Parking
Enter from CA-25 via Pinnacles East Entrance Road. The Bench Trailhead is at the far end of Pinnacles Campground; this point-to-point walk finishes at Bear Gulch Day Use Area, so arrange the return or plan to walk back.
Overview
About Campground to Bear Gulch Day Use Area
Why go
- Follows Chalone and Bear creeks through riparian habitat.
- Connects the campground with Bear Gulch Day Use Area.
Heads up
- One-way logistics need a ride or a 4.6-mile return walk.
- Limited shade and no drinking water along the route.
Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Pinnacles map
Full mapElevation966–1,275 ft
Plan your hike
Before you go
Parking
Safety
2 active Pinnacles alerts
- CautionVery high fire danger restrictionsVery high fire danger is active at Pinnacles; follow these restrictions to reduce wildfire risk. - Do not use wood-burning fires or charcoal grills.Official details
- CautionHot conditions and heat alertHot conditions and a heat alert are active at Pinnacles; limit strenuous hiking to early morning and late evening and prepare for extreme heat.Official details
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Pinnacles Tour Guide
Your drive to Campground to Bear Gulch Day Use Area, narrated.
Parkwolf is a GPS audio tour guide for Pinnacles National Park. As you drive, it chimes in with what’s ahead: hidden gems, upcoming stops, history, geology, and wildlife, right through your car’s speakers.
Recorded for this trailhead
Bench Trail from the Campground0:00 / 0:22
“Bench Trailhead at the far end of Pinnacles Campground is coming up. For a lower-valley walk, follow Bench and Sycamore trails toward Bear Gulch, through western sycamores and bird habitat.”
Plays as you drive up to this trailhead in the Parkwolf Pinnacles Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- Bacon Ranch and Early Park Visitors
- Peaks View Picnic Stop
- Pinnacles Campground, Stores and Picnic Grove
- North Chalone Peak via Bear Gulch
- 12 audio storiesacross Pinnacles’s roads, triggered by GPS as you drive
- Wildlife heatmapsfor California Condor, Mule Deer, Chipmunk, and 13 more
- Works offlinemaps, 25 trails, 23 places, and audio download before you lose signal
- CarPlay readysimple controls built for the drive
“Fantastic app with many points of information… It’s great to just turn on while you’re driving and it gives you an audio tour of the national Park. We love it!!!!”
Trail guide
Hiking Campground to Bear Gulch Day Use Area
A creekside point-to-point walkThis 2.
This 2.3-mile, one-way route runs from Bench Trailhead at the far end of Pinnacles Campground to Bear Gulch Day Use Area on Bench Trail and then Sycamore Trail. It stays in the park's lower creek corridor rather than climbing into High Peaks. Expect about 1½ hours for a moderate walk. Choose it for an unhurried walk beside Chalone and Bear creeks, or to connect the campground and day-use area on foot. If you need to get back to the campground, arrange a ride or retrace your steps for a 4.6-mile out-and-back.
A little shade, no trail waterThe dirt path is about 2–4 feet wide, with limited shade and roughly 300 feet of climbing.
The dirt path is about 2–4 feet wide, with limited shade and roughly 300 feet of climbing. The distance is modest; sun and water are the bigger things to plan around. There is no drinking water along the route, and both creeks run seasonally, so don't count on either for water. Pets aren't allowed on this trail; service animals are permitted.
Follow the creek corridorThe walk follows Chalone and Bear creeks through riparian habitat, with western sycamores and…
The walk follows Chalone and Bear creeks through riparian habitat, with western sycamores and good birdwatching along the way. A wooden footbridge on Sycamore Trail is the clearest photo stop; keep the creek and the path beyond it in the frame. Small waterfalls can appear on Sycamore after heavy rain, but the creeks may be quiet during dry periods.
Wildlife
Wildlife in Pinnacles
47 sightingsCalifornia CondorMost seen around 1 PMSighting map
26 sightingsMule DeerMost seen around 6 PMSighting map
19 sightingsChipmunkMost seen around 7 AMSighting map
33 sightingsTurkey VultureMost seen around noonSighting map
26 sightingsAcorn WoodpeckerMost seen around 8 AMSighting map
16 sightingsSteller's JayMost seen around 8 AMSighting mapSighting maps show where each species has been reported across Pinnacles. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.
