Although San Francisco, San Mateo County and the Silicon Valley have no end to activities, sometimes a day trip just feels right.
Recently I posted a couple of pictures at the Pinnacles National Park taken back in 2008 with my first cell phone camera, thinking several people might recognize the location; no one did, so here's a primer for you.
With cooler weather in store soon, The Pinnacles National Park is a great destination for a day trip, whether you're a hiker, a technical rock climber, rock scrambler or simply love a nice picnic in dramatic surroundings. One might even be granted the sight of a condor soaring overhead, with its unbelievably large wing span.
Very hot and dry in the summer, North Chalone Peak can be foggy, cold and even sport a dusting of snow in the winter. The Pinnacles beckon me most in October, when the subtle color of the rock and vegetation glow, and again in the March-May period, when wildflowers bloom in profusion.
In 1908, President Theodore Roosevelt named the Pinnacles a National Monument, which status remained until 2013 when President Barack Obama made the Pinnacles the newest National Park. Many of today's trails, including the exciting climb to the High Peaks and the one into the Bear Gulch caves were created and improved by the Civilian Conservation Corps, the CCC, from 1933 to 1942. To learn more about the history of the Pinnacles, check out this link to the history of the Pinnacles.
When next you feel the urge to experience some wilderness, peace and solitude, take a drive to The Pinnacles, and return home with your soul refreshed.
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