Condor Gulch to High Peaks Loop

Condor Gulch to High Peaks is a strenuous 5.3-mile loop from Bear Gulch Day Use Area. It climbs Condor Gulch, crosses the High Peaks ridge through its Steep and Narrow section, then returns to the day-use area. Plan on about 1,300 feet of gain and three to five hours. Do this one if the Pinnacles spires are your reason for coming; skip it if exposed steps and narrow ledges make hiking stressful.

There is no shade or drinking water along the loop, and the High Peaks can run about 10°F hotter than the parking area. In hot weather, avoid hiking between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. and carry at least a liter of water for each hour. This is an exposed climb for most of the day, not a route where you'll cool down in the trees.

The trail leaves Bear Gulch through open oak and gray-pine slopes. The grade steepens after about half a mile; the Condor Gulch Overlook arrives roughly a mile from the start, with the volcanic amphitheater and Bear Valley opening below. Keep climbing along the ridge to the High Peaks junction, about 1.7 miles in and already more than 1,000 feet above the trailhead.

High Peaks closes in around the volcanic spires. The Steep and Narrow section squeezes between rock walls, then uses short, steep steps cut into the stone, with footholds and handrails. One overhang is low enough that hikers duck underneath it. Move carefully through these passages; if an exposed ledge puts you off, this is the stretch to weigh before starting.

Views shift from Bear Valley and Chalone Peak toward the Salinas Valley and the Santa Lucia Range. Condors frequent High Peaks, though sightings are never a sure thing. Pinnacles has worked on California condor recovery since 2003 with Ventana Wildlife Society. For a useful phone photo, include a bit of the trail against a nearby spire so the narrow ridge has some scale.

These rocks began as a volcanic field about 23 million years ago near present-day Lancaster, roughly 195 miles southeast. Movement along the San Andreas Fault carried them north, while erosion exposed the pinnacles and fractured walls you walk among now. The trail passes right through that broken volcanic terrain rather than climbing to a single summit.

The separate Moses Spring to Rim Trail Loop is about 2.2 miles round trip and reaches the reservoir, with Bear Gulch Cave as a seasonal detour. Choose it if you'd rather see the cave and water than take on the longer exposed ridge. Bring a light for the cave passage when it is open.

Start at Bear Gulch Day Use Area. The Bear Gulch Nature Center and another restroom at Scout Peak junction make useful stops, but there is no water along the trail. Dogs are not allowed on park trails. Parking at the day-use lot is limited and can fill on busy days, so arrive early.