How to Successfully Hike Eastern Pinnacles National Park with Small Children

The weather was starting to warm up and Little Bro was slightly less inclined to scream at us during a long car ride which meant… time to hit the road and do some hiking! Derek needed to pick up his Military Lifetime America the Beautiful Pass (thank you, US Army) and I wanted to start introducing the boys to the beauty of the National Park Service. Off to Pinnacles National Park we went.

Less well known than national parks such as Yosemite and Yellowstone, Pinnacles National Park is still a beautiful park with a variety of landscape. From chaparral to oak forest to rocky spires, there are awe-inspiring views everywhere.

One important thing to note when planning a visit to Pinnacles National Park is that no roads go through the park. There is a West Entrance and an East Entrance, but you have to hike to get between the two. The East Entrance is open 24/7 and is slightly more developed with the visitor center and campground. Alternatively, the West Entrance is open between 7:30am and 8pm and has a new Visitor Contact Station with limited hours.

We opted to enter via the East Entrance because there are more trailheads within the vicinity. There is also a shuttle available on the eastern side only.

Parking

One of the things you will hear about the most, looking into a trip to Pinnacles, is the parking situation. As one of the newest national parks, there isn’t a ton of infrastructure in place to support its new status. There are a few small parking lots near the trail heads themselves; some on the eastern side and some on the western side. The number one recommendation is to get to the park before 8am to ensure you get a spot.

My plan was to get moving early and make it to the park by the recommended time… That didn’t happen. Two teenagers and a night-owl husband (not to mention a toddler who doesn’t like to sleep) meant I was fighting a losing battle. That being said, we did make it out of the house decently early and made it to the park by 9:30am. On a Saturday morning in early spring, there was a small wait at the eastern entrance. The Pinnacles website warns to expect delays between the hours of 10am and 3pm.

So what happens when you don’t get to Pinnacles National Park before 8am? You park in the overflow lot. This is located near the Pinnacles National Park Visitor Center and campground. The overflow lot is significantly bigger than the lots near the trailheads. From here, you have two choices for making your way to the trails within the park: take the shuttle or hike your way in.

The Shuttles

During the busier months of Spring and Fall, shuttles are available on weekends and holidays to ferry visitors from the overflow lot to the more popular trailheads in the Bear Gulch Day Use Area. They are well kept shuttles reminiscent of commuter buses, complete with seatbelts, but not very big. The park service runs a few shuttles at a time, but the lines for the shuttle still get long during the more popular hours.

We shuttled back to the overflow lot after a long morning of hiking and Big and Little Bro were both super excited to get on a “bus.” The route between the lot and the day use area is bumpy with lots of turns, so be sure to keep an eye on any kids prone to car-sickness.

The Bench Trail

The Bench Trail leads from the Pinnacles Visitor Center to the Bear Gulch Day Use Area. We decided to hike into the park with the kids and this is the route we took. One direction is a total of 2.3 miles and is estimated to take about an hour and a half. Our family of six hiked the trail in about three hours, however this included a lunch stop and a few breaks along the way. With an elevation gain of 300 feet, the Bench Trail is rated “moderate” on the Pinnacles website.

The first portion of the Bench Trail is pretty flat and leads from the visitor’s center to the Peaks View Parking Area. There are multiple picnic tables and a set of bathrooms (non-flushing) in this area. It made for a nice stopping place to take a break with the littles and have a picnic lunch. Across the street from the picnic area, you can see the Pinnacles National Park sign. Time for that obligatory photo op!

The next portion of the trail leads from the Peaks View Parking Area to the Bear Gulch Day Use Area. This is the part that earns the “moderate” rating. Mostly uphill on the way in, you hike up along creeks and streams, over bridges and rocks. The trail winds along drop offs so you have to be able to keep an eye on your kids. That being said, our three year old, Big Bro, walked the entire thing on his own and I carried Little Bro in the backpack carrier. It is doable, even with little kids.

Bear Gulch Day Use Area

The Bear Gulch Day Use Area is a launching point for many popular trails in the Eastern portion of Pinnacles. From here you can take the trail up to the High Peaks via the Condor Gulch Trail or you can go through the Bear Gulch Caves to the Bear Gulch Reservoir. There are plenty of picnic tables in shady spots to stop and take a break. The Bear Gulch Nature Center can be found here, but it has been closed since the outbreak of COVID-19 and does not show signs of reopening yet.

Pinnacles Talus Caves

One of the must-do activities when visiting Pinnacles National Park is seeing a talus cave, of which there are several available. This particular kind of cave is formed when large boulders tumble and fill a valley or canyon. The Pinnacles caves are home to Townsend Big-eared bats which are an endangered species. Because of this, the caves are closed to the public during the summer months when the bat colony returns to rear their young. So, if you plan to go through a cave during your visit, be sure to check the Pinnacles website to make sure they are open.

Lower Bear Gulch Cave

The Upper Bear Gulch Cave was closed during our visit, but we were able to go through the Lower Bear Gulch Cave. It truly was a unique experience. As you approach the cave entrance, the rocky sides of the trail become closer together and you can see boulders covering sections overhead. Then you can smell that signature musty smell (Disneyland dark rides anyone?) and in you go. It does become quite dark, so be sure to bring a light source.

Certain portions of the route through the cave become quite narrow and tilt at odd angles. Little Bro and I made it partway into the cave but had to stop before the stairway up into the heart of the cave. After this point it becomes even tighter requiring you to almost crawl through some portions. The rest of the family made it through and Big Bro exclaimed “I had so much fun!” when we met up outside the cave again.

We used our cell phone flashlights to navigate the cave, but I would honestly recommend a headlamp, at least for the kids. Big Sis had a bit of a panic moment in the cave and I think this might have helped out. Plus, with Big Bro’s enthusiastic response, I’m pretty sure this would be a great investment for the future.

The trail through Lower Bear Gulch Cave is basically one way traffic, so you have to hike back around to the front if you are meeting up with any of your party at the front of the cave. This definitely required scrambling down some rocks.

To Shuttle or Not to Shuttle?

Initially, we were going to recommend shuttling into the Bear Gulch Day Use Area instead of hiking in on the Bench Trail. However, I think this really depends on the ages of the kids you are bringing into the park. Kids five and over with great balance and more endurance can probably handle most of the “moderate” trails leading to the popular locations in Pinnacles. By shuttling in, you are giving yourself more time on these unique trails.

Smaller kids, under five, might not be able to navigate the rocky trails that are abundant in this particular national park. Big Bro desperately wanted to climb to the very top of those beautiful red rocks, but would it be safe for him to do so? Not sure on that one. Even carrying Little Bro in the ClevrPlus backpack carrier, I wasn’t able to make it through the cave and generally felt more off-center.

Taking the Bench Trail into the park is a beautiful experience and way more family friendly. It is more than a simple walk but less risky than scrambling up and down rocks next to steep drop-offs. In the end I was happy we chose the route we did. I am definitely interested in checking out the Western Entrance to Pinnacles and seeing where those trails fall on the family friendly scale.

There are a ton of beautiful views in Pinnacles National Park and you may not get to see all of them when you take your small children with you. But is that really the goal with a family outing? You are setting them up to appreciate the world around them and be open to future trips. You have so many years ahead of you to hike up to the highest of peaks and search for California condors. In the meantime, enjoy the hike and still look up… you can sometimes glimpse those majestic birds in the distance.