Pinnacles gets bigger and better - Central California monument - Brief Article

Sunset, Oct, 2000 by Lisa Taggart

Central California's newly enlarged national monument has more space for hikers, more protection for wildlife

From Dry Wall, an eroded cliff in the new eastern addition to Pinnacles National Monument, resource management chief Larry Whalon can spot rocky Hawkins Peak rising among the park's otherworldly volcanic spires. His view takes in some of the 7,960 acres President Clinton recently added to the monument, but Whalon sees more than chaparral: He sees opportunities under every rhyolite boulder and behind every chamise bush.

"There's so much to do," Whalon says. He flushes with energy as he talks about what the added lands mean to the park. "It's exciting. We're planning what the park should look like in 30 years." More trails, new cultural activities, and a park-run campground--all are possibilities for the future, he says.

Clinton's decree was one of a slew of presidential proclamations this year that used the 1906 Antiquities Act to expand or create national monuments in the West. The Pinnacles proclamation adds oak woodlands, chaparral, and riparian habitat to this beloved wilderness area 75 miles south of booming Silicon Valley.

Since Theodore Roosevelt established the park in 1908, Pinnacles National Monument has been acclaimed for its rugged hiking, rock climbing, bird-watching, and--due to the area's exceptionally clean air--stargazing. But the park is best known for its unusual geology. The spires of High Peaks ridge are part of an eroded volcano that formed 23 million years ago on the San Andreas Fault, then split in two as the Pacific continental plate migrated north. The rust-colored pinnacles look like nothing else in the surrounding landscape--because they originated 195 miles to the south.

Expansion of the park comes just as explosive growth in San Jose and the rest of the San Francisco Bay Area is beginning to reach a long arm south. The populations of the nearest towns, Soledad and Hollister, have increased rapidly in recent years, and a large housing project is underway in nearby Paicines. Pinnacles's new lands, previously managed by the Bureau of Land Management, establish a protective--and permanent--buffer zone around the monument. Now nearly 90 percent of the monument's acreage is wilderness, home to mountain lions, golden eagles, and prairie falcons.

"You can imagine how popular it would be to buy a house right up next to Pinnacles," Park Superintendent Steve Shackelton says. "But it doesn't make sense to have houses there. This addition is a defensive play."

Plans are in the works to add signage and expand the trail system on the annexed lands. For now, hikes are possible on fire roads on the eastern addition, the largest new segment.

The monument's most dramatic trails, however, remain at the park's original core. The steep cliffs make for a challenging climb up High Peaks Trail--a spectacular view of the Gabilan and Coast ranges is the trek's reward. On the way up, hikers will undoubtedly appreciate the trailside handrails built in the 1930s by the Civilian Conservation Corps.

On the park's west side, Balconies Trail follows the West Fork of Chalone Creek to the cool, damp caves at the base of Machete Ridge. Trails on this less visited side of the park are often empty.

Autumn is a good time to visit, when mornings and evenings are cooler and the spring crowds are long gone. "People who come here in off times will be surprised at how much of the park they have to themselves," Shackelton says. "In the fall, you get those cobalt skies etched by the golden hills and the dark valley oaks. It looks like old California, like land from a time capsule."

The park's new cushion helps guarantee that it will stay that way Shackelton says that's reassuring. "We need to have places where nothing changes," he says. "You want to come here and see it the same way your grandkids will see it."

Pinnacles travel planner

Pinnacles National Monument is about 75 miles south of San Jose. The park's east entrance is 35 miles south of Hollister via State 25. The west entrance is 5 miles east of Soledad via State 146. No through-road connects east and west entrances. Day-use fees are $5 per vehicle. For more information, call (831) 389-4485 or visit www.nps.gov/pinn.> Camping

Pinnacles Campground, a private facility adjacent to the park's east entrance and surrounded by the new lands, has tent and RV sites. From $7 per person per night, reservations recommended; (831) 389-4462 or www.pinncamp.com.

Eastside hiking

Ranger-led hikes are offered most Saturday mornings in fall on the park's east side; monthly night-sky programs and full-moon hikes are also provided.

Sandy Creek to Dry Wall. To explore the eastern addition, take the fire road that follows Sandy Creek through rolling oak woodlands and chaparral (1.2 miles one way). There's no signage; inquire at the Bear Gulch Visitor Center for directions. DIFFICULTY: Easy.

High Peaks Trail. One of the park's most popular trails climbs 1,400 feet to Hawkins Peak. From the Moses Spring parking lot, take the trail 3.2 miles up into the High Peaks and follow the ridge past Hawkins Peak.