Pinnacles Campground, near Paicines, California, is a fantastic base for exploring the stunning [Pinnacles National Park](https://thedyrt.com/camping/california/near/pinnacles-national-park). With its unique rock formations and diverse wildlife, this campground offers a blend of adventure and relaxation in a beautiful natural setting.

The campground features sites that are pet-friendly and equipped with picnic tables and fire rings, perfect for evening gatherings under the stars. Many visitors have enjoyed the clear night skies, making it an excellent spot for stargazing. One camper mentioned, “Great for star gazing,” highlighting the serene atmosphere after dark.

While there are no showers, the campground does have clean restrooms and a camp store that has proven to be a lifesaver for those who forget essentials. Reviewers have noted the friendly staff and the convenience of being able to purchase items like tent poles if needed. As one camper put it, “The camp store was a life saver.”

For outdoor enthusiasts, the nearby trails offer breathtaking views and opportunities to see wildlife, including deer and California condors. Some campers have remarked on the beauty of the trails, saying, “Just driving here was worth the visit.” Whether you're hiking, exploring the caves, or simply enjoying the scenery, Pinnacles Campground provides a memorable experience in the heart of nature.

## Overview

 Pinnacles Campground is located in the unique Pinnacles National Park, 32 miles south of Hollister, California. The park encompasses 26,000 acres of spectacular rock formations and remnants of an extinct 23 million-year old volcano. Hiking and rock climbing are very popular activities in Pinnacles, as is watching for the majestic California condor overhead. Pinnacles National Park is a nesting place for the endangered soaring bird, the largest in North America.
## Recreation

 Pinnacles National Park has more than 30 miles of trails, ranging from easy to strenuous. Many trails intersect, allowing for a short loop or a longer all-day hike. Popular destinations include Bear Gulch Reservoir, High Peaks and the Balconies area. The Bench Trail provides direct access to the park from the campground. Visitors enjoy exploring Balconies Cave and Bear Gulch Cave, which houses a large colony of Townsend's big-eared bats. Bring a flashlight! Rock climbers flock to Pinnacles for the variety of climbing routes that range from easy top-ropes to the multi-pitch climbs along Machete Ridge.
## Facilities

 Pinnacles Campground is located on the eastern side of the park and is open year-round. It offers family and group tent sites, as well as RV sites with electric hookups. Roads and parking spurs are gravel. Flush toilets and drinking water are provided. Showers are available. A general store with basic foods and camping supplies is located on-site. A swimming pool is located within the campground and is open from April through September. 
## Natural Features

 The campground is situated in a rolling landscape dotted with shady Valley Oak, Blue Oak and Coast Live Oak trees. A gentle, seasonal creek runs through the grounds. Springtime finds Pinnacles bursting with a wide variety of vivid wildflowers that line every trail and fill entire meadows with color. Deer and wild turkeys roam the area, and condors can be viewed from within the campground. The park ranges in elevation from 824 feet along South Chalone Creek to 3,304 feet atop North Chalone Peak.

Pinnacles Campground — Pinnacles National Park

The Dyrt is here to help plan your best camping near Pinnacles. Pinnacles is a great camping destination for everyone. There are tons of nearby hikes, adventurous activities, and sights to see. Search nearby campsites and find top-rated spots from other campers.

Pinnacles

The Best Camping Near Pinnacles, California

With so many great parks near the Bay area from Yosemite to Big Sur or Point Reyes, Pinnacles is and under rated gem of a park. 

Getting there: An easy drive down the 25. The park East entrance is actually very easy to miss so pay attention on the windy road or you'll miss it like I did... twice. 

Campsites: Car/RV camping. Full plumbing restrooms and showers. Metal fire pits at each campsite. Wood for sale. Campsites are very close to eachother and you will catch a lot of neighbor noise so try and select a campsite on the end. The Visitor center has maps, information, and a small shop. 

The Park: Very much had a high desert feel. Very hot during the day with little shade to be offered, but got fairly chilly at night. It seemed small for a National Park... but i'm also comparing its size to the likes of Yosemite or Big Sur. You can explore just about the entire park in 2 days/1 night.

What to do: ...Hike. 
- I would suggest one day going to explore the Balconies Cave. From the Old Pinnacles Trailhead Parking its 2.1 miles each way to the cave and the cave is about .4 miles. All said and done it will be about a 5 mile round trip hike. The walk out is exposed and gets hot, have plenty of water. The cave itself stays very cool, around 50*f. Headlamp for both caves will be required.  
- Now that you're warmed up go for a real hike the next day up to the top of the Pinnacles. I'd suggest parking at Bear Gulch Day use area > up the Condor Gulch Trail (1.7mi) > turn left at High Peaks Trail (.6mi) > stay left on the High Peaks Trail all the way back down (2.2mi) [there is a restroom on the trail near Scout Peak] [Photo Ops here, look for the Condors!!] > turn right onto the Rim Trail (.4mi) > cool off going down through the Bear Gulch Cave (.7mi) [need your headlamp again] > and finish the hike back down to the Day Use Area (.5mi). It's a good hike... not to be done with young kids. You better have some food with you and at least 2-3 Liters of water per person, the trail is very exposed and the sun will beat down on you like an ant under a magnifying glass. Start in the morning to try and avoid some heat and finish in the cave to cool off at the end, it will feel refreshing and amazing. 

Pinnacles National Park - East Entrance

Swimming Pool, What..what!!

My BF and I stayed here mid-May 2016 and found the weather to be perfect! Any later and the heat would be oppressive and any earlier and it may have been a bit chilly for me.  The campground had ample bathrooms, water and even showers at the front (bring quarters). Sites were filled and the vibe of everyone seemed pleasant friendly and mostly family oriented. there were ranger programs at night and rangers/camp hosts aplenty.  The campground had both Rv and tent only sites. We were at a tent only site (#20) and my one complaint is that there was a metal grate by the creek crossing next to our site that was very loud when people drove by.  Because the loop we were on was a long one way drive lots of cars passed all morning/day long.  Our site was also on a significant slope though our small 2 person tent fit fine on the flat part.  The site would not be ideal for families.  The campground was a bit cramped and noisy, so if you are looking for a secluded night in the woods this may not be your best bet. however, if you are going to hike and spend most of your day exploring pinnacles this campground is perfect.  There were also lots of birds - we saw many quail, a bunch of woodpeckers living in the trees near our site and tons of various songbirds.  We hiked the high peaks trail through upper bear gulch cave and had a great 6 hr hike. The lower cave was closed due to a roost of maternity bats so be aware if traveling in mid May-mid June.  There seemed to be great climbing options and tons of easy hiiking optoins for kids.  This campground and park are a true gem with a fraction of the crowds most national parks in CA get and would definitely recommend both!

Fully Loaded Campground with Birds Galore!

This campground is great because there are almost always available sites. Sites 1-56 are better than sites 57 and up. Sites 57 and up are in a back loop and are backed into thickets and less open. The biggest drawback of this campground is the raccoons. They are aggressive! They climbed on our table while eating and even got in our car and took a bag of candy. Overall though, we have enjoyed camping here. It's warm enough here that we can go year round. The hike to Bear Gulch caves is great for all ages - our kids range in age from 4-16.


Pinnacles Campground - family camping 

Pinnacles is the newest National Park and well worth a visit. The trails are great and the scenery is incredible, plus there's a chance to see a condor. We camped with a group, and the facilities were well-kept.

A very unique park

If planning a trip longer than just a day hike to the beautiful Pinnacles National Park, and since backpacking in not allowed in Pinnacles, the Pinnacles campground on the east entrance is a nice quiet place to spend a night. This campground is also a nice option to get an early start to a long hike the following morning. The campground is situated only accessible from the east side (this is important if you are coming in off the 101 on the west side of the park - you will need to make sure you plan your route properly or will end up on the wrong side of the park with the closest option Bittersweet Rd. (G13) to cut across and get to the east entrance. The campground itself was very clean, and while we used a small tent site, also offers RV sites. Sites are primarily close together but also had many trees which offered a little shade and semi-privacy feeling. Standard campground with picnic tables and metal fire pits, water located in multiple areas throughout including showers. There was also a pool located on the grounds but we did not use it. 

Easy camping in central California

I visited here with a group of friends several years ago. We used one of the campgrounds to pitch our tents. A lot of great hiking trails with beautiful scenery. Some beautiful caves with waterfalls to explore. Lots of wildlife. Be careful at night to secure all food items. There are some ravenous raccoons that will tear things up at night and make a huge racket if they get into your food stash. They especially love trail mix.

Pinnacles National Monument in California 

Although many national parks are busier, more frantic camping experiences, Pinnacles provided a very relaxed, pleasant few days of hiking and camping.

The campground itself was a basic national park setup: pretty spacious and scenic sites, picnic tables, flush toilets, and running water. They also have coin showers and a dump station for RVs.

Since Pinnacles is in a more remote area, the access to the park from the campground was clutch. We were able to get an early start and beat the (few) crowds out to the best trails. In our four days in the park, we hiked almost every trail. The trail system is extensive and can be connected in many ways, but here were our favorite parts:

*   High Peaks area - on the map it’s called “steep and narrow”
*   Bear Gulch and Balconies talus caves
*   Chalone Peak Trail

Pinnacles is the newest national park, and it’s quite small, so you can do it justice in a day, but I’d suggest slowing down and spending the night. It’s a perfect place to take it easy!

You can read much more about our four days in the park on our blog: [Switchback Kids (Pinnacles)](http://switchbackkids.com/pinnacles/)

Peaceful and relaxing campground & hiking experience

This campground can only be accessed from the East entrance to Pinnacles National Park, and fills up fast on weekends. Amenities aren't the newest, the stinky bathrooms had a line for the coin-op showers, and the camp store/registration counter/visitor center is only open from 9:30am-5pm. A lot of tent campers paid extra for RV sites, as they were the only ones available. Shade is hit-and-miss.

Book In Advance!

My husband and I stayed at Pinnacles for 2 nights in the beginning of July. It gets hot in the summer! It was 97 F during the day, so a campground with shade is a must as well as lots of water.

Wildlife: This is a condor release area so keep your eye out for these massive birds. We saw 4 feeding on the ground on our way to the trailhead. There were wild turkeys and many quail and other birds as the occasional opportunistic raccoon. Keep your food in the bear locker provided at all times.

Camp: The campsites consists of 3 loops for tents and 1 loop for RVs. There is a stream that runs between the RV loop and the tent loops. There are bathrooms conveniently located throughout the camp and are clean and well maintained. There are enough that they don’t get busy. Showers on the other hand do get busy in the evening. There only 2 showers each for men and women available near the pool. The camp store is well stocked and the rangers are friendly.

Showers: There are only 2 showers each for men and women. You can’t adjust the water temperature and it was very hot when we were there. We brought a shower bag and were thankful. 

Sites: We stayed in site 67 and loved it! It was one of the most secluded sites there. You can’t see the road when you are in the site; it is set back and covered by bushes on all sides. Site 66 was near us, but mostly blocked by bushes. Site 68 was separated by a small ravine and bushes, so you really have a lot of privacy. Behind us were trees and a drop down that led to the creek and in front was a great view of the mountain. In the bushes a family of quail was nesting. It was also well shaded starting at 1pm in July. The bathroom was right across the road from us, but far enough not to hear it. The trash is in front of the bathrooms and the water spout very close as well.

Shade: Make sure to get a shady spot or bring a canopy. The shadier sites that I saw were sites 54-70, though there were some in the 20’s area that were shaded too. I would call the camp and the rangers ask to make sure.

Cooking/Campfires: Make sure to check the website to see if fires will be allowed while you are there. We did not do this and brought food that we expected to cook over the fire. The fire risk was high because of the heat, so no fires were allowed. I’m guessing this is the case for most of the summer and early Fall. Luckily we had snacks and the camp store has enough to get by. There are no other stores/restaurants nearby.

Trails: The trails amazing and rock formations spectacular. We went hiking early morning and early evening and beat the crowds and the heat that way. The Bear Gulch caves were closed due to the female bats nursing their young in the summer, but the Balconies caves were open and they were amazing! Bring a headlamp for the caves. The hikes up to the reservoir and High Peaks overlook are fantastic and should not be missed. We will definitely come back to see Bear Gulch Cave.

Beautiful views and Stunning Trails

First of all the company managing the site was pretty inept. We arrived to our camp site on the night of our reservation (made two months prior) to find another couple camping at the same site. They had driven up that day and been given our site by the management company. The Visitor Center was closed at this point so we just set up our tent on the other side of the campsite and went to bed.

The next morning it took an hour at the Visitor Center to sort out the confusion. They had my reservation, but somehow had booked two different couples to stay there on two of the three nights we were there. Credit to them for finally sorting it out and making it right, but it was a hassle and I would have rather been hiking then waiting in the Visitor Center for the staff to figure out which was is up.

The campground itself was nice enough, but many of the sites were very close together and there was zero enforcement of any kind of noise restrictions. There are also lots of raccoons that walk the campground at dusk looking for food left out or unattended, so please be sure to keep you food locked up at all times.

At this point you're probably thinking we hated this place, but not at all. The hiking was great and the caves were very cool. The shuttle system was nice and if you leave on the first or second shuttle of the morning you'll have very little company.

The trails are greats and quite well maintained, with the exception of the North Wilderness Trail. High Peaks Trail to Juniper Canyon is a beautiful hike from either side with the south end of high peaks offering cool rock tunnels and Bear Gulch Reservoir and the north side, accessed from Chalone Creek Road, has some great views and cool sections where the trail is literally carved into the rock.

We also were lucky enough to see half a dozen condors. While the were only perked in a tree and not flying, it was still very cool to see them.

Overall the park was great, but wish the campground management crew would do their jobs to make the camping part of this park more enjoyable.

Great Park, Okay Campground

This is the first campground we stayed in when we bought our new Cricket trailer. It gets COLD at night! We weren't expecting it. Be prepared!

There are a lot of sites at the campground but there really isn't much privacy (like the Yosemite campgrounds, this is not a place you go when you want seclusion). The sites are on gravel so they're nice and level (I don't know about the tent sites, though). I think this is a great place if you want to camp with friends (since you can book a bunch of sites all in a row and there won't be any division between you), or if you're really just using it as a good spot for a home base so you can go climbing.It's dog-friendly but ONLY inside the campground itself.

There are a lot of amenities, including a store (the sell food, plus all the nicknacks like natl park stickers) and a pool (which I didn't use). I think I'd like to go back now that we are more experienced campers and know to bring blankets. :)

cool park, pretty nice camping

We arrived late in the evening, tent spots were tucked into a wooded area. Rv spots were more out in the open with power hook ups. Campground had multiple bathrooms, as clean as to be expected, showers, and a swimming pool open during the day. Very neat camp ground, definitely plan on returning.

Pinnacles National Park campground

We were suggested by the ranger to take a 9.5 mile hike to see the best of the park. included high peaks trail climbing steps carved into the rock in the 30's. And going through one of their caves (balconies cave) as the other was closed for bat breeding season.  1,500 elevation gain in the first few miles but totally worth it. With a few bathrooms along the way makes it very convenient if you need to stop. Overall an amazing hike and views of California condors when you get to the top.


Pinnacles National Park

The Pinnacles Campground offers a variety of sections to fit the need of most every type of camper. There are two sections to the park - an east and a west side which are not connected very easily unless you hike through the Pinnacles themselves. However, the main Campground offers a ranger station and store that provides books, snacks, and information on the park. There is wifi and a pool and showers available. Sections include group sites (which were the ones I stayed at), good for families, school trips, or camps, and more family style camps, and places where you can glamp in your RV fully equipped with hook ups.

The pinnacles is unique because they are one of two spots in California where you can see the California Condors, a huge giant scavenging bird that almost became extinct. From the campsite you can watch them soar back to their roosts in the higher Pinnacles through binoculars. Truly a wonderful experience.

Cons: Watch out for the raccoons. They will eat everything you don't lock away!

Great accommodations! 

This is a large campground (and the ONLY campground) in Pinnacles National Park. It is on the East side of the park, and you can only access it from the East side. There is no road going across the park from west to east, so expect to drive south or north in order to get to the campground if you are coming from the coast (as I was).  Here’s what I like about the campground: it’s kind of spread out and it seemed that each site had a little privacy, every site has its own bear box, and some sites have trees for hammocks. Here’s what I didn’t like: the entire campground’s septic system was on the fritz and not expected to be fixed anytime soon, so all modern bathrooms were closed and porta potties were in place everywhere (and they needed tI be serviced). I also didn’t like that there was only one shower house with two showers (for women, I am am assuming 2 for men) for so many campers. I also didn’t like that the host sites were tucked back behind the pool and shower house on a spur road, making it difficult to spot (I finally found them late the second day; none too helpful either). All that said, the ranger station is right at the front of the campground, and there are great trails you can hike to or take a quick drive to from the campground. The CAVES!!!! So cool! And you have to hike the Balconies. Take at least two sources of light (cell phones do not count) and plenty of water as it gets hot in the afternoon. The coolest part was seeing 5 of the 30 or so California Condors soaring on the thermals over me on the Bear Gulch Loop. 

East side camping

Pinnacles Campground is a nice campground in the middle of the Pinnacles N.P. Sites are nice, and most of them could easily fit two tents. It was fairly busy when we were here, with a lot of people and noise. Raccoons are very active here so be sure to lock all of your food away and don’t leave anything out through the night. There quite a few sites that offer good shade.

Nice Campground 

This is a good climbing spot but sort of out of the way to get to. As a result, you see more local in state visitors vs out of staters looking to hit Yosemite. If the campground is full you can access the coast in a little over an hour for potentially better options scenery wise.

Climb and camp

Campground has running water/toilets. Hot showers are located near the entrance. Firewood is available from the camp host. Lots of nice spots.

Great

Being here plenty of times. My son and I have hike almost all the trails there numerous times, never gets old. People there are very friendly. There is a general store but sometime it closes before 5\. Use to come here before it became a national park and there were less crowds, now you need to make reservations because the walk-in sites fill up fast. The wild life is great except for the typical raccoons that are always hungry so make sure you use the bear boxes at the campsites. The last few times we have been there we were able to have a campfire but when conditions get bad only camp-stoves are allowed. No worries if you forget something at home the general store is pretty much stocked up, they even have camp stoves. Cool thing about Pinnacles is that they have a swimming pool. As for the caves, your best bet would be to check the cave status on the Pinnacles NPS websites because the caves are sometimes closed. Get pretty hot in the summer.

Great for hiking and camping

Camped here in April, 2015\. It was already very warm, but our sites were under shaded area so it was great to be outside. We were also at the end of the campground so it was more private than those in the loop. Restrooms were nearby and water was available. Picnic tables were at each site. We had a big brave raccoon lurking around our site all evening and it was annoying. It was brave enough to get on the picnic table when we were not looking. It was all over the table and around the campsite at night that we saw paw prints all over. Our friends who were sleeping on cots had a problem where the raccoon dragged a backpack in the middle of the night. So make sure to keep food in secure containers and put away at night. Other than that, it was a pleasant experience. Weather was quite warm so we hiked early to beat the heat. Trails are very exposed so you need to make sure to bring a hat, sunscreen and lots of water to hike especially in summer months. We ran into a snake and a horned toad lizard on the trails. Look out for condors too.

Great campground with lots of hiking activities

great park for day hikes, but drive up early or there will be 0 parking. if you are camping in summer bring a shade structure just in case you land a site in sunlight. some on the spots right along the road looked really small and cramped so choose wisely! great amenities- water, restrooms, store, pool. fire restrictions are strict in summer as well starting around june.

HOT in summer

We stayed at campground 71 at the far end of the property, which was still conveniently located near bathrooms, a close drive to showers and the visitor center/camp store. This particular campground had a animal proof food box which fit our 60l cooler perfectly. The parking is close to the picnic table, which was perfect for unloading all our gear. We stayed for a couple nights while we explored Pinnacles NP, and the only down side we’re the pesky yellow jackets 🐝. They kept interfering with our meal prep, but that’s the cost of being outdoors. Lots of shade, an ok amount of privacy. It gets busy on weekends. No fires due to fire danger.

Perfect car camping spot

The Pinnacles can be hot so the riparian sites in the trees are my preference. Lots of bathrooms nicely spaced, each site has a metal food box, mostly to discourage the raccoons.

They have 9 first-come, first served sites if you can get there by 9:00 AM when the office opens. I was able to get one at 9:00 AM on Labor Day weekend. They even have a pool, which is really nice after a hot, dusty hike. It is not heated and is quite bracing on a 90 degree day. The office also has minimal groceries available, as well as some equipment and kitchen stuff.

Only draw back to the park is there is no backcountry camping allowed. There are plenty of trails and large parts of the park are lightly traveled but it makes for long hikes to return to the only place you can camp, in the East side campground. One really cool thing; there are tarantulas in the park and they mate in the fall so they get active in the evening. Amazing to see them in numbers.

Well equipped and laid out camping for both tent camping and RVs

It’s too hot and the caves are closed in July due to the bats giving birth. We stayed here due to having to detour from Big Sur because of the landslide that closed the 1 hwy. on our way up to Alaska.

However, it was a nice campground with a good amount of shaded RV sites with electric hookups to run AC, a lot of nearby hikes, scenic views and wildlife. We definitely want to return when it’s cooler and the caves are open to explore.

Not in July

**[ PROS ]**

*   Camping in a National Park! This is the only campground in Pinnacles National Park so you’re options are limited, but this campground is centrally located.
*   Wonderful Camp Store with gear, supplies, and anything you might need for camping. They even have snacks, ice cream, and candy.
*   Visitor Center where you can get lots of helpful information about the park and souvenirs to take home.
*   Each sites comes with a picnic table, fire ring + grill, 2 parking spots, and bear box.
*   Clean restrooms but it is shared with a lot of campers. I wish they had a few more.
*   So close to wildlife! We saw 6-8 deers both days just grazing inside the campground. Site #20 is where they hung out the entire weekend. Also, lots of rabbits, owls, magpies, quail, and turkey vultures.
*   Great night sky with lots of stars!
*   Lot’s of hiking trails at Pinnacles National Park. We started on the East Entrance and took the Bear Gulch Cave Trail to Moses Spring Trail, to the High Peaks Trail. It was spectacular and pure magic! One of my favorite day hikes that I’ve done. The caves were so cool to see and the Bear Gulch Reservoir is gorgeous.
*   Really clean and well maintained park. I normally carry a bag to pick up trash on hikes, but this time I barely saw litter.

**[ CONS ]**

*   The only showers are by the Visitor Center which is a long walk or drive from the main camping area.
*   Sites are super close together and very small. Some sites barely looked like you could put 2 small tents. Be prepared to be close to neighbors.
*   Very touristy and crowded, it is a National Park afterall so that is to be expected.
*   No fires were allowed when I was there.

Note: Site #45 where we stayed was great! It had a water spigot right next to us which was really convenient, and it was a perfect distance from the restroom. Not directly next to it, but one site away.

**Product Review**

As a Ranger for The Dyrt, I get products to test from time to time. This weekend I had the opportunity to test out [Beef Stew](https://www.mountainhouse.com/m/product/beef-stew.html) by [Mountain House](https://www.mountainhouse.com/) on a camping trip to Pinnacles Campground. As far as the product goes, I can eat this ALL DAY. It’s so good, filling, and hearty just as it is. This is as good as it gets for a quick, hot meal at the drop of a dime. It tastes just as good as a home cooked meal. Overall, just perfect comfort food -- chunky pieces of potato, peas, and carrots, the beef has great texture and generous portions, and the sauce is savory, flavorful and thick. I decided to elevate this meal and make Mountain House Campfire Beef Hand Pies! All you need is ready-to-bake biscuits and a Mountain House #10 Beef Stew Can and you have the best campfire hand pies ever! One package of Mountain House can make 16-20 hand pies. That’s 2.5 cans of ready-to-bake biscuits.

Ingredients

*   1 package of ready-to-bake biscuits
*   1 Mountain House #10 Beef Stew Can
*   Also needed: cast iron pan vegetable oil and paper towels

Instructions

1.  Follow instructions for making Mountain House #10 Beef Stew and set aside.
2.  Open the can of ready-to-bake biscuits and roll out each biscuit until they are about 4 inches in width. Make sure to work fast with the dough so that it still stays cool.
3.  Place 1 tbsp of Mountain House Beef Stew  into the center of each circle, fold them over (like a taco) and seal the edges by using the tines of a fork, press the edges together all the way around. Try to avoid getting any of the stew sauce around the edges or else it will be more difficult to seal.
4.  Place 1-2 inches of oil in a cast iron pan and place on the fire over coals (or camp stove), not direct flames. Test to see if the oil is ready by dropping a couple droplets of water into the pan. If it sizzles, it’s ready to go!
5.  Cook the pies until the first side is well browned then flip over and repeat.
6.  Let the pies set on paper towels for 1 minute to drain out any excess oil.

Optional: Enjoy with salsa, sour cream, and cilantros

Considerations: If you want to prevent leaks in your hand pie, take an additional step when sealing your pies by flipping the pie over to the other side, and sealing it again with your fork. It’s a little more work, but the payoff is worth it!

Ranger Review: Mountain House Beef Stew at Pinnacles Campground

Two campgrounds: tent sites with no hookups and an RV Loop with electric. We chose the latter since we are having problems with our solar. Several sites are not open due to damage (storms, vandalism, not sure why) and the ones that are open could still use a little sprucing up. We were in site 112 which had the advantage of shade from a huge oak tree. Since the three sites to our left were closed and the one to our right was not occupied, it felt private but if all sites were open and occupied, there would not be much privacy between sites. 116 looked to be the best site in this Loop. Wooden picnic table was a little warped and there was a huge hole at one corner that I tripped in more than once. We tried to re-position the table but there was no way it would budge. No bathrooms in the RV Loop but it was not that far of a walk to the flush toilets in the tent Loop. The road on the RV Loop was part paved and in fine condition but part dirt with deep ruts that were impossible to navigate around. This campground gets extra points for recycling, especially of propane canisters. The campground is located at the East entrance to the park by the Visitor center; there are no campgrounds by the west entrance and you cannot drive between the two (you can hike). Lots of hiking, Condor sightings and, in the spring, many wildflowers.

Could use a little TLC

This is really the only campground in the NP. It's within a few miles to the major trails and caves. The spots are more private and you will see lots of wildlife in there too! 

Big Campground

This National Park is unlike many we have stayed at in that they do have showers, a swimming pool, a store, lots of amenities, getting there is the hard part as it is in a very remote part of California. The park is known for the California condors and our hike didn’t disappoint as we saw many. The hike to the high peak was crazy! 

Pinnacles, May, 2019

This campground was perfect for a large group camping trip! We were there during the week so it was pretty quiet and we had free range to play at night in the area. 

  

The group sites were large enough to fit a group of 15-20 and were spaced far apart enough to have your own space. There was shade and great parking spots. There was trash receptacles scattered around the area, and there were were bathrooms easily accessed. 

  

The hiking was filled with incredible views and there were plenty of spaces to climb and have stunning views for a day in the park. 

  

The general store and pool was perfect after a long day of hiking. 

  

Make sure you check out the bat caves and keep your food stored properly, little critters do roam the campground.

Great for Hot Days and Batty Nights

Summer is not the best time to go. It gets hot and you can’t have fires      I went in late June and it was bearable to do an early hike, but bat caves may be closed in summer. 
That said the nights were beautiful full of stars and warm. They have a pool that will be full of kids but feels really refreshing after a hot hike. There was a lot of wildlife. 
Some sites are close together, but not all so check them carefully. There were big Oaks in most campsites that offer some shade. 
The bathrooms were fine, but the showers really needed some help. 

Beautiful rock formations and caves

The campground has well spaced spots nice bathrooms but horrible pay showers, definitely bring your shower shoes. The rv spots have electric hookups but no water or sewer. Very warm in summer no fires allowed. If you are looking to explore the caves March or October is when they are fully open. The park gets quite busy on weekends, parking lots at the trails are usually full by 10am, make sure you get an early start.

Nice hiking trails

CAMPFIRES ARE NOT ALLOWED HERE. Not even in the fire rings at each site!

We enjoyed seeing LOTS of wildlife in Pinnacles from our campsite: California quail scurrying up a hill, mule deer, and raptors of all kinds. Lots of nocturnal animal activity!   

But the campsites themselves were dispersed around a parking lot -- not much more to it, and very little shade or barrier between sites. Quiet hours were not enforced at all. People were loud through the night.

Wrong name was written on our placard so we worried all night that someone would accuse us of taking their spot, even though we had reserved. and pre-paid for the one we were in. Camping host was indifferent to this error.

Great National Park, though, and seemed to be the only camping option in the area.

Wonderful wildlife sounds, hiking trails, and more

I have to admit, I didn't even know Pinnacles NP exsisted. I'm glad I saw the sign and venture to check it out. It’s a beautiful park and has the largest population of California Condors in the world. 

The campground is situated about 2.3 miles from the main trailheads. There's tent and RV campsites. It's a good campground with the NP visitor center located within the campground. 

Note: There's only 30Amp service at the RV sites. Bring an adapter if you only have 50 or 20Amps. 

Breathtaking 

Great facilities, easy access to trails. Usually busy. 

Easy access 

The Pinnacles have some great hikes, there are bat caves to explore, lakes  and slot canyons.  We really enjoyed hiking thru caves and tight places.  Super fun for adventurous kids. If you camp here in the summer it’ll be really hot, but the good news is there is a swimming pool at the campground. We usually do a early morning hike and then spend the afternoon cooling off at the pool.  The campsites are nothing special.  Somewhat close together and depending upon the time of day it can get pretty sun drenched.  There are flush toilets, but no showers.  There is a small general store.  

It’s all about the hiking, not the camping

**Campground Review:**

Be sure to look at a map carefully and drive to the property side of the park if you plan to camp here!  There are two entrances to Pinnacles and they don't connect by road.  Also, we didn't have any cell phone service, but we did manage to get service with our hotspot while in the campground.  The store has wifi too, but we didn't need it.  The campground is plenty nice, but it doesn't have the feel of a typical National Park campground.  We stayed in one of the electric sites with our RV, but there are dry camping sites as well.  We had an awesome time in the park hiking and spotting California Condors.  The park is absolutely worth a visit and this is by far the closest place to stay.

  

**Product Review:**

As a Ranger for The Dyrt, I get to test products from time to time.  At this campground, I tested the [Ecovessel Boulder Insulated Water Bottle](https://www.ecovessel.com/collections/insulated-bottles/products/the-boulder-24-oz?variant=29397513699372).  The quality and performance of this product are both very impressive!  I tested this out both with hot tea and cold water and gatorade and have been very pleased.  I love the strainer feature so it keeps ice from rushing to my mouth every time I take a sip.  It's also convenient for tea as well.  Not to mention the color is great.  I love this water bottle!

Ranger Review:  Ecovessel THE BOULDER Insulated Water Bottle at PinnaclesNP

Great place to hike, spectacular views. Rock climbers will enjoy the pinnacle rock formations. Talus caves add to the wonderful hikes and offer a refreshing break from the sun. Spring and fall best, summers are hot. You may also see a California condor overhead. 

Mountains and Caves

This campground is right outside of the park, near the visitor center. It’s a convenient campground with plenty of restrooms and they are well maintained. The site we camped at was very spacious (site 3). Its a very family friendly campground, many kids riding their bikes around. From the campground it’s an easy hike into pinnacles, or they have a shuttle that takes you right to the trails. The general store is next to the visitor center so it’s also walking distance for firewood and such. We hiked condor trail which was pretty killer seeing the condors up there. It gets pretty warm out here so definitely plan ahead and go during good weather time. We last minute booked our site for mid May and it actually wasn’t that hot.(low 80s during the day) The hikes are really cool, my favorite hike is bear gulch reservoir through the bear gulch caves trail! 

A family friendly camp

I did my very first camping at Pinnacles campground and it was a great first time experience. Easy access to fresh water, flushable toilets and beautiful hiking trails in walking distance. There's even a swimming pool but it's closed during COVID-19. I would definitely camp here again.

Spacious camping spots with clean flushable toilets

This is now a national park and no longer a National Mounment.  The park is great for hiking and climbing.  But is gets hot and I do mean hot in the summer.  If you are climber the rocks themselves heat up and the reflection is HOT.  Hiking would have to be early morning or early evening. Also you need to be aware of the snake population.  

  

That being said in the spring and fall this is a great place to hike and climb.  

  

I have been there in February and have been cold. But it is great time of the year to see raptors including condors.  For those of you who like raptors this is a great park to see many.

  

In the spring and fall there is great hiking.  There are two sets of caves to explore - but check first as they are often closed to protect the bat population.

  

Pick your campsite carefully.  Some are really in the open with no shade - which depending on the time of year can be a problem.

Great in Spring and Fall - HOT in the Summer!

Lots of large oaks provide shade for the tent &amp; RV sites. The bathrooms are clean and old but clean. The showers are coin-operated and need updating. Loved that there were many trails attached to the campground - no need to drive into the NP when you could walk there.  Camp store is well supplied with food &amp; camping items. Lots of quail and turkey vultures roam free near the campground. I will definitely take my family back. No ATT service, but wi-fi is available for a minimal purchase

Surrounded by oaks & trails close by

This is one of those spectacular must-do national parks that is frankly under-discovered.  You can approach Pinnacles from the west or the east (we chose the west).  Truly unique landscape complete with hikes through caves and streams, rewarded with breathtaking views.  But it is HOT in the summer - so highly recommend going in the spring (when the water is still running through the caves)  or the fall (no water but still gorgeous).  During the busy spring and summer months, be sure to start the hike EARLY as the parking at the trail head gets full quickly (and rangers will turn your vehicle around).

Incredible (but little known) national park - GO IN SPRING OR FALL

Visited in June and thankfully wasn’t too hot. Definitely lucked out with a site with shade. 

Ballsiest raccoons I’ve met while camping. 

Really good spot from which to explore the park - be ready to walk if the main road is shut down due to covid. 

Good for hikers

Saw a lot of deer, birds and raccoons in the campground which is pretty cool!! Pinnacles is super underrated and out in the middle of nowhere, the campground was clean and not too busy. Kind of a far walk to the bathrooms, but you can’t have everything haha. Definitely would stay here again! If you visit you have to hike the steep and narrow section of the high peaks trail! Freaking amazing view and LOTS of condors up there! Also the raccoons were sneaking around the campsite as soon as the sun went down! They definitely do not fear humans like they do out in San Diego! Haha. Overall great experience! Be sure to have enough gas! If you’re coming from the south, it’s about 70 miles from the nearest gas station to the park (one way), great views along CA25!!

Underrated 

Absolutely beautiful park!! We stayed at the beginning of the pandemic and only people with campground reservations were allowed in the park. This made it really peaceful and we only saw a couple other people on the trails. 

Incredible!!

This is only my 5th National park and was beautiful. Lots of wildlife visitor's. The Park is also home to the California Condor. Bummer that we didn't see any. RV spots have electric plug in. We stayed in a 30 amp spot.

What a great National park!

Basically no one there when we stayed. Some excellent hikes and good climbing if you're into that.

So close yet seems so remote!

Pinnacles National Park is very cool!!!  Lots to check out.  You can learn about CA Condors, how pinnacles form, rock climbing, learn about the San Andreas fault.  All kinds of things to explore and learn.

  

The campground is clean with bathrooms.  The showers are only near the convenience store, which is not very convenient because the camp sites are so spread out.  The RV's have their own campgrounds.  As do groups.  It's a good size campground.

  

Our site was #46.  We liked it for the privacy it gave.  Most sites sit right on the open road throughout the campground.  We were more tucked away. 

  

 I imagine this campground would normally be very green  and the creeks and waterfalls flowing after the rainy season.  Unfortunately we have been in some-what of a drought.

  

There are a lot of cool hikes.  Hikes with caves filled with bats, waterfall hikes, huge boulder climbing hikes.  Hikes to a reservoir, great for a picnic.

  

We hiked  from our site to the reservoir, about a 9 mile loop.  It starts off ok, then it just keeps getting better and better.  At one point you actually are walking along the San Andreas Fault!! CRAZY.  If you want to do a shorter hike, the park provides parking lots at the base of most of the hikes.  Then it's only about 2 mile loop.

  

The only reason I gave this campground 4.5 stars, is because of the sites. They are very much "out in the open".  That's just a personnel preference.

  

Go check it out, and hike to the top!!  Oh Beware of the raccoons.  These big guys are savy!!!

Cave, Boulder & Pinnacle Hiking

The park is amazing and there are so many great hikes, wildlife viewing and picturesque landscapes!

  

The campground loop we were in was full and the sites are fairly close to your neighbor but it wasn't bad. The main reason being absolutely NO generators allowed so it was peaceful. The sites were semi private as the brush and trees have grown around most sites offering a little privacy. Other campers were friendly and considerate. Note that the RV side with the hook up does not offer any privacy and is near the main road. RVs are not confined to that area though.

  

The spots are flat and include fire pit, picnic table and food locker. Raccoons apparently are a big problem here so keep your food locked up. There is a small general store/visitor center with a variety of food items, stove fuel, firewood, general camping supplies and souvenirs. WiFi also available for $10 for 7days per device. We paid, but our T-Mobile hotspot with Weboost won out in the end because the WiFi did not reach our spot. There is better reception for the WiFI in other spots. No cell reception with AT&amp;T or Verizon.

  

The hiking is great! and during the week pleasantly absent of tons of other hikers. Masks are required even on trails when 6 ft distance cannot be maintained, and people were very respectful of that on the trails. There is a lot of wildlife to see though sadly we did not see any condors on this trip. The caves are currently closed due to Covid. 

  

Other amenities:

  

Tent cabins

RV only loop with 30amp hook up only (no sewer or water hook up)

Showers

Bathrooms

Garbage and Recycling

RV dump station (flush water only)

Fresh water filler up (near RV camping area)

Group camping

Pool (currently closed)

Pets allowed but NOT allowed on any trails

  

Overall a great experience for a lesser known National Park, would come here again!

Crowded But Not Awful

The rv campground has hookups and recently added very good WiFi.  As others have mentioned, Pinnacles is a gem - particularly in spring and fall.  The hikes were really busy and the parking lots get full by 9 am on weekends.  

That said, there is a reason why.  The hike was extremely memorable, though not for those afraid of heights.  

We didn’t see condors, but we did get a really cool discussion with a condor tracker.  And, she was showing us how she actively tracked them.  

We will be back to see the caves when they open again - we loved this park!

A beautiful park that seems to be growing in popularity

Website says first come first serve, but upon getting there it seems you can actually make a reservation. Packed in from the West parking lot with the plan of camping overnight and completing loop the next day but was told it was full. Lesson learned, call the site along with reading the website.

Campsite itself seemed great and wonderful for families and singular campers. Right next to many trails and has a good campground store. 

Large space but make a reservation before going

Great park with trails that vary from flat oak meadows with wildflowers to strenuous mountain hikes to canyon creeks &amp; caves.  Parking inside the park fills up early (by 8am) so get there early or you’ll have to start your hike from the big lot at the visitor center and add a few miles.

The campground is good.  We tent camped.  Bathrooms are kept clean &amp; stocked with TP &amp; soap.  Water taps are frequent.  Some sites are small &amp; exposed; others are big, shady &amp; private.  Many on loop C are good.  The camp store is very well stocked.

Great park & campground 

Easy shuttle ride from some awesome hikes. Our site was near a creek with standing water and hence some mosquitos and stinky because of proximity to the bathroom. Good shade and a solid NP campground option. 

Awesome hikes nearby

This campground was super convenient when staying at Pinnacles for a couple days. You can’t really get anything same day so be sure to book in advance! We stayed outside of the park the first night and here the next. Amazing to see condors from our site. Great hiking close by!

Easy and accessible 

I love this park so much! But the campground is privately run and I have mixed feelings about it.

There are over 100 sites, but only 3 bathrooms (they do have flush toilets and running water) so its a long walk. My child is not quite independent enough to make that walk on her own without getting lost. 

There was a creek by our site and it was wonderfully calm. The vegitation insulated us from the party camps near by.

There was a very spherical friendly raccoon that visited as soon as the sun set - perhaps overly friendly - make sure you practice good food hygiene here.

Long walk to the toilets

I stayed in the RV loop and did not enjoy my time there. The sites had no private cu and were crammed in together, most people seems to be there to party and the bathrooms were far and gross. 

Very RV park feeling

I snagged a last-minute cancelation in Pinnacles during peak time in May. We were in site 82 of Loop D, which is the RV area. The campground recently renumbered its sites, so that can be confusing if you're researching sites.  
  
Very open and flat. We pitched out tent where you'd normally park and just put the car slightly to the side. Plenty of room. You can buy wood from the camp host, who then delivers it to your site.  
  
We brought a pop up, which was useful over our table during the day, when it got into the 80s. You can watch condors and turkey vultures circle over the hillside nearby. (Learn to tell the difference! Both have red heads, but condors are much larger, have a different white striping underneath and don't flap their wings. If it's big and smooth flying, it's probably a condor.)  
  
Our biggest issue was our neighbor in their shiny silver trailer, who ran their heater/ac all night, which cycled loudly on and off next to our tent. Had it not been for that, it would have been a more pleasant stay. On the plus side, we used a converter to plug into the power box at our site and were able to set up a little cell phone charging station. (The regular power outlet like the kind you see in your house seemed to be blocked, as I've seen it at other campgrounds, as well.)  
  
Not much shade though. We had one tree by our site. Bathrooms were a bit of a walk, but were fine. Water spigot was literally AT our site, next to our fire pit. So we got to say hello to lots of folks. We grabbed an ice cream from the market by the tiny visitor's center at the entrance to the campground. We didn't use the swimming pool or showers.  
  

Tent sites near the water across the way seemed more private, but also more prone to mosquitoes. It was nice listening to the frogs in that area, but that could annoy some people.  

  

Main hiking trail parking lot filled by 8am or 8:30am on weekends during peak times, so we got up there early. They close the road out in front of the campground when those lots fill. So if you see that, you can wait until a car comes down or you can tack on some extra mileage and hike up from the back side of the campground.

Flat Site in a Beautiful Area, But RV Noise

It's just not that great. Our site had a brackish pool of stagnant water nearby that made the bugs unbearable. Some of the sites just get blasted by sun all day. The shower works but expect it to go from hot to cold and back.

And yes, the raccoons will steal food off your table right in front of you.

Haven't tried the wifi at the store but they do have it. 

Nothing to write home about

Per my rating system, this is very close to being 5 stars, meaning it's worth planning a trip from out of state just to visit this park and surrounding national/state forest for 3 days or more  The only reason it's 4 stars instead of 5 is that Pinnacles isn't quite big enough to explore exclusively for a minimum of 3 days. You've got a solid and long day of hiking through the park (6 miles, but very intense and exposed). Then a half day of exploring the parts of the park you didn't get to on the hike  And then. . well, by then you've probably seen most of what is worth seeing in the park. So hop in the car and drive to Monterey.  Go to the aquarium, eat some seafood, and then drive back to Pinnacles (about 3 hours round trip, but worth it if you spend the whole day in Monterey).  This is the definition of 4 stars by my system: a park definitely worth visiting if its part of a larger trip to a region.  And for locals, this is a must-visit spot, a place that will be on the regular camping rotation.

The park, which is located in a tight valley in San Benito county, is a geologically unique spot nestled in oak studded rolling California coastal mountains. There are two entrances into the park, but the campground is only accessible from the Gilroy/Hollister side.  If you're coming from the Bay Area, take Hwy 101 through Gilroy and then get on Hwy 25 South. As you wind your way on Hwy 25, you pass ranch land and within 10 miles of getting off the freeway, you feel like you're pretty far away from it all. That's the thing about California.  Get off the main thoroughfares and out of the population centers, and things get rugged fast. In the days of trillion-dollar market caps for Silicon Valley technology companies, people often forget that California has a rich agricultural history. I've lived in California for going on 3 decades, and I sometimes wonder what the more quintessentially central California experience is: Shopping at the Apple Store in San Francisco and then dining at a fine restaurant as the fog rolls in, or buying produce from a farm stand in a valley bordered by rolling hills.  It's probably both. San Benito county is a great place to experience the latter.

What makes Pinnacles geologically unique is that the park is formed from bulbous rock formations.  These are somewhat reminiscent of what one would find in southern Utah, at a place like Arches. The main hike, which is a loop that begins and ends at the parking lot, takes you up the ridge line and then across the rock faces. It's an intense and fun hike. It's just under 6 miles, but it will take the entire day.  Pack a lunch and plenty of water.  There are no water sources on the trail.  If you're lucky, you'll see condors floating in the thermal currents.

Speaking of thermal currents, Pinnacles is extremely hot in the summer. I've never come here past April.  The winter is ideal for Pinnacles.  But if you are in the Bay Area in the summer, it's worth checking out.  But be prepared for heat.

There are two campgrounds loops: one is for RV's and the other is for tents and RV "dry camping" (i.e. no hookups). I was in the tent section, dry camping my Airstream. The RV loop is easy to get in and out of.  The loop I was in was a bit trickier - "blue square" difficulty level for a 28' trailer. I had a back-in spot, but the angle of the spot made it easy to back in.  The tricky part was that it was kind of narrow, with railroad ties on either side. It was a good spot, and I'd definitely take that one again. But, if you want full hookups on the RV loop, spots 50 and 51 are the ones to get.  Many of the spots on the RV loop were really exposed, and it can get hot in Pinnacles, even in the winter during the day.

As I mentioned in the introduction of this post, there is a lot to do within a 2-3 hour (round trip) drive of Pinnacles.  You could go up to the southern Bay Area.  You can go to Monterey.  You could go wine tasting in Paso Robles. This is a great place to plan a 3-4 night trip. It's always on my short list of places to go.

Visually Stunning Rock Formations in the Central California Countryside

Great camping spot with a small creek running by the site.  Water = mosquitoes and this was no exception.  Plenty of shade at this site, level ground and space was plentiful for our 14 x 15 tent.  We had a separate dome tent to keep out bugs.  The site had two picnic benches, a fire pit and bear lockers for your food.  The potable water was just steps away and the parking area easily accommodated two vehicles (vans).  The bathrooms were a short stroll away, along with the big trash dumpsters. They have a pool near the visitor’s center/camp store which was very popular.  Staff was really nice and the sites are well-kept.  The pool and showers are a longer walk from our site so we ended up driving to those accommodations. Pay showers and the water was generous and shower stalls were relatively clean. Pinnacles trail heads are close by.  Lots of trails, but when we were there an excessive heat warning was in place.  Definitely a place to return to! 

Wonderful campground nestled in Pinnacles National Park

We stumbled upon this campground here on the Dryt.
We were able to book 2 nights stay very late and got in for electric hook ups with our class B van. The spot was 86 D loop and it had a nice oak tree for shade. It was next to the road but the road wasn’t busy so it wasn’t disturbing us. They had good showers with good pressure for 50 cents 3 minutes or 75 cents for 4 1/2 minutes. Flushing toilets a pool and nice camp store. We rode our bikes around the grounds and they have awesome tent camping in very shaded and secluded areas of the campground. Site 70-60’s looked nice. We drove to the National Park entrance and hiked Bear Gulch one day. Amazing and moderate hike to beautiful rock formations caves and the reservoir. Next day hiked to the balconies and caves from Old Pinnicle road. More cool caves and beautiful 4 hour hike there and back. We took showers used the dump station for our grey water tank and emptied our Porta potty in the bathroom. This campground was great!!

Great Camping!

Highly recommended Pinnacles for families! There are lots of great hikes, a pool to swim on hot days, and so many stars at night. There is also a great camp store with everything you need - from food to cookware to cute t-shirts. And if your kid loves the junior ranger program as much as ours you can pick up your guide and badge at the visitor center. 

It’s also a super short drive from the Bay Area which makes it an easy getaway during the school year. 

Sweet campsite for families at a gorgeous park

The only campsite available was small and in the sun. The only shade was in an area between another campsite, and it was unclear to which site it belonged. That was also the only real area to pitch a tent. The closest restrooms were closed. There were several porta-potties which had not been cleaned or emptied in days, so the waste level was high. Some were out of toilet paper and some were missing hand sanitizer. There was a portable sink outside, but it was out of water and soap. The next closest restrooms were a long walk away. The only showers I noticed were by the store, which was too far away to walk. I would not stay here again, especially for $41.44.

Not a Pinnacle Site

Campground is well equipped. Has store and pool and ranger station. Group site 129 is awesome and shady which is great as it gets hot there in summer. Great hikes and shuttle service to trail heads. 

Shady group site

Great for tent camping and hiking. RV sites have 30 amp hookups. No water or sewer hookups. Dump station was available. RV sites are all gravel and fairly flat. Paying after the store closed at 6pm was an ordeal. Could never make it happen. We tried to log in for 3$ to pay online but it failed and we were never able to connect. Tent sites were secluded, many under shade trees, and well dispersed. Bathrooms were few and far between. Mostly vault toilets. There is a pool that families will enjoy. There is a small store. Walks and hikes are what is available. For a National Park it underwhelmed. 

Get there early  

Probably 1/2 the sites here are in a wide open lot with no shade. There are several that are nice. Site 55 is basically in the lap of site 54. Neighbors super close. Overall not many bathrooms and services. I am about a 2 min walk from the bathrooms and trash. Super busy place and honestly not sure why this place is a national park. We wouldn’t come here again and would recommend anyone going out of their way to come here. 


In site 55 :(  some nice sites and some not so nice

Best friends and I went camping and hiking and I got to paint big! Campsite was clean and shady with some trees near. 

Big painting trip wonderful campground

Good size sites with table and fire ring. Sandy gravel, fairly level sites. Beautiful setting with active condors in view. 

Huge old oak trees between mountains, with active condors in view

Cute little campground, but I imagine it gets pretty warm in the summer due to the lack of tree cover. I love that you can hike from your campsite, and the little river that runs along some of the campsites really creates a wonderful space. Watch out for the raccoons! One little bugger was quite brazen and climbed up on our stuff even with us sitting a few feet away at the campfire.

Quaint little campground

EDIT: During the last days of our stay, our Southwire surge protector threw an "open ground" error. This is a super dangerous issue than can lead to hot skin on the camper. Maintenance assured me that it was just my new equipment not liking their old wiring...but didn't have an answer when I told him that my surge protector worked at other podiums around the campsite. MAKE SURE YOU'RE USING SURGE PROTECTION WHEN YOU STAY HERE. And have a backup spot in case you can't use their power. We went without heat for big parts of three nights.

We spent almost two weeks in site 112 with 30 amp, a water spigot about 80’ from our inlet, plenty of solar, and a large open space on our left side. Spot was level and plenty room for our 27’ rig and truck. A favorite roosting tree for a couple dozen buzzards was right behind the site. Nice show from them each night.

Two quirks here: first, dump station is free, but requires you grab a key from the camp store during business hours. Budget some extra time waiting in line—the store stays busy. Second, site numbering isn’t clear. You might want to stop by and ask about your site before you roll up. It’s mostly families and retirees here, as you’d expect at any reasonably developed campground.

Plenty of good birding to be had around the campground and adjacent hiking trails, which are flat and easily accessed.

11 great days

We had a reservation for site 59 but did not stay. recreation.gov says that this site can accept trailers with a max of 37 ft and while that may be technically true, I think that could only be accomplished if you could somehow have your trailer carried in and dropped into the site by a helicopter. The loop road around the campsites is simply too tight to back a trailer into this or pretty much any of the other sites along these loops. The actual RV sites are 82-112 so stick to those. 

  

For reference, we have a 30' trailer and tried going at it from both directions, but the road and the bounding trees are just too tight to make the turn without scratching up your truck or trailer. The people in spot 60(right next door) had a tiny R-Pod trailer and said that the only way they could get their trailer into their spot was to make a circle by driving through 59 and then around into 60(technically driving on vegetation that would probably break some NPS rules). We ended up canceling our reservation and driving way back down the road to Thousand Trails San Benito. 

  

Thanks a lot, recreation.gov for the inaccurate information, the frustration, and the wasted time. 

  

**TL;DR** If you have an RV, do not book into any sites here other than the designated RV sites, which are 82-112.

Do Not Be Fooled by recreation.gov - RV Sites are 82-112 Only!

As a tent, van or Class C camping location, I think this campground would be just fine. This is NOT a campground you want to pull your bump-pull trailer or Class A into. There are no turn arounds. The pads are facing the wrong way for backing in. The loops that the sites are on are rough roads with branches, logs and rocks that make turns damaging to your rig.  It's tight back there, people! Go to an RV park outside the park or get a smaller rig. You've been warned.

Not For Trailers

Great place, hidden gym. Store and pools hours are dumb. 5pm store and 6pm pool.  Showers were great. It had body soap and shampoo.  The caves were closed though for 4 stars.

Great stay

The camp store was a life saver. We left our tent poles at home but were able to buy some at the camp store. The staff were all friendly and helpful. The pool guy was funny too.

Great campground

It was horribly hot in July, the campground pool was an oasis. Our first time to this unique national park, what a hidden gem!

The last place you would expect a pool!

Our camp site was located just by the entry, which was a bit noisy but at least close to toilet and shower. Had a quite dirty pool and a lot of young kids that also were quite noisy. Worst toilet paper so far on our 2 month trip around the US

Not again

Generators or vehicles are not allowed to be running anytime any day to recharge phones or any other electrical devices or doing anything without paying for a hookup and too many flies to stay outside enjoying things!

What is the idea of quite hours 10pm and 6am if you can’t have a car running outside quite hours?

Not a bad campground, very open. Dry desert area, would not want to come here in July, though it was basically full on a Wednesday.

They have a pool, but it's small. No way am I getting into it with all the potential people. You are in middle of nowhere so they had a decent camp store. 

I had a bar of reception but you can also purchase internet if needed.

Spot was not level, so definitely needed blocks. Did see two deer hanging out.

Only a couple of showers but glad they had them. Only two per gender.

Convenient to check out the park

Bathrooms were a bit of a distance apart. Great views. Very dark at night which is great for star gazing. Good distance from any other stores and the camp store closes promptly at 5.

Great views

Just driving here was worth the visit,  but get out on the trails to really appreciate the diversity.  

Fun Drive, Far Out

They have had some flood damage, so repairs are going on. Beautiful spot, great trails, showers, general store. Didn't get to see any condors.  I'll stay here again. AT&amp;T was acceptable coverage.

  

Only reason I didn't give it 5 stars is because of the maintenance going on, once that is complete it's a 5 Star.

Beautiful, and secluded spot

Campground is fine. Very hot and very dry after June. No camp fires after June bear gulch caves are also closed after June.  Seen a ton of wildlife and over all wasn’t very crowded. Great for star gazing.  

Don’t go after June  

I didn’t enjoy this campground for years — I’d always drive home, to my cooler coastal home. It is WICKED hot in the summer. But one time, I joined my daughter, who did have a summer reservation, and I changed my mind! They have a pool! The kids are thrilled! There are beautiful tucked away campsites in the shade, by a creek. Really enjoyed cooking in the evenings outside and settling in. By day, of course, the trails are wild, like a moonscape. In spring, it’s a wildflower fantasia. 

  

I was selfishly a little sad when Pinnacles became a national monument, instead of a regional secret. But I’m so glad they got the money, they deserve it! Note: I discovered it because my kids were in rock climbing classes in town, and “this” was the field trip. So exciting to see their first climbing and bouldering outside.

The Pinnacles are Other-Worldly - this is your launchpad

raccoons….everywhere…. seriously leave your car locked, these little buggers were not afraid of humans. otherwise, good showers, clean bathrooms. private sites. very convenient location to trails. 

good except for raccoons 

Many here will tell you about the raccoons! The campground is split by a creek which has a lot of critters, rabbits, chipmunks(?), quail, mice, and raccoon. My campsite was right next to a common raccoon path and a few walked by within a few feet of me and my campfire. Don’t leave food out and make sure they are afraid of humans. It’s for their safety and ours!


A perfect mix of what you want from camping.

A lot of the RV sites had electric. And there is water stations throughout. Also a dump station on the way out. Can reserve everything. Good area for tenors too. Camp store is small and so our other facilities. There is a pool, but it looks like it’s been closed down for years. Not many amenities.This is a great national park if you’d like to hike.

Small national Park. But good size campground.

Clean. Friendly staff. Wonderful showers. Campground was  full the weekend we were there. 

Threaded spigot w/ potable water at site 82.  

Friendly Staff, Clean Showers, and Convenient Water at Site 82

The campground overall was pretty nice—it’s huge and even has a pool (though by around 1:30, it gets completely taken over by a swarm of kids). What really threw me off was the bathroom situation. I expected flush toilets, as advertised, but our loop only had Port-a-Potties. To make matters worse, it’s a quite a walk to get to the restroom in our loop—and that’s not ideal in the heat. Every other loop seemed to have proper bathrooms, so it felt like we got the short end of the stick without any heads-up. Between the long walks, the heat, and the surprisingly bold raccoons and birds, I’d recommend this spot only for a one-night stay—especially if you’re planning to hike during the day.

Bathroom disclaimer would have been nice 

I had a great time at the Pinnacles Campground. I saw a bunny (pictured) and hordes of quail. The tent-only sections of the campground were very pretty too. The only downside of our site (130–134) is that there was not a lot of privacy — it would have done better as a group camp. Fortunately, our neighbors were awesome so the forced company was not a downside! But if I go again, I am going to try to get spot 129, which seemed really secluded. The other nice thing about the little area we were in is that it is right at the trailhead for the Bench Trail. Raccoons were REALLY bold — they stole our neighbors' food while they were at their campsite! So keep the area crumb clean for sure.

Wildlife Wonders

Fairly large campground. Store, showers, toilets, purified water is all inclusive . Being bug spray and be prepared to see wildlife at night. Skunks, raccoons, and other animals will come and take food.

Spaced out sites. Friendly people 

Lots of camping options here.  More than I've seen at other parks.  Wooded.  Wildlife.  Lots of deer and turkeys.  Didn't have time for hiking but seems to have some good one.  Campground store is well stocked.  

Sweet campgrounds

This is the best (and only) option for camping near the national park. Beware, there is very limited cell/wifi service here. Reserve before coming or it’s a long slow drive out to services. The park is really great, so I recommend staying here a night or 2 to fully explore the small national park. Lots of sites and lots of options. Some are more secluded and some are more traditional. Tents/cabins available. A store and pool are available also. 

Camping at Pinnacles 

This was my first trip with my new rig.  I reserved my site at Recreation.gov 6 months in advance.  My lifetime pass is on file so my discount was applied at checkout.  When I first pulled in the sites you could see were wide open with little or no shade or privacy.  I was disappointed until I realized they were the full hookup sites.  The campground is in a meandering layout, much of it along a stream.  It has all the standard amenities including showers.  There is a camp store and it is well stocked with ice, firewood and commonly needed food items.  I loved my site.  It was right on the creek so there was a lot of growth which provided plenty of shade and privacy.  The driveways are asphalt and the sites are dirt.  There are bear boxes at each site, not for protection from bears but from other critters, such as racoons, that inhabit the area and get into trash and food.  Trust me, it's needed.  A raggedy racoon came across the creek and through my camp each night.  The first night I had my camper door open and it wasn't until I went to bed that I saw the racoon had gone into the camper, tracking mud on the floor and bed, looking for food.  The campground was quiet and I very much enjoyed my tome there.

Photos of Pinnacles Campground — Pinnacles National Park

Real photos from real campers