Pinnacles National Monument
Pinnacles National Monument is south of San Jose, California by about an hour. It consists of rocky formations that are the eroded leftovers of half of an ancient extinct volcano--the rest remaining 200 miles (300 km) to the south while the San Andreas Fault carried this part northward.
A view of some of the Pinnacles and the surrounding hills and valleys from one of the hiking trails.
The park has an east and west side, and is best visited in spring or fall because of the intense heat during the summer months. The east side has shade and water, the west has high walls. The rock can vary widely in quality but there are a lot of spectacular 'pinnacles' to climb. It is popular with beginning rock climbers because of the many and varied smaller rocks.
Peregrine Falcons live in this area and the California Condor has recently been reintroduced experimentally. Bobcats, cougars, coyote, California Quail, Wild Turkey, and many other birds and mammals live in the area. Like many parks in central California, Pinnacles has a small problem with wild pigs (a mix of feral domestic pigs and imported wild boars) rototilling the landscape on a regular basis.
There are several trails for day hikers, some of which are strenuous. Views of the surrounding hills and valleys are lovely on a clear day, and the line of the San Andreas Fault is visible from some vantages.
Established in 1908 as a much smaller park, Pinnacles now includes tens of thousands of acres (tens of km²) in California's Coast Range.
