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Caption: Pinnacles - National Park -
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Caption: Born of Fire
Some 23 million years ago multiple volcanoes erupted, flowed, and slid to form what would become Pinnacles National Park. What remains is a unique landscape.
I had visited the Pinnacles long before it had become a National Park (2013) and was very interested to return and explore. What better time than to celebrate with a birthday camping weekend!
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Caption: Tip Balconies Cave Trail
At Pinnacles, a cool morning could quickly turn into a surprisingly hot day. Wear loose-fitting clothing, a hat, and sunscreen. In all seasons, expect temperatures to dip sharply at night. Check the weather forecast before your hike and plan accordingly.
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Caption: The Caves
There are two talus caves at the monument. On the East side of Pinnacles heading up the Moses Spring Trail, the Bear Gulch cave is home to a sensitive colony of Townsend's Big-Eared Bats. The bats are listed as a species of special concern, and they use the cave as a maternal sanctuary in the summer and as a place to hibernate in the winter. The Balconies cave is located on the Old Pinn Trail, accessible from the East side and West side of the park.
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Caption: Balconies Cave
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Caption: Balconies Cave
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Caption: Balconies Cave
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Caption: Balconies Cave
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Caption: Camping
Plan ahead if you can, best sites book up to six months in advance during prime visiting months.
Some sites are wide open for groups and larger RVs, but we opted for Loop C which might have been a struggle for bigger rigs. Great for small trailers, vans and tents. There is a campground pool (not open for our trip), and a nice Outpost style camp store.
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Caption: Visit me on Instagram @Jenniferexploring or at www. Jenniferexploring.com
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Caption: Tip
The entire Bear Gulch Cave opens twice a year for at least one week and up to four weeks each March and October, depending on the presence of the colony of bats. Bear Gulch Cave Trail
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Caption: Talus Formations
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Caption: Bear Gulch Cave
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Caption: Bear Gulch Cave
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Caption: Bear Gulch Cave
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Caption: Bear Gulch Reservoir
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Caption: #pinnaclesnationalpark #hikingcalifornia #stellerstories #favoritenationalparks #nationalparks #goexplore #camping
