The first 2500 acres of the rugged Pinnacles were made a national monument in 1908 by President Theodore Roosevelt. Pinnacles National Monument was once a spring and fall home to the Chalone and Mutsun tribes. It now encompasses 26,000 acres, and is a popular spot for outdoor activities ranging from hiking to birdwatching to stargazing to rock climbing. It is also a perfect outdoor classroom for lessons in geology, botany and biology.
The unique topography and geographic diversity of Pinnacles National Monument leads to an equally diverse range of flora and fauna. For example, Pinnacles National Monument has 149 bird species, 69 butterfly species, and 400 bee species inhabiting its boundaries, the most bee diversity of anywhere on earth. 14 of California's 24 bat species make their home at Pinnacles National Monument. It is home to the California condor, the big-eared kangaroo rat, the Gabilan slender salamander, the Pinnacles sheld-back katydid, and the Pinnacles riffle beetle.
Avian life at Pinnacles National Monument is astoundingly diverse, affording the avid birder a chance to see species they are unlikely to spot elsewhere. Raptors, owls, wrens, warblers, jays, woodpeckers and many other species reside at Pinnacles National Monument. Download the Pinnacles National Monument bird checklist to learn all the bird species known to occur in the park.
Pinnacles Campground offers tent, group and RV sites. RV sites have electrical hookups. Many sites are shaded. All sites have picnic tables and a fire ring. There are also communal barbecue pits. Showers and a dump station are nearby. A campground store, located in the visitors center, is open from 3 to 6pm. During spring and summer seasons, campers can enjoy the campground swimming pool and ranger programs at the campground ampitheater. See the Pinnacles National Monument website to make reservations for Pinnacles Campground.
Pinnacles National Monument has over 30 miles of trails, enough for an all-day trip for the avid hiker. Trails at Pinnacles Monument range from easy enough for small children to quite strenuous. The Pinnacles National Monument website has detailed trail information as well as large, thorough downloadable maps. See our Top Day Hikes in Monterey County page for a detailed description of one easy day hike at Pinnacles Monument.
For interior Pinnacles National Monument maps, please refer to the National Park Service website, which offers detailed downloadable maps of the park.
The east and west entrances of Pinnacles National Monument are not connected by a through road. To get from one to the other, you must go through King City on Highway 101. Please refer to the Pinnacles National Monument website for detailed directions to the east and west entrances of Pinnacles National Monument.
Monterey County Convention & Visitors Bureau P.O. Box 1770, Monterey, CA 93942 1-877-MONTEREY info@mccvb.org
In partnership with Monterey County and the cities of Carmel-by-the-Sea, Del Rey Oaks, Marina, Monterey, Pacific Grove, Salinas,
Sand City, Seaside, Soledad, Pebble Beach, Moss Landing, Carmel Valley, Big Sur, and Salinas Valley.
© Copyright 2009 Monterey County Convention & Visitors Bureau
