Family Adventure Guide for a Pinnacles National Park Weekend in California

Family Adventure Guide for a Pinnacles National Park Weekend in California

Family Adventure Guide for a Pinnacles National Park Weekend in California

California’s newest and least known National Park, Pinnacles National Park, was upgraded from a National Monument in 2013. The park sits in the Gabilan Mountains on the Central Coast. It is about 2 hours north of San Luis Obispo and 1.5 hours east of Monterey. This makes it a perfect destination for a weekend trip from Northern, Central, or Southern California.

The Origins of Pinnacles

Geologists believe that shifting plates along the nearby San Andreas Fault created the park. Its unique rock formations and spires are a result of these movements over millions of years.

Why We Had to Visit

When we heard there were caves to explore and a chance to see condors, we knew our family had to visit Pinnacles. Spring is the perfect time for a trip because summer temperatures get very high, and winters can be very low.

We combined our Pinnacles Trip with a trip to San Luis Obispo and Morro Bay for Spring Break, and it was a great combination of different outdoor adventures and things to do.

We were excited to find out that Pinnacles had Caves to explore as my kids LOVE to wear their camping headlight for any opportunity (these make fun birthday gifts for almost any age kid in your life too!)

So we filled our camelbaks, grabbed hiking sticks, packed lunch (to eat midway hike), headlamps for kids and a strong flashlight from the adults (don’t rely on your cell phone flashlight!) We strapped extra shoes to our backpacks in case our feet got wet. Then, we were ready for our adventure!

We started from the East side of the Park as we knew we wanted to stop by the Pinnacles Visitor Center (East Entrance) and pick up a Junior Ranger Booklet for the kids!

Surprisingly very few people were there as it was a weekday although we hear it often is very busy on the weekend and holidays so get there when it opens to avoid extra hiking from the car to the trail head!  They do have tent and RV camping available at the Pinnacles Campground too, but this was just going to be a day trip for us!

The Bear Gulch Cave Hike (Moses Spring to Rim Trail Loop)

At about 10 a.m., we drove into the Visitors Center from the East Entrance. Shayla used her free 4th-grade pass to enter the park at no cost. We picked up our Junior Ranger booklets and drove to the Bear Gulch Day Use Area parking lot. From there, we started the Moses Spring to Rim Trail Loop, a 2.2-mile round trip that begins at the south end of the parking lot.

We researched which trail would suit our family ahead of time. We chose the Moses Spring to Rim Trail Loop because it allowed us to hike through caves and see the reservoir. The trail was long enough to feel like a real hike, but not too long for the kids.

You will find many other great hiking options. The Old Pinnacles Trail to Balconies Cave offers a more challenging hike. It is about twice as hard and twice as long, making it better suited for older kids.

You will reach the first cave quickly. Then the trail splits into the Bear Gulch Cave Trail and the Moses Spring Trail. Up to that point, the trail has two names but is essentially one path.

Both trails end at the same destination. The Bear Gulch Cave Trail passes through the talus caves, while the Moses Spring Trail goes over them before reaching the same endpoint.

We definitely wanted to go through the caves! The kids switched on their headlamps, and we turned on our flashlights. Then, we entered the boulder caves, also called talus caves because they were formed by boulders.

Inside, we squeezed under boulders and navigated dark areas where everyone needed their own light to see the ground. Staircases led us up and through sections that couldn’t be climbed.

At some points, we had to scramble over wet or water-covered rocks. Of course, the kids ended up with wet shoes, so we were glad we had an extra pair. Fortunately, the water was minimal. A ranger mentioned at times the water can be much worse and make the cave hike harder for younger kids!

The water in the caves depends mainly on the rainfall that year and the time of year you visit. As a result, you may encounter a lot of water or only a trickle on your hike.

It was really neat for my kids, ages 7 and 9. I didn’t fear losing a child in the crevices because we moved quickly through to the other side of the caves.

The kids loved scrambling over the rocks and puddles. They would have liked to do even more of that than the hike itself!

After the caves, we continued hiking to the top of the trail. After about half a mile to one mile, we reached the magnificent Bear Gulch Reservoir. The view was amazing and peaceful, with very few people around.

We pulled out our lunches and ate them sitting on some nearby boulders while we took in the scenery and views and the kids worked on the Junior Ranger booklets.

One older couple stripped down to swimsuits or boxer shorts?! and jumped into the reservoir. I don’t think visitors are allowed to swim in the reservoir. We felt the water, and it was REALLY COLD, so don’t plan on swimming!

After lunch, we hiked back to the parking lot via the Rim Trail and enjoyed taking turns looking through the binoculars for Condors (Pinnacles National Park is an official release site for the California Condors). I saw one at the very end of the hike soaring up and above us – what a sight!

At the Visitors Center, the rangers swore in the kids as Junior Rangers, and we headed on to the next adventure!

All in all we were there for about 4.5 hours. We can’t wait to go back again when the kids are a little older and take the kids to the Balconies cave for another Pinnacles adventure!For weather, visiting hours updates, and any updates or closures, please visit the National Parks website. 

TOP TIP(S): Bring/Wear water shoes so you don’t have to hike in damp feet and WATCH OUT for Poison Oak!

DON’T MISS: Bringing your binoculars and scanning the skies for Condors!  (Look for tags on the wings to differentiate them from turkey vultures)