News Release

Pinnacles Announces Additional Modifications to Operations

Date: March 27, 2020
Contact: Christopher Symons, 831-389-4362

Paicines, CA – Pinnacles National Park, in response to guidance from California State, Monterey County, and San Benito County public health authorities, is announcing additional modifications to operations to support federal, state, and local efforts to slow the spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19).  

As of Saturday, March 28, Pinnacles National Park will offer very limited services outside those that support visitor or resource protection. At Pinnacles National Park, the following services and operations will be suspended in order to comply with state and local orders: 
 

• The Park will close to all day-use visitors and vehicular traffic.
• The campground will remain open for campers with reservations.
• The previous trail, facility, and operational closures remain in effect.

The health and safety of our visitors, employees, volunteers, and partners at Pinnacles National Park is our number one priority. The National Park Service (NPS) is working service-wide with federal, state, and local authorities to closely monitor the COVID-19 pandemic. We will notify the public when we resume full operations and provide updates on our website (https://www.nps.gov/pinn/learn/news/index.htm) and social media channels.  

The Pinnacles National Park Campground managed by the Pinnacles Recreation Company will remain open to the public under an online reservation system only. No walk-ins will be permitted. Reservations can be made on Recreation.gov. No vehicles will be permitted further into the park than the campground. Campers may access the park by foot and/or bicycles. These changes were affected to remain accessible to the public in accordance with the latest federal, state, and local health guidance.

 

• Park Rangers will provide emergency assistance to campers, if needed.

• Restroom facilities will remain open and maintained.
• Most areas of park remain accessible by foot by way of the Bench Trail which starts in the campground.

People who choose to visit Pinnacles National Park during this pandemic are encouraged to adhere to guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and state and local public health authorities to protect visitors and employees. As services are limited, the NPS urges visitors to continue to practice Leave No Trace principles, including pack-in and pack-out, to keep outdoor spaces safe and healthy. 


Updates about NPS operations will be posted on www.nps.gov/coronavirus. Please check with individual parks for specific details about park operations. [insert any contact information if public tickets/refunds or other information is necessary to be provided]. 

www.nps.gov


About the National Park Service. More than 20,000 National Park Service employees care for America's 419 national parks and work with communities across the nation to help preserve local history and create close-to-home recreational opportunities. Learn more at www.nps.gov, and on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube.