Pinnacles National Park

Pinnacles National Park

ByChris Cagle

Pinnacles National Park is a protected area located in central California, USA, near the cities of Salinas and Soledad. The park is known for its unique rock formations, including towering spires and jagged crags, which were formed by volcanic activity over millions of years. The park’s landscape is also home to a diverse array of plant and animal species, including several rare and endangered species such as the California condor. Visitors can enjoy hiking, rock climbing, camping, and wildlife viewing in the park’s rugged terrain. The park is also an important site for scientific research and preservation, and ongoing efforts are being made to protect its natural and cultural resources.

VISIT Pinnacles National Park:

Park Details

Pinnacles National Park was established on January 16, 1908, and has a total area of 26,686 acres (42 square miles, or 108 square kilometers).

Address 5000 East Entrance Road, Paicines, CA, 95043
Phone831-389-4486
HoursEast Side: 24 hour access, West Side: Access is 7:30am to 8:00pm
Entrance Fee$30 per vehicle, valid for 7 days
Learn MoreOfficial Website

When to Visit: Weather vs. Peak Visitation

Pinnacles National Park is the 163rd most visited park in the country.

We crunched 30 years of historical weather and/or park service data to find the best months to visit Pinnacles National Park. We looked for the optimal temperatures, the least amount of snow and rain, and stayed away from peak visitation months if we could help it. All this data then helped us paint a picture as to what the absolute best time to visit Pinnacles National Park is.

Our data shows the best months to visit Pinnacles National Park are April, May, August & September.

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Park Visits26,79331,31638,40239,59740,06437,02929,50218,76521,72123,44823,18719,033
Precipitation87937633143104234175
Avg Temp585861646975818179736458
Max Temp707073808490929392877769
Avg Temp434343444649535454514642
Min Temp333435353941454645413632
Temperature values in °F; Precipitation in Inches

Pinnacles National Park Road Trips

Many family vacations consist of stringing one or more national parks together during a week-long trip. Creating these types of trips is our specialty! Here are the road trips we've created where Pinnacles National Park is visited.

Trip NameTrip MilesTrip Days
7 Day San Francisco to Los Angeles Road Trip5327
Pinnacles, Sequoia, Kings Canyon to Santa Monica Mountains6638

Other Nearby National Park Sites

From national monuments, to historic sites to seashores and more, here are the other parks closest to Pinnacles National Park.

NameDistance
Eugene O'Neill National Historic Site104 mi
San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park114 mi
Golden Gate National Recreation Area115 mi
Fort Point National Historic Site116 mi
John Muir National Historic Site117 mi
Rosie the Riveter/World War II Home Front National Historical Park118 mi
Port Chicago Naval Magazine National Memorial118 mi
Yosemite National Park123 mi
Muir Woods National Monument124 mi
Devils Postpile National Monument139 mi

Nearby Campsites & RV Parks

If you are looking to pitch a tent or park an RV at a campsite near Pinnacles National Park, here is a list of the closest campsites in the surrounding area. They all have slightly different amenitites, so its best to check them all out instead of just chosing the first on the list.

NameDetailsMiles Away
PinnaclesPinnacles, CA more 2 miles
San LorenzoKing City, CA more 19 miles
Hollister Hills State Veh Rec AreaHollister, CA more 24 miles
Arroyo SecoGreenfield, CA more 25 miles
White OaksGreenfield, CA more 25 miles
Fremont Peak State ParkSan Juan Bautista, CA more 26 miles
EscondidoGreenfield, CA more 30 miles
Memorial ParkGreenfield, CA more 30 miles
Laguna SecaSalinas, CA more 33 miles
NacimientoBig Sur, CA more 36 miles

Nearest Ski Resorts

For those of you who are the diehard outdoors type, visiting a national park on a ski trip can be quite the adventure. Here are the ski resorts within 100 miles of Pinnacles National Park:

None Found.

Nearest Airports

When visiting a National park, many people are faced with either a very long drive across country, or a much shorter flight. For those of you looking to fly into Pinnacles National Park, we've listed the closest airports in the area.

Large Airports

A large airport has scheduled major airline service with millions of passengers per year. This type of airport always accepts international flights. Here are the closest large airports to Pinnacles National Park.

NameCodeCityDistance
Norman Y. Mineta San José International AirportSJCSan Jose, CA74 mi
San Francisco International AirportSFOSan Francisco, CA103 mi
Oakland International AirportOAKOakland, CA103 mi
Sacramento International AirportSMFSacramento, CA154 mi
Reno–Tahoe International AirportRNOReno, NV221 mi
Los Angeles International AirportLAXLos Angeles, CA235 mi
Ontario International AirportONTOntario, CA262 mi
Medium Airports

A medium-sized airport has scheduled regional airline service. This type of airport may or may not accept international flights. Here are the closest medium-sized airports to Pinnacles National Park.

NameCodeCityDistance
Monterey Peninsula AirportMRYMonterey, CA38 mi
Fresno Yosemite International AirportFATFresno, CA83 mi
San Luis County Regional AirportSBPSan Luis Obispo, CA91 mi
Santa Maria Public Airport Captain G Allan Hancock FieldSMXSanta Maria, CA117 mi
Meadows FieldBFLBakersfield, CA139 mi
Sacramento Mather AirportMHRSacramento, CA143 mi
Santa Barbara Municipal AirportSBASanta Barbara, CA161 mi

Credits: Campground data provided by USCampgrounds.info. Map shapes from CartographyVectors. Weather data from NOAA. Airport data from OurAirports.com. Images from Unsplash, Flickr and Parks&Trips. All data has also been updated and augmented by Parks&Trips.