Exploring Bear Gulch Cave: One Day in Pinnacles National Park

I visited Pinnacles National Park for a day and found its hike to Bear Gulch Cave and Reservoir to be one of my favorite hiking trails I’ve ever done.

The park isn’t that big (and it’s actually the smallest national park in California), so I felt that just doing this one hike was enough to experience Pinnacles National Park even with limited time.

After visiting all 9 national parks in California, I can safely say that Pinnacles deserves more hype.

Here’s what it’s like exploring Bear Gulch Cave for a day and what you need to know!

Why Hike to Bear Gulch Cave and Reservoir?

If you only have time for one hike in Pinnacles National Park, definitely make it the hike to Bear Gulch Reservoir, which includes a journey through Bear Gulch Cave.

It’s an incredible hike that features:

• A cave
• Rock scrambling
• A man-made reservoir
• Incredible views

I had so much fun exploring the cave and hiking to the reservoir.

How some of the rocks stood in between canyons and boulders made us feel like Indiana Jones.

It’s an adventure you’ll hopefully remember for a long time.

When Is the Cave Open?

Bear Gulch Cave has two parts, upper and lower, and one or the other or both parts temporarily closes in order to protect the colony of bats that live there.

Lower Cave: Usually open about 10 months a year; closed from mid-May to mid-July
Upper Cave: Usually only open in March and October, for 2 weeks up to 2 months

Check the national park website if the cave will be open during your visit.

I’d highly recommend waiting for the cave to open before heading out to Pinnacles National Park. It’s not the same experience without visiting this cave.

The lower part of the cave was open during our visit in February (the upper part was closed), and we all loved exploring Bear Gulch Cave. It was a definite highlight.

Heading Out on the Trail to Bear Gulch Cave and Reservoir

About a quarter mile into the trail to Bear Gulch Reservoir, you’ll reach a junction, a fork in the road. There’s a sign to let you know your two options:

• to go around the Bear Gulch Cave
• or go through the Bear Gulch Cave

Either way eventually takes you to the same point, back on the trail to Bear Gulch Reservoir.

We went through the cave on the way up and then around the cave on the way back down (and then through the cave two more times because we thought it was so much fun).

Tips for Exploring Bear Gulch Cave

• Bring a flashlight. It’s very dark inside the cave and there are no other lights except the occasional ray of sunlight breaking in through the rocks.
• Wear shoes that have good traction and can get wet. There are waterfalls and streams and pools of water inside Bear Gulch Cave, and you may sometimes need to walk through water.
• Mind the fork in the trail. If the cave is closed, you can still hike to Bear Gulch Reservoir by hiking the trail that goes atop the cave. There’s a fork in the trail, where one side goes through the cave and one side goes atop the cave. (The hike atop the cave offers incredible views.) I’d recommend taking both paths — one path on the way up and one on the way down.

Which Entrance: East Side or West Side? How to Get to the Bear Gulch Cave and Reservoir

Pinnacles National Park has two sides and two entrances, an east side and west side.

You can’t drive through the park from east to west or vice versa.

The Bear Gulch Cave and Reservoir hike is on the east side of Pinnacles National Park.

So you’ll want to enter Pinnacles National Park via the east entrance.

Where to Park

Park at the parking lot near Moses Spring and the Bear Gulch Nature Center for your hike to Bear Gulch Reservoir.

Parking lots in Pinnacles National Park are few and far between.

They fill up fast, especially on weekends.

It’s a small national park that is growing in popularity, and I don’t think it’s infrastructure has quite caught up yet.

Using the Shuttle Bus

Get to the park early or else take the shuttle bus. If you don’t arrive before 8 a.m. to snag a spot near the trailhead, you will need to park elsewhere (farther away) and take the shuttle bus.

The shuttle buses operate seasonally.

Expect long lines and delays getting into the park between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m., according to the national park’s website.

Our experience: We arrived around 10 a.m. and had to take a shuttle as the parking lots nearest our trailhead to Bear Gulch Reservoir were already full.

We ended up parking at the Peaks View parking lot and had to wait by the Pinnacles National Park sign for a shuttle bus to the Bear Gulch Nature Center.

Is Pinnacles National Park Worth Visiting?

Pinnacles National Park is not only the least visited national park in California but one of the top 10 least visited national parks in the whole U.S. Does that mean it’s not worth visiting? Absolutely not.

I’m a California native and waited far too long to visit Pinnacles National Park. I wish I had visited sooner!

Is it worth a trip from farther away, out of state? Yes.

If you have extra time and are already on a road trip that ventures into central California, definitely make Pinnacles National Park one of your stops.

See where I ranked Pinnacles on my list of best national parks in California (I’ve been to them all!).

When to Go

You should go to Pinnacles National Park when the Bear Gulch Cave is open, at least the lower part. Times can vary throughout the year, so check the NPS website for the latest status updates.

Otherwise, the weather at Pinnacles National Park is pretty good year-round. There are mild winters, but summer can get hot.

We visited in early February and it was a little chilly in the morning but it warmed up considerably by the afternoon. Perfect weather for hiking.

Where to Stay

Camping in Pinnacles National Park

There aren’t any lodges/hotels in the park, but, for those who enjoy camping, Pinnacles National Park offers campgrounds in the park.

Paso Robles: 85 miles away (1.5 hours) — where I stayed

We were coming from southern California, so we stayed in Paso Robles, the nearest large city south of Pinnacles National Park.

There are closer, smaller towns, but I’m glad we didn’t stay at any of them. Passing through, they seemed pretty dead with not many amenities.

However, we actually LOVED our stay at Oxford Suites Paso Robles.

It’s a brand-new hotel that had an amazing free buffet breakfast — so, so good.

Paso Robles is also a pretty neat town. We visited the Sensorio light installation while we were here.

Hollister: 35 miles away (45 minutes)

If you’re coming from northern California, try looking for lodgings in Hollister, CA, the nearest large-ish city near Pinnacles National Park from the north.

What to Eat

I’d recommend packing a picnic lunch for your hike in Pinnacles National Park. There aren’t any restaurants in Pinnacles National Park, but there is a small grocery store inside the visitor center.

We bought some snacks there after our hike, but I wish we’d also packed a picnic lunch.

There aren’t any nearby restaurants outside of the park, either, so we had to drive back to Paso Robles before having a proper meal.

Other Posts to Help You Plan Your Trip to California

• Best National Parks in California (From Someone Who’s Visited All 9)
• One Day in Lassen Volcanic National Park
• Day Trip to Channel Islands National Park
• Visiting Redwood National Park: 3 Day Itinerary
• 3 Day Itinerary for Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks
• Why I Didn’t Like Joshua Tree National Park