Pinnacles National Park
Pinnacles National Park is a national park of the United States protecting a mountainous area located east of the Salinas Valley in Central California, about five miles (8 km) east of Soledad and 80 miles (130 km) southeast of San Jose. It comes under the National Park Service. Over 2025, 343K visitors passed through.
A national park, 10 mi northeast of Soledad
Visits hit a record in 2024, then fell back
The National Park Service counted 354,076 visitors in 2024, a record. In 2025 the count fell 3% to 343,208. Visitors ↓
Plan where you’ll sleep
The nearest town with many places to stay is King City, 19 miles south. Where to stay ↓
Best months: Feb, Aug, Sep, Oct and Nov
February, August, September, October and November are mild and quieter than average, with highs of 65–83°. When to go ↓
A day trip from San Jose
San Jose is about 67 miles northwest and Fresno is about 77 miles east (straight-line). Where to stay ↓
Established in 2013
Pinnacles National Park dates from 2013 and is run by National Park Service. About ↓
Written from National Park Service visitor counts, NOAA 1991–2020 normals, Overture places to stay, Census town figures, Wikidata and Wikipedia. Updated when the Park Service posts a new month.
Crowds and weather, month by month
The months below show crowds and weather at Pinnacles.
Pinnacles National Park
Pinnacles National Park is a national park of the United States protecting a mountainous area located east of the Salinas Valley in Central California, about five miles (8 km) east of Soledad and 80 miles (130 km) southeast of San Jose. The park's namesake pinnacles are the eroded leftovers of the western half of an extinct volcano that has moved 200 miles (320 km) from its original location on the San Andreas Fault, embedded in a portion of the California Pacific Coast Ranges. Pinnacles is managed by the National Park Service and the majority of the park is protected as wilderness.
- Type
- National Park
- Established
- 2013
- Area
- 42 square miles
- Run by
- National Park Service
- Wikipedia readers
- 47K a year
- Official site
- nps.gov/pinn
Getting in
- Private Vehicle$30
- Motorcycle$25
- Per Person$15
- Non-commercial Groups$15
Where to sleep near Pinnacles National Park
You can sleep inside the park (1 place). Hotels, motels or campgrounds are closest in Salinas (36) and King City (8).
Stay in the park
- Pinnacles Campground Store campground
Salinas
The closest town with somewhere to stay.
159,134 people
30 mi northwest of Pinnacles Park Store · 24 mi to the park
Compare 8 towns
| Town | From the visitor center | Drive | Places to stay | People | Typical home | Safety |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Salinas | 30 mi northwest | 45 min | 36 18 hotels · 16 motels · 2 lodges & cabins | 159,134 | $654K | C− |
| King City | 19 mi south | 30 min | 8 5 hotels · 2 motels · 1 inn or B&B | 14,002 | $450K | C+ |
| Greenfield | 13 mi southwest | 20 min | 3 2 motels · 1 RV park | 21,138 | $531K | C− |
| Soledad | 10 mi southwest | 15 min | 2 2 hotels | 26,357 | $596K | B− |
| Hollister | 29 mi northwest | 45 min | 12 6 hotels · 2 motels · 2 inns & B&Bs · 2 campgrounds | 45,695 | $718K | B− |
| Carmel Valley Village | 33 mi west | 50 min | 11 4 hotels · 2 inns & B&Bs · 3 lodges & cabins · 2 campgrounds | 4,785 | $1,276K | — |
| Gonzales | 16 mi west | 25 min | 1 1 motel | 8,313 | $619K | B− |
| San Juan Bautista | 33 mi northwest | 50 min | 4 2 hotels · 2 RV parks | 2,122 | $786K | — |
Day trip from
Straight-line miles.
Getting there
Nearest airports with airline service, from the visitor center
Places to add to Pinnacles
More places people know lie within 58 miles.
Big draw55 mi State parkHearst Castle
42 mi Zoo & aquariumMonterey Bay Aquarium
41 mi MuseumMonterey Museum of Art
37 mi LandmarkFort Hunter Liggett
132 mi MuseumMission San Juan Bautista
45 mi Scenic drive17-Mile Drive
58 mi Theme parkSanta Cruz Beach Boardwalk42 mi Canyon & gorgeMonterey CanyonPhoto credits
Hearst Castle: No machine-readable author provided. Urban~commonswiki assumed (based on copyrig, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Monterey Bay Aquarium: Meij.kobayashi, Public domain · Monterey Museum of Art: Sgerbic, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Fort Hunter Liggett: Binksternet, Public domain · Mission San Juan Bautista: MARELBU, CC BY 3.0 · 17-Mile Drive: Humanoid one, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk: Josta Photo, CC BY 2.0
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Visits reached 343,208 in 2025
The count runs from 2016 up to 2025.
Pinnacles: common questions
What town is Pinnacles National Park near?
Soledad, CA, about 10 miles southwest.
When is the best time to visit Pinnacles National Park?
February, August, September, October and November, with highs of 65–83°. April is the busiest month (about 38,802 visitors).
How many people visit Pinnacles National Park each year?
343,208 in 2025, according to the National Park Service. The record is 354,076, set in 2024.
How far is Pinnacles National Park from San Jose and Fresno?
About 67 miles northwest of San Jose and about 77 miles east of Fresno, as the crow flies.
What is the closest airport to Pinnacles National Park?
Monterey Regional (MRY), about 39 miles away. The nearest big hub is Mineta San Jose (SJC), about 74 miles.
Where should I stay near Pinnacles National Park?
Inside the park: Pinnacles Campground Store. Nearby: Salinas (30 mi, 36 places to stay), King City (19 mi, 8 places to stay) and Greenfield (13 mi, 3 places to stay).
Advice from Soledad
Be the first to share a tip in Soledad’s Town Square.
Sources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · National Park Service visitor use statistics · NOAA climate normals · U.S. Census.