Courtesy of Pinnacles National Park:
Following guidance from the White House, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), state and local public health authorities, Pinnacles National Park is increasing recreational access to east side of the park located near Hollister, CA. The National Park Service (NPS) is working servicewide with federal, state, and local public health authorities to closely monitor the COVID-19 pandemic and using a phased approach to increase access on a park-by-park basis.
Beginning 6/6/20, Pinnacles National Park will open:
- The parking lot on the east side of the park to vehicles. Once the parking area fills, vehicles will be not be allowed to form a line to wait for available spaces. Visitors are encouraged to arrive before 11 a.m. and after 3:30 p.m. if they wish to park inside the park. Due to increased wildland fire danger, parking along the roadside outside the park boundary is highly discouraged.
- The park road past the campground remains closed to vehicular traffic. Visitors may bike and/or hike from the campground further into the park. Bicycles are not permitted on park trails. Bike racks are located near all trailheads for the convenience of park visitors.
- The Park is open from 7:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. Day-use visitors are expected to enter and depart the park between these times. In addition, entry fees are waived, and the following spaces continue to be available:
- The west entrance located outside Soledad, CA is open to vehicles, with the same restrictions on capacity – when the lots fill and no additional vehicles will be allowed into the park until multiple parking spaces are available. Visitor are encouraged to come early or in the late afternoon.
- The campground (accessible through the east entrance) remains open to campers with existing reservations, which can be made online at Recreation.gov before arrival. With public health in mind, the following facilities remain closed at this time:
Nature and Visitor Centers remain closed.
Shuttle services inside the park remain non-operational.
Trail closures, including the cave trails and sections of the High Peaks trail are closed.
The health and safety of our visitors, employees, volunteers, and partners continues to be paramount.
At Pinnacles National Park, our operational approach will be to examine each facility function and service provided to ensure those operations comply with current public health guidance, and will be regularly monitored. We continue to work closely with the NPS Office of Public Health using CDC guidance to ensure public and workspaces are safe and clean for visitors, employees, partners, and volunteers.
While these areas are accessible for visitors to enjoy, a return to full operations will continue to be phased and services may be limited. When recreating, the public should follow local area health orders, practice Leave No Trace principles, avoid crowding and avoid high-risk outdoor activities.
The CDC has offered guidance to help people recreating in parks and open spaces prevent the spread of infectious diseases. We will continue to monitor all park functions to ensure that visitors adhere to CDC guidance for mitigating risks associated with the transmission of COVID- 19, and take any additional steps necessary to protect public health.
Details and updates on park operations will continue to be posted on our website https://www.nps.gov/pinn/learn/news/newsreleases.htm and social media channels.
Updates about NPS operations will be posted on www.nps.gov/coronavirus.
