Hike the Caves at Pinnacles National Park

There are two short cave hikes within Pinnacles National Park. It's worth making time for both! The easiest way to do so is to access the trails from the east side of the park. (There are no roads that cross the park). These caves are easily navigable with marked trails, handrails, and staircases. No special equipment required beyond a flashlight!

Balconies Cave is your best bet if you have small children and time for only one trail. It can also be accessed from the west side at the Chaparral Trailhead. However, if you're doing both caves in one day, you'll want to start on the east side at the Old Pinnacles trailhead, which makes the route a flat 5.3 mile lollipop loop. The first part of the hike leads through a partially-shaded canyon to the entrance of the cave. Although the entrance is marked by a tall opening with a gate, the route becomes narrow and dark soon thereafter. Using your flashlight/headlamp, squeeze through the first set of caverns before emerging back in the sunlight halfway through. Both Balconies Cave and Bear Gulch Cave are talus caves, formed by falling boulders covering slot canyons. This geological history is most visible during the second half of the route, when boulders are wedged one after another in a slot canyon. Once you climb out of the cave, take the Balconies Cliffs Trail, with only moderate climbing, in order to get a birds-eye view of the landscape you just crawled beneath. This trail intersects back with Old Pinnacles and will take you back to your car.

Bear Gulch Cave opens partially only 10 months out of the year as a courtesy to its residents, a colony of Townsend's big-eared bats. There are brief periods in the fall & spring when the cave is fully open. (Status can be found here.) To access this trail, park at the Bear Gulch Day Use area and hike uphill slightly less than one mile, following signs to reach the entrance to the cave. The trail through this cave is well-maintained, with plenty of staircases and handrails to guide you through. It feels taller and more damp than Balconies Cave. The route is steep in places, so take it slow and admire the scene around you. Once you've climbed through, you can take additional trails to see the reservoir, Moses Spring, or the High Peaks if you have the energy for a climb and want to catch a spectacular sunset.

To find our more information on these hikes and others in Pinnacles NP, visit the park website.