Hiking Pinnacles National Park

Pinnacles National Park

Birders in the Southern California area will sometimes get excited when they see a large soaring bird with a tag on its wing - and for good reason! Most of the ...wild California condor population is wearing a wing tag for identification while the species is on the road to recovery. But condors aren't the only birds that have wing tags, their smaller cousins, the turkey vulture, have also been a part of studies that require individual identification through wing tags. So if you can't use wing tags as a means to single out a condor sighting - what other tools are there? For today's #FunFactFriday we thought we'd share some of the more pronounced physical differences between condors and turkey vultures, to better help field identification! First and foremost the main difference is size, California condors have a nine and a half foot wingspan, while turkey vulture wingspans come in at around five to six feet. California condors also have a striking white triangle on the underside of its wings on the leading edge of the wing, while turkey vultures have light grey feathers on the trailing side of their wings. Condors have a pink/orange head, while turkey vultures have a bright red head with a bone-colored beak. Too far away to see these differences? Well, you can always tell the difference while they're in flight! Condors' flight style is flat and steady, while turkey vultures have a flight style that is V-shaped and rocking. Lastly, you can always use probability; while there are an amazing group of folks working to get the condor population up to a sustainable level, there are still a far greater number of turkey vultures in the world (about an estimated 17,000 times more!) than there are California condors in the world. So if you see a large soaring terrestrial bird with a wing tag, take a closer look and hone your birding skills to see if you can identify which awesome vulture species (or other raptorial species!) you may have seen! Image courtesy of Santa Barbara Zoo

Not necessarily a hiking trail but for sure something you may see along the trail. Right now there a bunch of trees showing blooms of Mistletoe. Yes, the holiday "kissing" bush. The bush is actually a parasite that grows on trees, typically oaks in California, taking water and nutrients from the host trees often times causing them to become distressed, damaged, or even die. The Mistletoe usually blooms from Winter through Spring. Although Mistletoe is toxic, it has been used by humans throughout history to help with a variety of medical ailments. These two trees showing Mistletoe are next to the west Visitors Center.

Pretty cool little feature of Pinnacles National Park from Bartell's Backroads.

The south facing corner of Machete Ridge set between two Gray Pines. This sheer hunk of rock is 500' tall. Geologists believe this rock formation and the Balconies Cliffs across the canyon were once connected. That was a very long time ago.

Another great weekend for a hike at the Pinnacles. The weather will be very pleasant with temperatures hovering around 60 degrees. Still, it's important to stay hydrated even in cool weather. This weekend will be very busy so if you don't arrive before 11:00 AM, there's a good chance you'll be waiting in line for a parking space. Please be patient with the park rangers, there're doing the best they can trying to get everyone parked to enjoy the their visit. The Bear Gulc...h and Balconies Caves remain closed, the west visitors center is closed, there is no entrance fee, and the campgrounds are on the EAST side of the park. And, just to keep things interesting, there was a 4.3 magnitude earthquake this morning at 6:42 AM centered just 10 miles north of the park that shook the park pretty good. Happy new year and enjoy your visit.

Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, and good wishes to everyone. After having your fill of holiday cheer, it's time for some exercise to balance that off. A hike at the Pinnacles will do the trick. After some possible rain tonight, the weather tomorrow will be perfect. Cloudy to sunny skies with the temperature around 60 degrees. That's ideal hiking weather. Both the east and west sides are open, all trails are open with the exception of the Balconies and Bear Gulch Caves, ...and there is no entrance fee. Being it's a holiday weekend expect a high number of visitors so parking will be at a premium. Either arrive early or later or you may have to wait for parking. Still, your day after Christmas hiking opportunity awaits at the Pinnacles!

Per Governor Newsom’s Regional Stay-at-Home Order, the Pinnacles Campground has modified their operations. Pinnacles Campground remains open to essential trave...l visitors only. To learn if you meet the criteria for staying with us, please visit https://www.recreation.gov/camping/campgrounds/234015 and click 'Alert' at the top of the page or contact the campground directly at (831) 200-1722. Pinnacles National Park remains open for day-use! #findyourpark #nationalparkservice #pinnaclesnationalpark

Things are changing at Pinnacles! If you have been to the west entrance recently, you might have noticed some construction going on. As part of some park improv...ements, several of our parking lots will be paved. The visitor center parking on the west side was first up on the list! #pinnaclesnationalpark #nationalparkservice #findyourpark

With Thanksgiving tomorrow, and along with everything else, let's be thankful for our National Parks. These parks provide opportunities for togetherness, exploration, recreation, and a great way to enjoy some really unique natural features. The Pinnacles is no exception with incredible rock formations and really interesting talus caves. This holiday weekend will be a great time to visit and hike at the Pinnacles. Temperatures are predicted for the mid to upper 60's throu...gh Sunday. If planning a visit, you might want to arrive earlier in the morning or later in the afternoon. Parking is at a premium during the middle of the day. Please understand that some services and park personnel are limited due to the COVID. Best advice, be self-sufficient and arrive with all your supplies, maps, and hiking routes that you'll need to enjoy the day. See more