We really enjoyed our stay at Pinnacles! We rented a tent cabin for the night and although it was huge, it was literally freezing. We had to buy a heater because the first night we woke up frosted. The facilities are clean and include bathrooms showers and places to wash your dishes. Lots of wildlife and friendly rangers. The day hikes were really fun, the caves were a unique experience. Highly recommend for newbies like us! read more

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We drove 100 minutes to the campground. The signage was clear. Set up the chairs and lights. Fine, there's a big ant hill where the tent would go, and sure, there's a bee and some flies who want our food- that's a given. But, a path led from the bathrooms INTO my spot (#74) so that was really lame. The noise at 9pm was like Bourbon Street, unnecessarily loud people echoing through the canyon, and no campfires were allowed. The only wild turkeys we saw were the bottles on the partiers next to us. We drove 100 minutes back home rather than stay. read more

Pinnacles Campground - 74 sucks - Campgrounds Near Me - Paicines, California

Beautiful campground! We reserved online. Trailer spot #84. It was roomy. No shade but it was February so no big deal. There were little tent cabins you could rent sprinkled throughout the grounds and tent spaces were plentiful, empty this time of year mostly. The camp store has everything you might have forgotten, even ice cream;) There are hot showers. 2 in the ladies rest rooms and I assume the men's and a shower trailer that house 3 showers and a handicap shower too. There is also a swimming pool! I understand it gets HOT here in the summer so I bet that makes many campers very happy. Wildlife everywhere!! Beauty everywhere!! You can walk to the pinnacles trails from here but we drove the 2 miles or so to the very small and usually full parking lot where the trails begin. In the busy season I understand they have shuttles. We had a beautiful trip! We bought the annual pass to the pinnacles so we will back for sure. read more

Campground itself is largely well-maintained; bathrooms are cleaned at least daily and always have tp and soap. I also super appreciated how the campgrounds are actually flat so you can set up camp and actually get a good night's sleep! Do beware of the raccoons and make sure your food items are locked away whenever not actively in use, because they definitely will crawl onto your picnic tables and rummage through bags to get to food. Besides the raccoons, we also saw turkey vultures, turkeys, quails, and rabbits! And the location is super close to the cave trailhead. Only complaint is the showers -- although they're marketed as an amenity, there are only a handful for the entire campground (2 each for men and women, 1 gender neutral, and 1 wheelchair accessible shower), so you end up with 30-60+ minute lines. read more

Pinnacles Campground - Campgrounds Near Me - Paicines, California

Clean, well maintained campground. Nice camp store. Free showers with shampoo etc. Lots of rabbits and deer. We really enjoyed our stay.

If it weren't for all the pesky flies that buzz around your ears and try to fly up your nose and other orifices, I would give this campground a 5 star. Having an insect shield, head netting, or a mask is an absolute must to thwart the flies. Otherwise, life in the campground is impossible. While this campground costs more than other national park campgrounds $40 as opposed to $25), there is running potable water (did you hear that Lassen Volcanic?), clean portable bathrooms with a handwash station, and FREE showers with shampoo, conditioner, and body soap. Albeit, the women's shower had only one working shower because the other one was out of order. On my last day, there were about 10 teen girls waiting for the one working shower so I was out of luck. Ugh! By the end of September, the pool is closed for the season so I was out of luck there, too. For campsite 67, there was sun in the morning, but still had shady parts throughout the day, the water spigot was one campsite away, the portable toilets, handwash stations, and garbage bins were across the road, but they didn't smell. For showers, you had to drive back to the camp store area or else it was a long dusty walk. Speaking of the camp store area, if you bought wifi for 7 days ($10), it only worked near the camp store. Thus, I would recommend buying wifi by the hour ($1) when you're near the camp store. In regards to wild life, we saw wild turkeys, quail, deer, and squirrel roaming the campground. From the camp store, we saw 6 condors flying way up high. The camp store was well stocked, especially with s'more materials (forks, marshmallows, chocolate), but no campfires allowed in October due to the fire hazard. Located next to the camp store is the book store which had cute items for sale and a VERY helpful person handing out maps and advice on hiking trails. With the memory of the flies still buzzing around me still fresh in my mind and the crowded showers, it will be a while until I return again and I will definitely bring head netting. read more

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It was a great campground except for the fact that there are so many raccoons. I know we're in the wild but it made the camping trip unenjoyable really quick. Besides that, it was a great campground. You do have to pay for State Park parking fees when entering. read more

Site 37 was amazing, and it was probably my 3rd choice! It was basically all shaded and was close to the bathrooms. A water pump was right across the way. We easily fit 3 large tents there, but we did have a 2nd campsite and used that mostly for parking (site 35 - which does not have as much shade and is tiny. We did see some poison oak around the edges of the campsite. The pool here is fun, but it was still pretty cold in mid-May. It's also almost fully in the shade by mid-afternoon. In the women's restroom right by it, there are 2 shower stalls and 2 bathroom stalls. Note there are EV chargers! Standard, not Supercharger/Tesla, so bring your converters if needed. read more

My one star review does not pertain to the campground itself. The campground is fantastic even though there is only one shower area that does not degrade the location of the campsite. Each campsites were separated nicely, and being shuttle away to the pinnacles hiking trails. my one star review pertains to the Park Ranger, who made his rounds in his vehicle during one of the day we were there . He saw me walking our dog we were in the middle of the road, so I immediately pulled my dog aside. Apparently, he didn't like the way I pulled my Dog. First of all. I love our dog so much. We consider him our youngest son in the family so for him to educate me on how to treat our dog properly is quite annoying. I did not argue with him because I don't want to encourage his power trip and might expel us from the campsite, our dog was using his harness with a leash on. I was pulling him aside and definitely that wasn't hurting him at all what I didn't like is that I was being scolded rudely as if I committed a crime. So I hope the park will educate their park rangers to be more respectful of campers. read more

Very developed campground - has something for everyone from car campers to cabin campers. Pros: For those who hate pit toilets (not much of a step up over going in the woods imo) this campground has proper flushing toilets, sinks, and heck it even has showers (not sure if they are still coin op, they were several years ago). Lots of amenities - fire pits, a reasonably priced store with most essentials and food items, a clean pool in the summer with lawn chairs, and if you're getting a tent cabin, they are very clean, equipped with a space heater, lamp and Adirondack chairs. Very cozy for winter! Cons: Bathrooms are a bit of a hike from tent cabins, which are in the same hood as the rv park and probably isn't great for families with newly potty trained kids. It's not a run you'll make if the situation is urgent. For small kids I'd pack a potty. Tent cabins are pretty close to the rv section which is pretty loud (lots of kids). Late spring to early autumn is verrrrry hot here, and a lot of trails are just punishing in those months. Ants!! Tons and tons when it's hot and some bite. If using a tent on the ground make sure it has no rips or leaks. read more

Post-pandemic review. The FIVE WORST sites at Pinnacles campground. Do not stay here during the summer months (June through September). The heat is intense, the Raccoons are angry, and the mosquitoes are voracious. Campsite Review. A few other reviewers wrote blurbs on each individual campsite. For the most part they're accurate but take the "has no privacy" warnings with a grain of salt. If you only have one neighbor next to you, you have privacy, expecially when talking about California campsites. The 5 WORST sites at Pinnacles: 5.Site 65 is basically in the backyard of the canvas tent cabins. The only epic view you'll see at this site is through the cabin's bedroom window. YMMV depending on who's renting the cabins that weekend heh heh heh. 4. Site 22 is on a busy street, tiny, no shade. 3. Site 21 is a large unshaded dirt field littered with squirrel holes.. You can look forward to twisting an ankle. 2. Site 19. I thought about putting this as the worst site in the park. It might be the most private of all the sites here at Pinnacles and it's shaded, but this ultra tiny spot looks like a homeless encampment. If you're doing something shady you'll definitely feel at home in this isolated site away from prying eyes. 1. Site 20 is the worst site at Pinnacles. It's basically a roadside pullover with a fire ring and table.. You'll be hit with headlights at night every time a car drives by. On top of that it's next to standing water (mosquitoes). WORST HONERABLE MENTIONS - Sites 6 thru 15. Dirt lots and no shade..they do have a bathroom close by tho. - Site 21 is on a busy street, tiny, but at least has some shade. Hidden Gems: - Site 35 My vote for best campsite. Private and a nice view. - 77 was private, little shade tho. - 57 is huge and private. It would be the best site overall but it's close to the creek and there were a lot of mosquitoes. - 49 is a fan favorite. Close to water, bathrooms and private. It's only big enough for one regular sized tent tho. Perfect for couples. - Site 10 was nice. Perfect if you have a trailer. - Site 52 has some shade and opens up to a huge gully below which is great if you have kids, but it's a walk to the bathrooms. Tough call.. Sites 50- 79. This whole loop area has the best sites by far. Feels like your outdoors or in the Mayan jungle with the trees and bushes. Most sites have have some privacy, tho 58, 59, and 60 are on top of each other. Know this: - Pool is closed all day on Monday. Nowhere is that published. - Raccoons are everywhere and they're bold. They will invade your camp at night (look for their footprints on your gear). They will steal your food and trash. You've been warned. - This campground is very noisy at night with active wildlife. Loud birds (quail and woodpeckers) will wake you up at dawn, various creatures will be walking around your tent (deer and racoons), and loud frogs... bring earplugs. - No campfires allowed during the summer. - Only TWO showers (his and hers) in the whole campground. BOTH filthy... - If you're from LA or San Diego it's not worth the drive in the summer.. - Summer is high 80's to 100+.. The heat can be demoralizing. read more

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Late October tent camping (campsite 49C) review. This was probably on the down side of my camping experience but the National Park itself is beautiful. Location: inside the park, near the visitor center & about 20 minute drive to the High Peaks hike. Amenities: -pool -1 bathroom with showers near visitor center (there's a total of two showers available) -store with food, wood, supplies & souvenirs (Campground Store & Office Hours: 9:30 a.m.-5 p.m, seven days per week) Weather: Day time is pretty nice but nights can be really cold (low 50s) so packing hand warmers is a must! Things to know: -there are SO MANY BUGS. I've been to plenty of campsites but I've never been to one with so many flies and bugs -this was no joke a lot of night animals around the area. A fox came to visit our campsite and a family of raccoons. We heard them scratching our camp chairs (no we did not leave food out) -dependent on weather and fire warning, you could be experiencing NO camp fires but you won't know until the day of. They put a sign over the pit so you don't burn firewood Overall, not a big fan of this camp site because of all the bugs and location of it compared to other sites. read more

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this is a wonderful place to spend a few days in nature! located about 2hrs south of silicon valley, this campsite boasts a fair amount of real estate...plenty of sites for rvs and tent dwellers alike! there are also cabins for those who wish to have 4 walls and a roof, so to speak! we stayed in site 12, the closest set of campsites to the main entrance and camper store. this site had a good amount of shade, perfect for autumn when the daytime temps still reached 80s and 90s. we had a picnic bench, fire ring, and bear locker. the locker was on the smaller side, compared to other place we'd camped at, but it was effective in keeping the critters out...and we saw some raccoons and birds hiding in our area! the fire ring could not be used since the fire danger level was high and therefore fires were forbidden during our stay. since we came sunday-tuesday, it was very quiet and the only things were heard were usually birds chirping. the restroom was a short walk, about 200 steps from our site, and had flush toilets, running water, soap and toilet paper. nothing to wipe the hands though, so be prepared to bring a towel or wipe your wet hands on your shirt! the camper store is located right by the main entrance and has everything you could have forgotten or want to buy! they had cooking oil, s'mores ingredients, sandwiches, peanut butter, bread, ice cream and other basics. they also had small pinnacles national park souvenirs for purchase. for those who don't want to disconnect fully, you can purchase internet access, $3/hour or $10 for the day. note the camper store is only open from 930-1700 so if you need to purchase something, be sure to come during this 7.5hr window! showers are located just behind the camper store, separate men's & women's rooms. there were only 2 showers in each though (confirmed by my husband for the men's room) and during peak hours, early morning and early-mid evening, there was a little bit of wait as everyone wanted to wash up. my only complaint about the women's showers is that both stalls were quite dark after sunset, especially the one farthest from the entrance/door...good thing the nice lady at the camper store told me, so i switched on my headlamp while i showered! water pressure in the farthest stall was low, but the pressure in the one closer to the entrance had a good pressure, so i was able to take a quicker shower in that one! the swimming pool was unfortunately closed when we visited, but it was a nice area with some lounge chairs...maybe next time we visit it will be open! within the campground, there are a couple of ez/flat trails, perfect for a morning or evening stroll...note that it gets HOT in the middle of the day, and some trails don't offer much shade. from the camper store, walk east along the bacon butterfield trail and see some 19th century farms and stables. walk west towards along the bench trail and head towards the hills and day use areas. we had a wonderful stay and look forward to our next visit! read more

Pinnacles Campground - camp site #12, and the current "residents" blue bird, turkeys, deer - Campgrounds Near Me - Paicines, California

We have camped at Pinnacles twice now and have really enjoyed our stay both times! It is one of the only campgrounds around that is still open despite COVID-19. Here's some things to note: - They have coin operated showers near the front office. The water starts off luke-warm but does warm up nicely - This is a fantastic campground for those that love to hike. It is about a 1.5-2 mile easy, flat hike to high peaks trail head, or you can drive to and park at the trailhead. The hiking is really diverse, we were high up where there were huge rocks, low down where it was lush, in tunnels, etc. all in the same hike. NOTE: during COVID-19, you cannot park at the trailhead, so you'll have to do the 1.5 mile hike from your site. There is also parking past the group camp sites that can fit about 8ish cars right at the trailhead that is available during Coronavirus. - There is a pool open during the summer (although probably not this summer). It is really crowded, so be ready for that! - Everyone is pretty respectful of quiet hours, but not great at leaving by check out time (11am) We'd recommend sites: 17, 18, 31, 34 We'd HIGHLY recommend sites: 32, 37, 49, 61, 67 We'd avoid sites: 1-9, 12-15, 20, 22 I reached the character limit for my review - so look for the screenshot of the Apple notes for reviews on each site. read more

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A National Park, small but mighty an easy drive from the Bay. So when you're feeling a bit flighty you can escape for an overnight stay. Made reservations two months ahead for one of the fancy tent huts. But it's fine if you're open air instead all sites here make the cut. SUPER hot in summer so be sure to pack some way to seek some shade. The store has ice, essentials snd snacks feels luxurious, you have it made. Start your hike before 9am and try to rap it up by noon. I can't wait to visit Pinnacles again! (Lost a star for TRULY bad bathrooms.) read more

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Pinnacles Campground is located at the east entrance of Pinnacles National Park, the newest national park in the United States to date. Here's my review of Pinnacles National Park: https://www.yelp.com/biz/pinnacles-national-park-paicines?hrid=csBNOOQ5s7KcJkit2C1N4g&utm_campaign=www_review_share_popup&utm_medium=copy_link&utm_source=(direct) This campground could use some work... and some better employees. My rating is lower than others because of my encounter with the rude, not-so-helpful camp host. Plus, their dump station for RVs has been closed for quite some time now. Over a year according to one employee. And this is the newest national park? The female, dark-haired park ranger at the store was awesome. The heavyset female (not a ranger) at the register who checked us in, however, was rude with a capital R. Later, my husband and I chuckled at a different female on the golf cart who chalked lines for all the RV sites. If she wasn't drunk, then bless her heart. She would drift off with her little dry line marker, then use a broom to sweep away her crooked chalk lines... This continued at multiple sites. Hey, you know what is defined as "doing the same thing over and over again, but expecting different results"? Insanity! Here's lookin' at you, Albert Einstein. Another strike for the camp host... at about 9:30 p.m. on our second night, a freeloader cruised in. Left their van on while they walked around with a flashlight reading all the reservation tags. Left their van lights shining on a couple of other RV'rs. They were up and out of there before 8:30 a.m. with no one to force them to pay their dues. Overall, we really enjoyed the wildlife around this campground and the hiking adventures in the area - especially Bear Gulch Cave. Our kiddos, 4 and 5, handled this cave very well. There was some water we had to walk through and flashlights were necessary. From this campground, you may hike to Bear Gulch Cave and other designated trails, but you may also park your vehicle near the Bear Gulch Cave Nature Center parking lots then proceed to walk. We did the latter because the weather was in the upper 90s (°F) by midday and little legs probably wouldn't have handled the extra couple of miles from the campground. Roundtrip it would have been too much. WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW - check-in: 1PM; check-out: 11AM - RV & tent sites are available to reserve online - flush toilets, sinks, quarter-operated showers & port-a-potties - recycling bins and trash cans - water spigots - fire rings and picnic table at each site - firewood ($12 per bundle) sold at ranger's area - dogs allowed - little-to-no cell phone service - rattlesnakes inhabit the area... two of our campsite neighbors said one crossed over from our campsite to theirs thankfully while we were gone... - California Condor conservation abounds... stationary telescopes to view them flying above the mountains and perched in their trees are available - there is even one for wheel-chair bound persons! The temperatures during the day - even in April - can get above 90°F. At night, I believe it cooled off into the low 50s. Bring layers of clothing. LNT (Leave No Trace)... Remember to pack it in, pack it out. read more

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Pros: - Campground has decent bathrooms, showers and a pool - Campground has free wi-fi Cons: - Expensive. Have to pay $35 entrance fee in addition to $43 per night. - The park ranger was over-enforcing rules and bordering on harassment. A few group members were ticketed for minor parking violations, like pulling up to campground to load and unload. The ranger also kept bothering us about turning off string lights after 10pm. While on some nights there were very rowdy campers yelling past midnight and rangers did nothing about it. - Gets very hot during the day - Bathrooms were not regularly maintained and were out of toilet paper, overflowing with trash, and filthy. - Lots of pests. Major raccoon problem. One night there was around a dozen raccoons that descended on our campsite. They are quite bold and will grab any open food and run. Same with bluejays, they kept trying to steal food from the tables. Also, lots of wasps and flies. A few people were stung by wasps. Overall okay experience but will not be returning. read more

TLDR: A good campground, clean facilities, and would come back. This campground is HUGE. We stayed in loop C and got lucky with our campsite. Restrooms were clean, although the motion detected light is kind of annoying so I recommend bringing a headlamp when going after dark. The motion detected light stays on for like a minute and you have to make more motion than just waving your hand to get the light to turn on. Each site had two picnic tables it seems, a fire pit, and a food locker. Depending on the campsite, some of the tables were next to each other and some were not. Little to no trash at each campsite. There's also water spigots, however it's unclear if it's potable. Totally recommend the campground. read more

We booked the tent cabin in March. The tent cabins look new and are in great conditions. There's one queen bed and two twin beds. Very large. It has three windows and a storm lockable door. We booked a non electrical tent but it did have a solar battery box that has USB connections, provides power for lights and fan, able to provide radio. The room is very clean. Each site provides a picnic table, fire pit and a food locker. There's two outdoor chairs and a bench. You'll need to bring your own bedding and for March evenings, bring ALOT of comforters and blankets. Evenings can get down to the 20's. Visitor center opens at 9am. Camp Store opens from 9:30am to 4pm - provides some food items (ie snacks), drinks, ice cream. There's some camping essentials. You can buy wood. The pool wasn't open (I think it opens in April). There's only one shower building which is near the camp store. Shuttle bus runs every 20 minutes on weekends. It stops only at the Bear Gulch Nature Center. But I think if you ask the driver, s/he may be willing to stop at the Old Pinnacles Parking Lot. Some of the bathroom buildings were being fixed or renovated. One day the bathrooms near us was working but then the next they closed it for repairs and had portable bathrooms up (they had a sink to wash hands). Bring flashlight/headlamp to the bathroom, sometimes the light doesn't turn on. There are lots of wildlife running around - turkey, coyotes, deer, quails, raccoons. So abide the locking up your food rule! Some evenings were pretty loud and some evenings were quiet. Quiet hours from 10pm-6am. The evening sky was definitely beautiful! read more

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Our group had sites 117, 118, 119. It is located down below from where the site sign is. Go down steps to get there. There was alot of poison oak on the stairs. Next to site 117 is the amphitheater and that area has a better set of stairs to go up and down by. The closest water spicket is located up the stairs near the amphitheater. The bathrooms had running water, shower coin operated 50 cent, and flush toilets. The closest bathroom was in the back cross the river and up the stairs. The next closest was in the front, up the stairs and past all the RV sites and around the corner on the right. This campsite felt crowded. Not as nice and nature feeling as other camping places. It was not as peaceful getaway into nature. It felt more like a parking lot located next to some woods were you could camp. read more

The facilities include tent, electric and non-electric RV, and electric and non-electric tent cabin sites across acreage within a few miles of most hiking opportunities in the Pinnacles NP. The camp store is well stocked with everything one may forget while packing. The pool and free (!) showers are nice amenities. Overall it was a great glamping experience for the group. We stayed in tent cabins at sites 107 and 108. Some things to note: As of June/July 2023 the campground is undergoing some major construction and upgrades with dump trucks and heavy machinery roaming the campground starting at approximately 7am weekdays. Lots of noise. Be prepared or consider that in planning, at least for summer 2023. Call the campground to help with planning. As others have said, the critters (racoons, squirrels, birds) have zero fear of humans and will liberate you of any and all food or food-like substances. Use the lockers. Water is potable and available throughout the campground but having jugs also helps. I had no issues with the water, but others in the party were suspicious of the quality. read more

Beautiful location ; stayed in a group site which was huge and private : bathrooms were clean ; pool was too cold to use in late April

Just camped for two nights at the Pinnacles Campground. This campground is one of the few campgrounds that were still open during the pandemic. My fiancee and I stayed at campsite #37. I highly recommend this campsite. The campsite has shade all day and tons of room to set up a few tents if needed. Neighboring campsites were blocked by a few trees so it felt more private. Food storage containers are provided. Make sure you don't leave any food out or the raccoons will be out to get it after sunset. The campground has everything you need for a successful camping trip. There is a store that sells camping supplies in case you forgot anything. The visitors center, however, is closed due to Covid-19. The campground offers coin-operated showers. It is $0.50 for 3 minutes. Despite there only being two showers, they were never crowded and I waited only a short time for a shower to be open. The park itself is beautiful. It is very remote and rural with very limited cell service. The shuttle service is currently not available, so you have to walk to all the trailheads from the campground, which we did not mind. Pinnacles can be a great weekend getaway as it is only 1.5 hours from San Jose. Come here to enjoy the peace and the nature. read more

5-stars for the Campground, 1-star for how it's being operated. There was aggressive enforcement on the rules in the RV portion of the campground - 2 people had to reposition their RVs (after unhooking and setting up) & at least 3 people had to move their trucks to satisfy the rangers. One RV had a large red sticker attached to the door for their violation. We had a knock on the door at 7:30, well after dark. Another camper had to get out of bed when the ranger knocked on their door. The rules state that you must park in the "designated area". This is NOT very clear in most campsites. There in no one available when you check-in to advise you about the enforcement or details on what the designated area is for your campsite. You just grab a map and got to your site. Additionally, my site stated it was 90 feet long, which easily fits by truck/RV of 50 feet. HOWEVER, the actual length was about 45 feet - be aware the information can be WRONG on the campground website. Great park, great campground, just beware of possible rules enforcement unlike anything else I've experienced in years of RVing. read more

Great campground for avid hikers that also like to camp! If you've never been to Pinnacles to before, you're in for a treat! Each hike has lots of variety between rocky slopes, caves, lush forests, tiny waterfalls in the spring, and wonderful mountain views! The campsites are also very nice--accommodating for both RVs and tent campers. There were also a few smaller RVs/Trailers/Camper Vans in the tent sites; I guess if you don't need water/electricity hookup and you can fit them you're good! No generators in the park. You can have campfires in the fire ring, weather permitting. Check out the NPS website for updated fire safety info. Each site is pretty close to clean bathrooms and there are coin showers available. This is a great campground for all types of campers and I can't wait to be back! read more

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Campground has no firewood past 5 pm and host was nowhere to be found. We texted him because it was freezing and we needed firewood and he said he could not help. Also not very scenic, would rather camp at Big Sur! read more

Spring at Pinnacles is perfect! Sooo many wildflowers, water in the creek, not too hot in the day and not too cold at night, no bugs, lots of wildlife, and less people! We came in late April, during the COVID shelter in place order, but the campground was open to reservations. The road to the trailheads was closed with the parks shutdown, but it was a perfect 3-5 mile bike ride to the trailheads from the campground. There is also a nice flat hike from the campground to the trailheads along the creek. You can't really see the rocks from the campground, so be sure to get a map from the campground store and make the excursion for a day hike or bike ride! The campground is nice and spacious, clean bathrooms, super friendly staff, very safe, with an awesome campground store with ice, cold drinks, snacks, gear, etc. The kids rode their scooters all over the campground roads, and would have loved the pool if it were open! (I think it was closed due to COVID) Grant at Pinnacles Recreation Co is super friendly and helpful if you need any tips! They are building some pretty cool glamping tents soon, can't wait to come back and try those out and explore some more! Thanks Grant! read more

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Such a special place!! I came with a small group of friends for a Friday-Sunday trip and we were wowed by what the campground and park had to offer. Having never been before, we didn't know too well what to expect. Staff were hospitable and helpful checking in and throughout our stay. The campground has an awesome camp store, and I particularly loved the neat park designs on the apparel and goods as well as the eco-conscious brands offered in the store. We were excited to see how much incredible wildlife we saw before we even got to the hiking trails! Our site was up against a beautiful creek that runs through the campground, and we saw quails, turkeys, scrub and stellar jays, deer and racoons (they have spacious lock boxes per campsite so critters can't get in, they were perfect). At sunset we had 10+ condors soar over us!! Our site was clean, spacious, and wonderful. The campground is located just a short walk or drive to the main trailheads. A convenient shuttle can also bring you up so that you don't have to worry about parking. Bathrooms at the trailheads are clean, there are plenty of water spickets to refill bottles/bladders, and trails are well marked. We did an incredible ~6.5 mile loop that was stunning... we couldn't get over the variation of underground caves to shaded canyon to exposed ridgelines with panoramic views of Pinnacles' geological wonders. I wasn't expecting to have as much shade as we did as well! There are pine trees and manzanitas to take shaded rests underneath while taking in the view. We saw 2 beautiful tarantulas on the trail as well as condors at the top, and were lucky to come across a park volunteer conducting a condor survey and teaching us about his work. All in all, it was a perfect weekend stay. October offered beautiful cool afternoons and nights, and sunny but not too hot days. I can't wait to come back soon to enjoy the campground and park again! read more

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An AMAZING weekend getaway. I especially loved going in fall, with pleasant daytime temps and cooler nights --beautiful fall colors. The campground has so many unique sites, some by the stream, others against a mountain backdrop, and more conveniently located next to the store and shuttle bus. We saw 3 CONDORS on our day hike and another 6 or so at sunset from our campsite. We felt very fortunate. Campsites feel spacious and clean, with ample room for cars, tents and chairs surrounding fire pit. The store also has everything that you need at very fair prices. Definitely worth a stop if you forgot something (or just want to purchase a gift for yourself or a friend) the store literally has it all. Hiking is incredible. We did one long day hike and still barely scratched the surface of all the available trails. We hiked through caves, saw expansive views, beautiful rock formations and more. I just hadn't heard a ton about the hiking here and it's definitely a best kept secret. You can drive to the trailheads if you leave early. But otherwise, there's a great shuttle that leaves every 20 mins from storefront, so all good either way. We came from Santa Barbara, and it is only a 3.5 hour drive, also you go north from SB so don't hit any traffic, which makes it just the best weekend trip. Loved the campground and it's beauty and vicinity to everything, really looking forward to coming back. read more

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Campsite #15 The campsites are huge! You will defiantly have room to spread out. This campsite has a neighbor just to the right. However, due the size of the campsite, they do not feel too close. The campsite backs up to a small creek. I heard frogs and trickling water as we slept. (We went in May.) The bathrooms are very close (30 second walk?) and VERY clean. However, the site is far enough from the bathrooms that you do not see any light in your campsite. (I like a dark campsite after the sun sets.) The water spigot is one campsite away. It is abt the same distance as the bathrooms, but in the opposite direction. The park is wild. Within a couple of hours, we saw a coyote, rattlesnake, raccoon, and a myriad of birds. This was within in the campsite itself. None of it bothered us. Do not leave your food unattended. Secure your food in the storage locker or in your vehicle. A raccoon came within two or three feet of us and our camp fire. It attempted to jump into the back of my truck before we scared it off. The park is beautiful. It is isolated and rural. The Bear Gulch hike was stunning! I am a T-Mobile customer. I had one bar whilst I was in the campground. (I was actually disappointed that I even had limited service.) Enjoy the solitude. read more

Pinnacles Campground - This is the camping area w the driveway to the right. The creek is under the trees towards the back. - Campgrounds Near Me - Paicines, California

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This is now one of my favorite national parks! The cave exploring is just magical, and I love how much wildlife there is around!

HIGHLY RECOMMEND! My girlfriend and I recently stayed here as a one-night stopover on our way to a wedding in Lake Tahoe. It was our first visit to Pinnacles and our only complaint was that we couldn't stay longer! The campground was easy to find and the camp host/ owner was friendly and very helpful getting us to the correct site (Thanks, Grant!). Our campsite was spacious, clean, well shaded under some sycamore trees, and gave us ample privacy from our neighbors. It was a beautiful, warm, evening and we knew a hike would be a great way to stretch our legs after a few hours in the car. Grant gave us an excellent recommendation with the Bear Gulch Reservoir hike which is located just a short drive down road. At his suggestion, we brought our headlamps (make sure to bring yours if you go our in the evening) and had an amazing experience hiking through the caves on our way to catch the last few rays before sunset. We relaxed as the evening light faded, then hiked back under the stars using only using our headlamps when necessary. Wow! This place had already completely exceeded both of our expectations. Back at our campsite later we set ourselves up in a flat spot, perfect for a 2-3 person tent. By then our neighbors had added a 2nd car and a few more people but we could hardly hear to see them with the natural vegetation between us. We really appreciated this about Pinnacles and it makes for much more authentic feeling outdoor experience compared to some campgrounds that can just feel like big parking lots. Last, but certainly not least, my girlfriend and I both found the restroom facilities to be clean and well managed. After a long day in the car and then on the trail, a clean bathroom certainly goes a long way. We had to head out early the next morning so unfortunately didn't have more time to explore the park. We'll certainly be back though. See you soon Pinnacles! read more

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We stayed at 67, loop c and it was a very private site with space for 2 back in cars. It was right across from the bathrooms which was a plus (although they are flushable toilets the bathrooms are on the more primitive side). The site had two picnic tables and space for our large 4 person tent and another smaller 2 person tent. Loved the privacy of this site! We'd also come back and stay in the same loop at site 66 which seemed even a bit wider and flatter and was closer to the water spigot. The raccoons come out right at dusk so lock everything up! Minus one star because we couldn't have a campfire (fire hazard) and the mosquitoes were no joke! read more

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We stayed at site 68 in September. During the early morning and late at night it gets cold, but throughout the rest of the day, the temperature was perfect. This site is very private surrounded by trees. We really enjoyed the privacy. The trees were also good for shade during the sunny days. The food bin was not tall enough to put a regular cooler in, so we had to move the cooler in the car. We couldn't use the fire ring due to fire warning in the national park. The spot for tent was very flat and clean. We have a 6 person tent, which fit perfectly. I don't think you can fit more than 1 tent in this area, unless you have a small backpacking tent for a second tent. The negative side of this campground is that there were scary and aggressive racoons that were coming in and out of the trees during dinner time. Scared the little kids. read more

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I camped here for 2 1/2 days on a Thursday-Saturday making for clear roads and a quiet campground. From reading plenty of reviews i expected the workers in the visitor center to be much more helpful than they actually were. The service was super slow even though there was a small group in front of us and when I asked about hiking routes the lady who checked us in said it would be better to ask this other guy and when I asked him he said the lady who I originally talked to would know more. Seems like a self service machine would be more helpful but thankfully a map came to our rescue. As you can tell that's the main reason I knocked off a star . Our location was campsite #67! I loved this location because it feels very secluded and it's less than a minuet away from the restroom and trashcans. If you look at the map on recreation.gov you might think that you can walk to the trails from this area but you actually need to head back all the way to the visitor center because the trails are farther down the road (the drive to each hike area is less than 25 minutes away). I definitely recommend bear gulch cave and the reservoir! You will need a flashlight in the caves and the hike can get a bit tiring but it's worth it. Once you hit the path for near gulch and Moses springs and you're deciding which path to take it won't matter much because it leads to the same area. Moses is much easier to hike but the caves are what you want to see. They do have showers but it's located near the visitor center that is coin operated. 50 cents - 3 minuets 75 cents - 4 1/2 minutes There are two showers but one was out of service. In the same area they have a pool which is amazing but there are lots of bugs in this area. Which I almost forgot to mention but there's tons and tons of flies in the campsites as well! .. and raccoons lol All in all I did love this campsite but I'm not to sure if I'd return because we did almost everything there is to do here. read more

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Pinnacles National Park and Campground packs a punch. It's very small compared to other national parks but offers a lot. * Access: The campground is accessible only from the east entrance. The west and east roads do not connect. * Directions: From Bay Area take 101S through Gilroy to Hwy 25S, go through Hollister to Hwy 146, make a right. Turn left into Pinnacles Campground (1 hr 50 mins from Livermore) * Entrance: Remember this is a national park so you have to pay an entrance fee. But we have a annual national parks pass for $80, highly worth it because you can go to any national Park. * Campground: Large diagonal RV spots with electric hook up. Campground has a dump station. You can also rent cabins or pitch a tent. Fire ring with bbq grill grate. * Camp store: Very close to the camping spots. They have more stuff than the usual camp store. Drinks (no beer), ice cream, snacks, stickers, books, stuffed animals. * Bear gulch hike: One of the most popular hikes. Drive about 2.4 miles to the Bear Gulch parking lot. You can do the rim hike and stay above ground or do the Moses Trail and go through the caves. You can also do the caves (bring a headlamp) and exit about halfway through to connect to the rim chill. The reservoir at the top is beautiful. Hike timing with 2 five year olds: (20 mins to the first short tunnel; 15 mins to the first cave exit to rim trail; 10 mins to reservoir = 45 mins to top; 25 mins on rim trail down to parking lot) * Caves: Check the website to see if they are fully open. In March, only half of the caves were open. There's a metal gate that was locked inside. This is to protect the bats that are located in the upper portion of the cave. when we came in October the gates were open and we were able to climb all the way through. There's a couple moments where you have to get on your hands and knees and crawl under some rocks. But it's just to get under and then the passageway opens up. It's not like you're in a narrow tunnel for a long time. * Cell service: none on verizon. wifi available for purchase ($3 hr; $7 for 24 hrs) * Wildlife: If you are lucky you can spot the California condor. We saw a couple and they are really special. Also a mountain lion was spotted near the campground at night. Be aware. read more

This was my 2nd visit to Pinnacles and it did not disappoint. The campground and store were recently taken over by Pinnacles Recreation Company and they've done an incredible job! The store literally has everything you need for camping from forgotten olive oil to medicine to ICE CREAM! Plus they even had Coca-Cola in glass bottles--ohhh, important to note though is they do not sell beer/wine so make sure to pack plenty! If you are traveling with children they have toys and sporting balls in the store that you can borrow! They also have a lending library of books to borrow during your stay! The owner let us borrow his can opener instead of having to buy one which was so kind and generous. The store carries Parks Project shirts & souvenirs which means they really care about the National Parks in general---so neat to see! They also have Terracycle recycling bins in the store to collect candy & Cliff bar wrappers! So kind. Finally, the campground sites are all very diverse and super big. They have more open sites which are great if you're traveling with travel and they also have sights that are more hidden which are size if you want privacy. I think this is one of the first campgrounds I've been to that I saw almost no trash AND there was plenty of hand soap & toilet paper in the bathrooms! The campsites sell out quickly so make sure to book ahead to secure a spot. The ladies that run the store were very nice and the campground hosts were impeccable in making sure we had everything that we needed. Very kind individuals who enjoy what they do and it shows. read more

For my first mini-milestone of 100 reviews, I decided to write about a place that I now associate with adventure and happiness -- the most fun camping experience I've had with my closest friends. I see a plethora of complaints below due to minimal amounts of showers and amenities. Sorry people, it's camping. Camping isn't supposed to be clean and proper. It's time to get DIRTY! BATHROOMS: -------------------- There is, in fact, only one bathroom for the whole campground. Whoa! Perhaps I'm not as bitter because our campsite was so close to the bathroom. Campsite #127 for all the weak of bladder out there -- you may want to write that down. Yes, there is only one shower stall each for males/females, but honestly camping can be so dirty and dusty that there isn't much point in showering. SUN: -------- If your campsite is in the sun, this probably won't be a huge problem, as you'll probably wake up very early anyway to get your hike on. CAMPFIRE: ---------------- Be prepared to not be able to use the campfire. I know, camping without a fire sounds pretty lame, but for some reason... not setting forest fires during dry season tends to be their priority. Anyway, we made do with a kerosene lantern for some mood lighting on our campsite, as well as a portable stove and kerosene flame grill for our eats. NIGHT-TIME ACTIVITIES (no campfire required): ----------------------------------------------------------------- - Light wand painting - you need to see some photos to understand the awesomeness: 1. Epic Wizard Battle - http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/pinnacles-campground-paicines?select=yBK8aEWoRHYCc0K1iQSlWg#pLDtc290BrlPOhcWtXpC7w, 2. Angel & Devil - http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/pinnacles-campground-paicines?select=yBK8aEWoRHYCc0K1iQSlWg#Jl3i-bNTPpk_3XgRCzfSGA - Banjo(s), guitar(s), bongo drum(s) - make some noise!... until 10 PM, anyway. FOOD/DRINKS: --------------------- The food locker is of an ample size -- you can fit about 2-3 large coolers and still have room for perishables. Foods I highly recommend for camping: Keeps well for 1-2 days: - Turkey bacon spinach wraps - Bean salad Good for camp cooking: - Spanish rice (packaged) - Chicken apple sausage (frozen/refrigerated, already cooked) - Hash browns - http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/pinnacles-campground-paicines?select=yBK8aEWoRHYCc0K1iQSlWg#0hQcGsDFtCfErsInpJ4Azw - Pancakes - http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/pinnacles-campground-paicines?select=yBK8aEWoRHYCc0K1iQSlWg#v2_UOVoPocXNXaaHDRjdRw Hiking: - Trail mix - Protein bars Drinks: - SANGRIA! Yes, we had our very own huge batch of watermelon sangria in cute dispensers, courtesy of the group's bartender. It really hit the spot after a long day of hiking. http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/pinnacles-campground-paicines?select=yBK8aEWoRHYCc0K1iQSlWg#tqtz6dmPeKBrp60JUzO2OA - A crap-ton of water RANGERS: --------------- The rangers at Pinnacles were super awesome. Very friendly and struck up conversation with us even though they were making rounds to tell everyone it was almost time to shut up for the night. :) Even the ones in the information booths by the trails were super kind. One took his time to explain to a group of teenagers the rules of the trail and to look out for poison oak. Nice guy! TIP: Bug spray. This will save you the headache of swatting flies the whole night. Recommend especially around the ears and neck. In which case, don't use DEET. Use Repel, which is DEET-free and composed of more natural ingredients. TIP2: Unless you're trying to go for an authentic camping experience by sleeping on the ground, why not save your back some trouble? I'd highly recommend an air mattress that fits in your tent, especially if you have back pain. Even if it doesn't look like the air mattress will fit, give it a try! http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/pinnacles-campground-paicines?select=yBK8aEWoRHYCc0K1iQSlWg#yBK8aEWoRHYCc0K1iQSlWg read more

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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 very helpful 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 and Pinnacles Recreation Co. read more

We went camping at Pinnacles Campground on last weekend. we had a good and bad experiences at the same time. I will tell you in a bit. First, If you book the camp site on the Internet, you may get confuse which camp site is the best, but I'd tell you that camp #17, #36 and # 49 are seems the best due to the size and privacy. We booked # 20 before cuz we thought it was privacy but when we got there it wasn't exactly like the image on the website. Lucky us, we went there during cold weather so we had no problem to switch to other camp site. Second, If you are looking for a "real" camping, you are in the wrong place cuz this camp site is so convenient, there are flush toilets, and showers for you. During cold weather i do not recommend anyone to take a shower here even though the sign said the temperature 90 degree of water and i did shower but felt like it was 30 -40! (Damn! it was so cold) Third, we had a great time so far until one group came and stayed next to our camp site and made so much noise ( i really mean it! ) they made such as turning on the loud and sick musics all day and night, talking/partying late night ( actually dead quite would be at 10 pm. but they made noise until they passed out around 2 am in the morning. They yelling and honking their cars most the time. Some people stood up and told them to respect the neighbors but they didn't. The rangers came to check out but when the rangers left they made the loud noise again over again. The next day we went to the office to check out the inf for the hiking, and the rangers asked us about what happened and how we slept last night cuz they got some complaints to this issue so we reported them everything and they said they would take care of it. Believe it or not, those little kids was way to much fun again on second night, they used all the time, even 9.58 pm. they still were singing happy b-day song! OMG, i was sleeping but woke up again cuz i heard so many people were talking, someone called the rangers and those kids just knew how to shut up. Fourth, I would like to THANK YOU to all the rangers i know this situation wasn't an easy to be fixed, but at least they tried to fix the best. and i would like to say , please please people if you don't know how to respect people and nature, please don't come here otherwise you will ruin other people great time. read more

Pinnacles Campground - Campgrounds Near Me - Paicines, California

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