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Pinnacles Campground

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Find wild turkeys, rabbits, condors, and the sun shining on your (hopefully) sunscreened face.

Pinnacles is a great campground that even has a general store and a swimming pool.

It's a great base to explore the nearby balconies cave. There is also a ton of rock climbing in the park.

Be wary that it might get crowded and super hot during the warm season. Do your research to find the best campsites!

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126 ratings · 34 reviews

Brooke D.recommends

October 22, 2019

Can't say enough great things about our stay at Pinnacles Campground this past weekend. This was my first time to the park and I'm already planning a return trip! Our site was nestled against a creek and provided great shade and privacy. The group sites also looked fantastic - will definitely be returning here with my large school or scout group in the future. The facilities were clean and well-maintained and the campground staff were kind and accommodating. I was really impressed by the quality and variety of goods sold in the camp store. They had everything we possibly could have needed! Great wildlife viewing as we saw about 10 condors flying overhead directly from our campsite! 10/10 recommend Pinnacles Campground.

David F.

August 11, 2019

I camped in site 16 at the beginning of August and unfortunately, site 16 has no shade from the sun. There is also very little privacy for site 16. The only positive was that it was a close walk to the rest rooms and camp store.

Jonathan W.

May 13, 2019

We stayed in site #18, I didn't see much of the other campsites, but 18 was by far the best site on Loop A - all the others were crowded in together without shade. While we were there the pool was closed, as were the showers. My kids were pretty bummed about the pool, that's why we chose this campground. All in all would stay here again if the pool were open - just call in advance to find out. We hiked Bear Gulch to High Peaks to Condor Gulch loop with an 8 year old and a 9 year old. Definitely doable, and a great hike.

Charles W.recommends

April 16, 2019

I have been camping here several times as a kid. I really enjoy the caves.

Gabbi W.recommends

November 25, 2018

Site 18 is tucked away in the back with the most privacy.

Rob & Anita M.recommends

November 5, 2018

Must love quail... but who doesn't?! They're hilarious when they run, they make dog-toy sounds and are *everywhere* here (at least in early October.) We tent-camped in site #76. Pros: main tent pad area is very private - surrounded by shrubs, so no visibility from the road (this is very uncommon at this park) plus a beautiful tree above, view of the ridge, mixed sun, close to bathroom and water spigot. Cons: the parking area for this site is also home to the water spigot and a shortcut path to the bathroom, so people will be walking past your table/fire pit (and second tent if you have one). We saw mule deer, turkeys, ground squirrels, bats, a rabbit, and not a single tarantula. Hike to the Balconies Cave if it's open; it's amazing.

Stephanie T.

September 9, 2018

This campground is great because there are almost always available sites. Sites 1-56 are better than sites 57 and up. Sites 57 and up are in a back loop and are backed into thickets and less open. The biggest drawback of this campground is the raccoons. They are aggressive! They climbed on our table while eating and even got in our car and took a bag of candy. Overall though, we have enjoyed camping here. It's warm enough here that we can go year round. The hike to Bear Gulch caves is great for all ages - our kids range in age from 4-16.

Andrew J.recommends

November 27, 2017

This place gets very crowded on holidays and during spring wildflower season. Make sure and do the High Peaks trail loop hike its the best part of the park.

Blair G.recommends

September 11, 2017

Lots of night time animals

Calvin B.recommends

August 1, 2017

Can get hot in the summers. Beautiful scenery

Matt C.recommends

July 30, 2017

Ground zero on the SAF Line. You feel small and it's wonderful.

Sarah G.recommends

July 27, 2017

Reserve ahead of time! Be prepared for the heat and hordes of people. This is the only national park campground I've visited that has an operational swimming pool! Excellent birding here - quail, turkey vultures, condors, acorn woodpeckers.

Sarah R.recommends

July 21, 2017

It's very very hot in summertime. I just reserved a spot for October.

Hedy K.recommends

July 12, 2017

Make sure all food is put away at dusk because raccoons will come to take it and they are not afraid of humans.

Samantha B.

July 6, 2017

Had such an amazing trip to Pinnacles, though it definitely gets very hot in the summer! Be sure to have plenty or water for hiking around durning the day. Perfect getaway from the Bay Area for a weekend car camping trip.

Sheila G.

June 5, 2017

For a more private experience rent one of the group sites. We rented group site 132 for New Years and all we saw were trees and quail! It was perfect and quiet.

Jenna C.

June 4, 2017

We stayed here in December, and had a great time despite the unexpected 25 degree temperatures at night. Pinnacles National Park is amazing — such an unusual landscape with so many caves to explore. Visiting in December meant we ran into less hikers than I had expected.

Renee W.recommends

June 2, 2017

We camped here in early march with a group of 15+ and got a group site. It was a nice big, flat grassy area with a few other group sites in range. The ranger was a stickler and gave my friend a ticket for having his dog off the leash. We also got rained on which was eventful, luckily most of us were prepared. If you want to explore the park make sure to drive in early (the campground is about a 5-6 minute drive from the trail heads) otherwise you'll have to wait for a shuttle.

Leah G.

April 28, 2017

Tent site 10 in loop A, was private, shaded and perfect for us! It was furthest from the bathroom, but closest to the water spigot. There is a great level spot for the tent under the canopy of the trees, 2 picnic tables, a fire pit (which can be used when the fire threat is moderate or low) and a large food storage locker. The camp store was surprisingly fully stocked and the employees were incredibly helpful. Beautiful hikes and very serene. We'll definitely return!!

Jeremy F.recommends

March 1, 2017

Apparently I am a 70 year-old trapped in a 30 year-old body and have discovered that I love bird watching. If you've had the some discovery, this is the place to go! Our site was fairly secluded, and we woke up to quail and wild turkey about 10 feet from our tent. We could also glimpse the condor perched in a large tree a few hundred feet from our site.

Beth C.recommends

February 24, 2017

Watch out for the raccoons!

Pierre A.

February 13, 2017

We had the group site #123 and it was glorious. Lots of grass, shaded space, 3 picnic tables, two fire pits... Couldn't have been better. Take your headlamp and go hike the Bear Gulch Caves!

Amanda C.

September 8, 2016

Great campground and great park! Lots of families with kids on bikes reminiscent of my childhood. Book in advance as sites do get reserved but it's not as bad as other nat'l parks. There is a small camp store with some provisions but bring your food with you. Most of the sites looked good, lots of variety. We went in mid March and the weather was perfect - warm during the day, cool at night. "Bear" boxes are provided. There was no established place to wash dishes in or near bathrooms which confused is. Lots of great hikes and beautiful scenery within the park.

Jonathan R.

July 31, 2016

Wondered why the coastal sites were all booked and this was empty... Well turns out middle of summer this place is a furnace! But regardless amazing. Our site was nicely nestled in the trees which helped us escape the heat. Definitely coming back early fall to give it another go. This place is beautiful and well worth the drive or ride out.

Dylan P.

July 5, 2016

Crazy hot and buggy in June, even in a fully shaded site. Bring ice - the general store ran out when we were there. The pool can get a little cray with all the kids, but we had it to ourselves on Sunday. High Peaks trail is sweet. Definitely coming back for some rock climbing.

Miguel C.

April 7, 2016

The camp itself is quite comfortable and civilized. It has showers, several bathrooms, a small swimming pool and a convenient store in case you forget something, including ice, some food, beer, ice cream, wood, gas bottles, etc... The tent spots are mostly back to back so you are likely to have a neighbor, but they all have their own table and a grill which is nice. The camp has 134 spots total including Tent and RVs which are separate from each other. If you are looking to do car camping (or glamping) this is a great place for that, it has everything you need, it's family friendly, RV friendly, etc... If you want a hidden remote small camping spot this wouldn't be my first choice.

Sarah G.

February 19, 2016

Went in mid-December, and temperatures at night dropped to the low 20's. As long as you're prepared, it's a great place for a winter getaway from the Bay Area! However- this place has some seriously ballsy raccoons. They will hop on the picnic tables (right next to you!) and try to snag food if you turn around for even one second. Be prepared to chase them away the entire time you're trying to enjoy dinner.

Matthew O.

April 22, 2015

We stayed in August and there was only a handful of people in the whole campground for a good reason, it was hot as hell! To avoid the mid day heat hike in the early morning or evening or go to the caves it was way cooler in there. So much wildlife to see.

Cristina R.

April 2, 2015

Very family oriented and some sites are in very close proximity to each other! We got shhed a lot even though we weren't loud and it was barely 8:30 pm. The guy next door placed his tent right next to our fire pit and told us his son needed to sleep.

Adrienne C.

March 25, 2015

We had a great stay here. Unfortunately we went in August when it was crazy hot. The sites we reserved were directly in the sun with zero shade (sites 16 & 17). They were good to us and let us move to a group site in the shade. We will be back...in the spring.

Your guide to camping in Pinnacles Campground

Overview

Hiking

See those magnificent rock spires protruding out of the earth? Yeah well you can hike all around those things! Pinnacles National Park has more than 30 miles of awesome trails that showcase the beauty of the park up close and personal. Hikes range from flat stretches of grasslands to uphill climbs through talus caves onward to the rocky spires for which Pinnacles is famous. One of our favorites is the magnificent Juniper Canyon Loop. It’s only 4.3 miles but you’ll gain 1200 feet of elevation and a collage of magnificent views. If you are new to the park, consult with a ranger at the Pinnacles Visitor Center, the Bear Gulch Nature Center, or the West Pinnacles Visitor Contact Station. They can provide advice about trails, as well as recommendations for different fitness and experience levels.

Climbing

There are hundreds of routes on both sides of the park. If you've never climbed at Pinnacles, be sure to go to the visitor center and read the climber's safety advisory. There’s some great beta out there on the overall climbing and some of specific routes. Make sure to check it out and plan your trip accordingly.

Swimming

Pinnacles has a swimming pool available for recreational use (typically from April to September).

Wildlife watching

Pinnacles is a great place to look to the skies and bird watch. Over 181 species have been recorded in this park, but most people are drawn by the possibility of seeing a California Condor (pause for oohs and aahs).