• A spadefoot toad looking straight at the viewer, only his eyes are visible. Photo by Paul Johnson

    Pinnacles

    National Park California

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  • No Fires - Fire Danger Very High - No Fuego

    No Fires in the campground, no smoking on the trails. Observe these rules to protect park resources. No se permite fumar en los senderos, tampoco se permite las fogatas en el campamento. Proteja los recursos del parque y respete las advertencias.

Directions

No Through Road

When driving to Pinnacles National Park, please keep in mind that there is no road that connects the east and west entrances of the park. The shortest route from the east entrance to the west entrance (or from west to east) is through the town of King City on Hwy 101.

Using a GPS Device For Navigation

When entering the park address or name in a GPS device, motorists can be routed to a side of the park which they did not intent to visit. When using GPS, verify your route using a map or the driving directions listed below.

For devices which coordinates may be manually entered, use the following longitude and latitude information:

East Side of Park (Pinnacles Visitor Center)
36.493545, -121.146646

West Side of Park (Chaparral Visitor Contact Station)
36.477352, -121.226114

 

Directions from the North:

From the San Francisco Bay Area to the East Entrance:

Take Hwy 101 south through the city of Gilroy to Hwy 25 south. On Hwy 25, go through the town of Hollister and continue about 30 miles to Hwy 146. Turn right on Hwy 146, then turn left into the Pinnacles Campground to check in at Pinnacles Visitor Center. From the campground, the Bear Gulch Area is 3.5 miles further into the park along Hwy 146.

 

From the San Francisco Bay Area to the West Entrance:

Take Hwy 101 south to the town of Soledad, and then take Hwy 146 east. Take care as you're driving through town; the highway takes a few turns. Follow Hwy 146 for 14 miles into Pinnacles National Park.

 
A driving map of the highways near Pinnacles


From the South:

To the East Entrance:

Take Hwy 101 North to the town of King City. Exit at 1st Street. Turn right toward King City. Continue straight until 1st St turns into Bitterwater Rd (Monterey County G13). Follow Bitterwater Rd until it intersects Hwy 25. Turn left on Hwy 25 (North) and follow for ~15 miles. Turn left onto Hwy 146 to enter the park. Turn left into the Pinnacles Campground and check in at Pinnacles Visitor Center. The Bear Gulch Area is 3.5 miles further into the park along Hwy. 146.

To the West Entrance:

Take Hwy 101 North to the town of Soledad, and then take Hwy 146 east. Take care as you're driving through town; the highway takes a few turns. Follow Hwy 146 for 14 miles into Pinnacles National Park.

Did You Know?

The National Park Service arrowhead

National monuments are created by a presidential proclamation, and national parks are set aside by acts of Congress. Other units of the National Park System include recreation areas, seashores, national historic sites, and memorials.