Parking
Start at Chaparral Parking Area on the west side and follow the shared approach to Juniper Canyon. The park map marks restrooms and a picnic area beside the lot; parking capacity and fees were not verified.
Overview
About Tunnel Trail
Why go
- A walk through a constructed tunnel and across a bridge between rock walls.
- The exposed climb opens views back toward the Chaparral area.
Heads up
- Steep switchbacks have little shade after the opening ravine.
Tunnel Trail is about a 3-mile out-and-back from Chaparral Parking Area on the west side, following the shared approach and Juniper Canyon to the man-made passage, then across the short bridge before you return the same way. Allow two to three hours and roughly 700 feet of climbing. It is a rewarding shorter walk into the rock formations, but the exposed climb makes it more demanding than the mileage suggests. Some descriptions put the tunnel outing closer to 2.5 miles; this route counts the full mapped line from the parking access to the bridge and back, so use 3 miles for planning.
Parkwolf’s verdictIs this Tunnel Trail walk for you?Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Pinnacles map
Full mapElevation1,388–2,087 ft
Plan your hike
Before you go
Parking
Safety
2 active Pinnacles alerts
- CautionVery high fire danger restrictionsVery high fire danger is active; follow Pinnacles’ fire restrictions. - Because fire danger is VERY HIGH, wood-burning fires and charcoal grills are prohibited.Official details
- CautionHot conditions and heat alertHot conditions and a heat alert are active; limit strenuous hiking to early morning and late evening and prepare for temperatures above the forecast.Official details
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Pinnacles Tour Guide
Your drive to Tunnel Trail, 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
Chaparral and Balconies Cave0:00 / 0:25
“You're nearing Chaparral, the west-side starting point for Balconies Cave.”
Plays as you drive up to this trailhead in the Parkwolf Pinnacles Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- The Woodpeckers’ Acorn Pantry
- Prewett Point from the Contact Station
- Bear Gulch Cave and Reservoir
- Bear Gulch to High Peaks
- 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 Tunnel Trail
The climb to the tunnelThe first quarter-mile follows a tree-lined ravine.
The first quarter-mile follows a tree-lined ravine. After the bend, the trail climbs in steep switchbacks and the chaparral opens, leaving the parking area far below. Shade thins after the ravine, so this is not a good route for a hot afternoon. Start early on warm days and bring water; the park recommends at least one liter per person per hiking hour.
Through the rockThe constructed passage cuts through the stone near the Pinnacles spires, with a short bridge…
The constructed passage cuts through the stone near the Pinnacles spires, with a short bridge over a cleft just beyond it. Cross the bridge, take in the narrow rock setting, and turn back there to keep this as the tunnel outing; the named Tunnel Trail continues toward the High Peaks as a separate, longer through-route. The park's history shows the tunnel already complete behind local workers on the High Peaks Trail around 1932. From just beyond the opening, include a slice of the rock wall and bridge in the same frame to show how the route threads through the formation.
Get to the right startUse Chaparral Parking Area on the west side, then follow the short shared trail approach to…
Use Chaparral Parking Area on the west side, then follow the short shared trail approach to Juniper Canyon. The park map marks restrooms and a picnic area at the parking area. Pet dogs are not allowed on park trails. If you want a longer circuit from Chaparral, the separate Juniper Canyon Loop is listed at 4.3 miles; it is not this tunnel turnaround.
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.
