The Pinnacles are volcanic rock formations protruding through the rolling hills of California, formed some 23 million years ago, which have travelled 195 miles north along the San Andreas Fault since that time.

Old Pinnacles Trail

I camped at the Pinnacles Campground in the early afternoon and took the Old Pinnacles Trail. This trail ran along a seasonally dry creek bed and began as a pleasant stroll through the rolling hills:

I encountered a beautiful alligator lizard:

There were many different kinds of birds (said be more than 160 species in the park) with California quail scurrying across the roads and the chapparal filled with birdsong. The bird that I noticed most frequently was the Acorn Woodpecker; there seemed to be one loudly pecking at almost every snag. I wasn’t able to capture a good image, but here is a sketch by the Coyote Brush Studios:

There were plenty of deer grazing in the woods:

Entranced by these sights, I scarcely noticed the rock formations, which seemed to be popping out of the hills:

And very substantial rocks:

At the end of the trail was Balconies Cave—a talus cave formed by large boulders dropping into a canyon and creating a “ceiling” over part of it:

I penetrated about 100 yards into the cave, but the going was pretty hard in places so, reluctantly, I returned to the campground for the night:

Condor Gulch Trail

Next morning, I set out on the Condor Gulch Trail leading toward the High Peaks:

This trail had many of the same fascinating plant and animal life as the Old Pinnacles Trail.

The rock formations soon started to come into view:

Up close, the volcanic rhyolite rocks were teaming with life.

Near the overlook, I came across my favorite formation:

This formation is at the end of a valley with other rock formations along the valley sides, which creates a feeling of grandeur; I sat mesmerized for a considerable time.

The impression was reinforced by the magnificent California condors circling the peaks, the white undersides of their wings occasionally flashing in the sun.

The surrounding rock formations just begged to be climbed:

Bear Gulch Cave

In the afternoon, I visited the Bear Gulch Talus Cave; the approach was along a trail surrounded by increasingly steep rocks:

The cave itself was beautiful, with light often filtering down through gaps in the roof:

And it was much easier to traverse than the Balconies Cave, due to the activities of the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) in the 1930s:

Emerging from the cave, one could look down on the boulders forming the roof of the cave:

The Pinnacles National Park has been a national monument since 1908 and relatively recently (2013) became a national park. It is relatively compact and the highlights can be seen in a day or two, though there are plenty of trails to hike and many climbing opportunities. It did not seem crowded in the beautiful late summer days of my visit and is likely spectacular in the spring when the wildflowers bloom.

Now I am heading for one of the most iconic parks in the national park system: Yosemite!