Someday I will take the time to research why there are National Parks and National Monuments, and what the difference is. I get the feeling that National Parks have more funding, because the National Monuments I know are wilder and more natural, with fewer visitors. Pinnacles is about 45 minutes from Hollister, not on a main road to anywhere else. A few rock climbers were practicing climbing the rough walls with their ropes. Otherwise, the place was empty. The paths at Pinnacles offer several options, one including traversing a cave where a flashlight is "required." I remembered having come to Pinnacles years ago, when I was 18, without a flashlight, so the performance was repeated. A flashlight would be a plus, but without it, one can experience some delicious chills of suspense.
Somewhere in my photo collection is one of my family standing on these stairs, ca. 1971. I wonder if the rock has shifted at all during the following years because of the area's frequent earthquakes.
What forces shaped this graceful tree?
A calm pool at the top of the loop trail reveals a reflection of scenery clearer than you can see when viewing it through the hazy atmosphere.
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