Pinnacles National Park guide · 1 min read
East or West? Choosing Your Pinnacles Entrance
Pinnacles National Park has two entrances, East and West, and no road connects them. The shortest route between the two runs through King City on Highway 101, and the drive from one side to the other takes about an hour and a half.
Because of that, your choice of entrance shapes your whole visit, so decide before you leave home.
The East entrance is the more popular of the two and begins at the Pinnacles Visitor Center. This side has the visitor center, a campground, and a park store, so it suits people who want services close by. The campground offers tent sites, RV sites, and tent cabins, since there are no hotels inside the park. If you are coming from the north, Highway 25 through Hollister leads you there.
The West entrance is quieter, and it is where you will find the West Pinnacles Visitor Contact Station. Visitors reach it from Highway 101 by way of Highway 146, after passing through Soledad. Because fewer people use this side, parking may be easier to find. The West side is a good match for hikers who mainly plan to climb the High Peaks Trail or reach Balconies Cave, which is a shorter walk from here than from the East side.
Pinnacles has more than 30 miles of hiking trails, along with talus caves, rock climbing on the rock spires, and a chance to spot California condors. Day use is available from both entrances, so you can plan your time around the trails you want most. Just keep in mind that moving between the two sides means a long drive back around through King City.
