Bear Gulch Day Use Area

Bear Gulch Day Use Area is Pinnacles’ main east-side parking and picnic stop, set among blue oaks and gray pines with rock formations visible in the gap between hillsides. It is the shared starting point for the Moses Spring, Condor Gulch and High Peaks trails; the cave and reservoir are farther along those routes, not part of the parking grounds. On busy spring weekends, arrive early: the lot can fill before 8 a.m., and roadside parking is prohibited.

Flush restrooms, drinking water and a bottle-filling station, picnic tables and grills make this a useful place to get organized before walking. Bring food for the tables or grill; the separate Park Store is at the campground. Bear Gulch Nature Center is here too, with wildlife, geology and park-history exhibits, a film and ranger information. Its opening can be intermittent when staffing changes, so treat it as a bonus rather than a sure stop. ADA-designated, van-accessible and step-free spaces are available.

The grounds include a marked scenic photo spot. From the parking area, look between the hillsides for the Pinnacles rock formations—a view you can catch without taking the cave or reservoir hike. When the seasonal east-side shuttle is running, it links the campground with Bear Gulch; check the current schedule before relying on it.

Civilian Conservation Corps work at Pinnacles began in 1933 and included buildings in Bear Gulch and hiking trails across the park. Construction continued through 1942, and the park’s CCC facilities and trails remain in use.