card holder since the Stone Age (lol) so we get some hotel stays for free with the points I earn through everyday spending. You would be lucky to find $20 in my wallet because I use my credit card for almost every single thing I buy. Of course, know what your budget is and do NOT overspend as you want to pay off your credit card bill in full EVERY SINGLE MONTH so as not to get yourselves in debt.
WHAT TO BRING FOR A HIKE IN THE FALL
Waterproof/water resistant pants
Base layer/long sleeve shirt to layer
Gloves for warmth or in our case, if raining, waterproof ski gloves
Flashlight or better yet, a headlamp
Sunscreen and lip balm with SPF
Picnic backpack, if you choose to picnic in the park
Snacks/Picnic lunch
Water bottle and plenty of water
Binoculars, to better see the California condors
Hat/Beanie
Our day in Pinnacles National Park was short but sweet. Alaina learned about tectonic plate movement, volcanic geology and animal species in that half a day. We cannot wait to come back. Have you been to Pinnacles? Let us know in the comments below which parts of the park we should go to next. I would love to hear from you.
