Pinnacles National Parks
At Pinnacles, the ultimate goal is to see a California Condor. To do so, we plan to hike all over the park, including Balconies Cliff and Cave Loop, Condor Gulch-High Peaks Loop, and Moses Spring-Bear Gulch Loop. We’ll stay overnight at Pinnacles Campground.
Itinerary
We are presenting our itinerary as we lived it. Not the plan, but rather what we were actually able to accomplish. Naturally there are some missed goals and some serendipitous surprises. We always rolled with the punches and made the best out of our time in the national parks. Below we have included some notes that explain how the itinerary changed from what we had in mind.
It’s important to know that these plans were made to suit the abilities and interests of two young girls aged 10 and 12. We feel confident that any family on their “Every Kid Outdoors Summer” (4th grade) could handle this itinerary. For hikes, we have listed the distance, elevation gain, and time that we tracked, which may differ from published (or actual) measurements.
Day 1
Afternoon
Arrive at Pinnacles National Park
Evening
Animal watching
Star gazing
Overnight at Pinnacles Campground
Day 2
Morning
Hike: High Peaks to Condor Gulch to Bear Gulch Cave (5.5 miles RT, 1,900 feet, 4 hours)
Afternoon
Hike: Bear Gulch Cave (2 miles, 500 feet, 1 hour)
Swimming at camp
Evening
Stargazing Program
Overnight at Pinnacles Campground
Day 3
Morning
Relax at camp
Swimming Pool
Evening
Overnight at Pinnacles Campground
Notes
Pinnacles was the hottest park we visited all summer, but we still managed to hit the highlights thanks to early morning starts and long midday breaks. On our first full day, we hiked the Condor Gulch–High Peaks Loop, a stunning route that rewarded us with sweeping views and a few actual California condor sightings. It was a tough hike in the heat, but very manageable by starting early.
In the afternoon, after a break, we added the Bear Gulch Cave Loop, which was shady, fun, and full of boulder scrambling—an instant hit. We brought headlamps, which made the cave portion extra exciting.
We dedicated our final morning to camp and the pool. And continued to be excited by the breadth of wildlife in the park.
While Pinnacles doesn’t have the marquee status of other parks, it delivered big-time adventure, especially for our junior cavers and climbers. We wouldn’t recommend it in peak summer heat for everyone, but with smart pacing and shade, it was a worthwhile stop.
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