An easy, short path from a nature center up to an overlook point with a great view of the Pinnacles Formation. An easy way to see some of the sights in the park, with the option to connect to the High Peaks Trail loop and continue your journey.
The Basics:
- Distance: 2 miles
- Elevation Gain: 541 feet
- Time: 40 minutes
- Trail Condition: Excellent. Well-maintained and well-traveled trail that begins just outside a popular nature center in the park.
- How To get There: From the park’s East Entrance, travel past the Visitor’s Center and campground and take a left onto the road heading to Bear Gulch. There is a small nature center with a parking lot and bathrooms about a mile from the intersection. Park here, and look for the Condor Gulch Trail, just across a small service road from the bathrooms.
The Notables:
- Quick, easy trail
- Great views of the Pinnacles formations
- Near the nature station and the Bear Gulch hikes
More Pictures:
- on Flickr
I’ll admit — I wasn’t planning on hiking this trail. When I woke up at the Pinnacles Campsite, I had originally intended to just explore the Bear Gulch caves and head on out, but when I saw the incredible inversion layer that was hanging over the park in the morning, I knew I had to try to get some good photos of it interacting with the landscape.
And so, I ventured out from the Bear Gulch ranger station on this short and sweet trail to an overlook near the High Peaks.
The trail itself is a simple single-track that parallels a service road, then climbs up the canyon walls and onto the Pinnacles themselves. It’s really not a destination hike, per se, unless you’ve got interesting weather conditions like I did.
This trail does, however, offer an alternative route to building your own loop trail. 0.7 miles past the overlook, the Condor Gulch Trail meets up with the High Peaks Trail. From there, it’s possible to loop along the more southern routes, back through Bear Gulch and to the trailhead.
But if all you’re doing is checking out the view, this is the hike to take.
Web Hosting by ReadySetConnect
{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
What a great trail. I’ll definitely have to add it to my long list of places to go.
BTW, I love the black and white shot. It adds a real sense of eeriness.
Thanks, Lisa! Would it surprise you to know that I didn’t shoot that in black and white? The marine layer was so thick, it just made everything gray. It was amazing to watch the clouds roll out in slow-motion — definitely add Pinnacles to your list!