Moses Spring–Rim Trail Loop
Easy–Mod
2.2 mi+400 ft~1.5 hr
The classic east-side loop through Bear Gulch Cave and past the reservoir, with rock formations throughout. No permit.
Pinnacles · Mile 01 · The Story
Half a volcano,
195 miles from its other half.
Roughly 23 million years ago, a volcanic field erupted near present-day Lancaster, California. Tectonic forces along the San Andreas Fault have since split that field in two and dragged this half nearly 200 miles northwest to its current location, a geologic fact confirmed only in 1976 by matching rock signatures on both sides of the fault. What's left is a landscape of jagged rhyolite and tuff spires, talus caves formed by boulders that jammed narrow canyons, and some of the best rock climbing in central California.
Pinnacles is also one of the most important release sites for the California condor, one of the rarest birds on Earth, reintroduced here in 2003 after the species nearly went extinct in the 1980s. The park has no road connecting its two entrances, east and west, meaning a drive between them takes roughly two hours around the outside, though experienced hikers can cross on foot in a long day.
Come for the chance to see a condor riding a thermal over the High Peaks. Stay for the talus caves, dark and cool even on the hottest afternoon. Read the story, trust the live data above for what is open today, and when you leave, mark it visited.
From $37.32
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