photo sharing and upload picture albums photo forums search pictures popular photos photography help login
Jerry Pillarelli | profile | all galleries >> Travel and Nature; Sites by State >> US Travel; by Trip, by State >> California >> Pinnacles National Park – California tree view | thumbnails | slideshow

Pinnacles National Park – California

Images of Pinnacles National Park – Central California, taken in August 2018.

Revisiting Pinnacles National Park was born out of my desire to explore the east side of the park, an area that I was not able to reach during my 2013 visit because California highway 146 goes into the park from both the east and the west but does not actually go through the park. This time I would be parked in the area for a week allowing me to venture to the east side and see what I missed the last time I was here.

Pinnacles is a fascinating place with oddly shaped volcanic rock formations that are completely out of place in an area that is made up primarily of grass covered rolling hills. During my last visit I took the grueling 1,200 foot elevation gain Juniper Canyon Trail into the High Peaks. It was amazing up there but I had no intention of putting myself through that again, especially in August. So when I took the hour and a half drive to the east side of the park I intended to simply hike out to the Bear Gulch Reservoir and view the High Peaks from below. The Reservoir was a beautiful sight especially since I was able to catch a picture of the surrounding rock formations reflected in the water. It was also teeming with life, particularly the many varieties of dragonflies that zipped from place to place at a frenzied pace. As I moved on I found myself at the junction of the High Peaks Trail; it sure seemed interesting so I decided to go up it “a few hundred yards”. A little over six miles later I had revisited the High Peaks, a 1,400 foot elevation gain, in 100 degree heat and was dragging myself back to my car exhausted. I did it again, I went beyond what I intended to do. And this time, as with the many other times I’ve pulled this type of stunt, I was drained and sore but the incredible sights had not disappointed.

A day later I took an early morning hike to the Balconies on the west side and was treated to the sun flooding the High Peaks with a hazy light silhouetting the jagged rocks against the bright sky, all framed by red California Buckwheat plants. Any pain or fatigue from the previous day was immediately forgotten as I viewed a live masterpiece painted on the landscape before me; or if not forgotten at least it was tempered by this fleeting work of art. No doubt this experience was unique but in the broader view of things I had seen sights like this many times over, and they have all been healing.
The Balconies formation in early morning light in Pinnacles National Park
The Balconies formation in early morning light in Pinnacles National Park 		The High Peaks glow in early morning sunlight in Pinnacles National Park
The High Peaks glow in early morning sunlight in Pinnacles National Park		 Early morning sunlight silhouettes the high peaks and a field of California Buckwheat in Pinnacles National Park
Early morning sunlight silhouettes the high peaks and a field of California Buckwheat in Pinnacles National Park		 Sunlight bathes rock formations early in the morning in Pinnacles National Park
Sunlight bathes rock formations early in the morning in Pinnacles National Park		 Machete ridge along the Balconies Trail in Pinnacles National Park
Machete ridge along the Balconies Trail in Pinnacles National Park
A portion of the Balconies is visible from the Balconies talus cave in Pinnacles National Park
A portion of the Balconies is visible from the Balconies talus cave in Pinnacles National Park		 Volcanic rock formations from the Balconies Cliff Trail in Pinnacles National Park
Volcanic rock formations from the Balconies Cliff Trail in Pinnacles National Park		 Squirrel in the tall grass along the Balconies Trail in Pinnacles National Park
Squirrel in the tall grass along the Balconies Trail in Pinnacles National Park		 View of volcanic rock formations from the Balconies Cliff Trail in Pinnacles National Park
View of volcanic rock formations from the Balconies Cliff Trail in Pinnacles National Park		 Formation framed by trees from the Balconies Cliff Trail in Pinnacles National Park
Formation framed by trees from the Balconies Cliff Trail in Pinnacles National Park
The Balconies from the Balconies Cliff Trail in Pinnacles National Park
The Balconies from the Balconies Cliff Trail in Pinnacles National Park		 Rock formation along the Balconies Cliff Trail in Pinnacles National Park
Rock formation along the Balconies Cliff Trail in Pinnacles National Park		 Trees frame volcanic rock formations as seen from the Balconies Cliff Trail in Pinnacles National Park
Trees frame volcanic rock formations as seen from the Balconies Cliff Trail in Pinnacles National Park		 Formation along the Moses Spring Trail in Pinnacles National Park
Formation along the Moses Spring Trail in Pinnacles National Park		 The Monolith along the Bear Gulch Cave Trail in Pinnacles National Park
The Monolith along the Bear Gulch Cave Trail in Pinnacles National Park
Tree growing from a ridge above the Bear Gulch Cave Trail in Pinnacles National Park
Tree growing from a ridge above the Bear Gulch Cave Trail in Pinnacles National Park		 Pathway through the talus cave along the Bear Gulch Cave Trail in Pinnacles National Park
Pathway through the talus cave along the Bear Gulch Cave Trail in Pinnacles National Park		 Lizard along the Rim Trail in Pinnacles National Park
Lizard along the Rim Trail in Pinnacles National Park		 Boulder wedged over the trail along the Bear Gulch Cave Trail in Pinnacles National Park
Boulder wedged over the trail along the Bear Gulch Cave Trail in Pinnacles National Park		 View from the talus cave along the Bear Gulch Cave Trail in Pinnacles National Park
View from the talus cave along the Bear Gulch Cave Trail in Pinnacles National Park
View of the Bear Gulch Reservoir in Pinnacles National Park
View of the Bear Gulch Reservoir in Pinnacles National Park		 Surrounding rock formations reflected in the Bear Gulch Reservoir in Pinnacles National Park
Surrounding rock formations reflected in the Bear Gulch Reservoir in Pinnacles National Park		 Flame Skimmer dragonfly pausing on a reed at the Bear Gulch Reservoir in Pinnacles National Park
Flame Skimmer dragonfly pausing on a reed at the Bear Gulch Reservoir in Pinnacles National Park		 Reflections of the rock formations around the Bear Gulch Reservoir in Pinnacles National Park
Reflections of the rock formations around the Bear Gulch Reservoir in Pinnacles National Park		 Rock Formations in the Little Pinnacles area near the Bear Gulch Reservoir in Pinnacles National Park
Rock Formations in the Little Pinnacles area near the Bear Gulch Reservoir in Pinnacles National Park
Reeds and grasses grow on the edges of the Bear Gulch Reservoir in Pinnacles National Park
Reeds and grasses grow on the edges of the Bear Gulch Reservoir in Pinnacles National Park		 The Sisters formation in the Little Pinnacles area near the Bear Gulch Reservoir in Pinnacles National Park
The Sisters formation in the Little Pinnacles area near the Bear Gulch Reservoir in Pinnacles National Park		 An endangered California Red-legged frog on the banks of the Bear Gulch Reservoir in Pinnacles National Park
An endangered California Red-legged frog on the banks of the Bear Gulch Reservoir in Pinnacles National Park		 Rock walls surrounding the Bear Gulch Reservoir in Pinnacles National Park
Rock walls surrounding the Bear Gulch Reservoir in Pinnacles National Park		 The Little Pinnacles formations around the Bear Gulch Reservoir in Pinnacles National Park
The Little Pinnacles formations around the Bear Gulch Reservoir in Pinnacles National Park
View of the High Peaks from the Rim Trail in Pinnacles National Park
View of the High Peaks from the Rim Trail in Pinnacles National Park		 Close up of formations from the High Peaks Trail in Pinnacles National Park
Close up of formations from the High Peaks Trail in Pinnacles National Park		 Trees grow from a High Peaks rock formation as seen from the High Peaks Trail in Pinnacles National Park
Trees grow from a High Peaks rock formation as seen from the High Peaks Trail in Pinnacles National Park		 The High Peaks as seen from the High Peaks Trail in Pinnacles National Park
The High Peaks as seen from the High Peaks Trail in Pinnacles National Park		 Red bark of the Manzanita tree along the High Peaks Trail in Pinnacles National Park
Red bark of the Manzanita tree along the High Peaks Trail in Pinnacles National Park
The High Peaks as seen from the High Peaks Trail in Pinnacles National Park
The High Peaks as seen from the High Peaks Trail in Pinnacles National Park		 Rock formations along the High Peaks Trail in Pinnacles National Park
Rock formations along the High Peaks Trail in Pinnacles National Park		 Formations to the west of the High Peaks Trail in Pinnacles National Park
Formations to the west of the High Peaks Trail in Pinnacles National Park		 View along the High Peaks Trail in Pinnacles National Park
View along the High Peaks Trail in Pinnacles National Park		 Formation below the High Peaks Trail in Pinnacles National Park
Formation below the High Peaks Trail in Pinnacles National Park
Balanced rock along the High Peaks Trail in Pinnacles National Park
Balanced rock along the High Peaks Trail in Pinnacles National Park		 The High Peaks from along the High Peaks Trail in Pinnacles National Park
The High Peaks from along the High Peaks Trail in Pinnacles National Park		 California Buckwheat in Pinnacles National Park
California Buckwheat in Pinnacles National Park		 Volcanic rock formation below the High Peaks Trail in Pinnacles National Park
Volcanic rock formation below the High Peaks Trail in Pinnacles National Park		 Steep and narrow passage with toeholds along the High Peaks Trail in Pinnacles National Park
Steep and narrow passage with toeholds along the High Peaks Trail in Pinnacles National Park
Black volcanic rock formations along the High Peaks Trail in Pinnacles National Park
Black volcanic rock formations along the High Peaks Trail in Pinnacles National Park		 The High Peaks from along the High Peaks Trail in Pinnacles National Park
The High Peaks from along the High Peaks Trail in Pinnacles National Park		 A twisted desolate tree along the High Peaks Trail in Pinnacles National Park
A twisted desolate tree along the High Peaks Trail in Pinnacles National Park		 The Balconies as seen from the High Peaks Trail in Pinnacles National Park
The Balconies as seen from the High Peaks Trail in Pinnacles National Park		 Rock formation along the High Peaks Trail in Pinnacles National Park
Rock formation along the High Peaks Trail in Pinnacles National Park
The Balconies as seen from the High Peaks Trail in Pinnacles National Park
The Balconies as seen from the High Peaks Trail in Pinnacles National Park		 Rock formation with the Balconies in the distance from along the High Peaks Trail in Pinnacles National Park
Rock formation with the Balconies in the distance from along the High Peaks Trail in Pinnacles National Park		 High Peaks volcanic formation as seen from along the High Peaks Trail in Pinnacles National Park
High Peaks volcanic formation as seen from along the High Peaks Trail in Pinnacles National Park		 Rock formations along the Condor Gulch Trail in Pinnacles National Park
Rock formations along the Condor Gulch Trail in Pinnacles National Park		 The High Peaks as seen from the overlook on the Condor Gulch Trail in Pinnacles National Park
The High Peaks as seen from the overlook on the Condor Gulch Trail in Pinnacles National Park

comment | share
Sam Rua03-Nov-2018 04:25
Another great gallery. Cool to see that you have revisited this fantastic place.
Guest 21-Sep-2018 06:42
Beautiful pics Jerry!!!
Type your message and click Add Comment
It is best to login or register first but you may post as a guest.
Enter an optional name and contact email address. Name
Name Email
help private comment
click on thumbnails for full image