Pinnacles Campground
2Heads uppark alerts
- Right now
- Taking bookingsSites offered on 30 of the next 30 nights read 16:20 UTC
- A night
- $44–$62Across the site types the agency prices
- Sites
- 134All of them booked ahead
The place
the agency’s own description · what’s there · 13 notices
In the agency’s own words
Pinnacles Campground is located in the unique Pinnacles National Park, 32 miles south of Hollister, California. The park encompasses 26,000 acres of spectacular rock formations and remnants of an extinct 23 million-year old volcano. Hiking and rock climbing are very popular activities in Pinnacles, as is watching for the majestic California condor overhead. Pinnacles National Park is a nesting place for the endangered soaring bird, the largest in North America. Keep reading
Recreation
Pinnacles National Park has more than 30 miles of trails, ranging from easy to strenuous. Many trails intersect, allowing for a short loop or a longer all-day hike. Popular destinations include Bear Gulch Reservoir, High Peaks and the Balconies area. The Bench Trail provides direct access to the park from the campground. Visitors enjoy exploring Balconies Cave and Bear Gulch Cave, which houses a large colony of Townsend's big-eared bats. Bring a flashlight! Rock climbers flock to Pinnacles for the variety of climbing routes that range from easy top-ropes to the multi-pitch climbs along Machete Ridge.
Facilities
Pinnacles Campground is located on the eastern side of the park and is open year-round. It offers family and group tent sites, as well as RV sites with electric hookups. Roads and parking spurs are gravel. Flush toilets and drinking water are provided. Showers are available. A general store with basic foods and camping supplies is located on-site. A swimming pool is located within the campground and is open from April through September.
Natural Features
The campground is situated in a rolling landscape dotted with shady Valley Oak, Blue Oak and Coast Live Oak trees. A gentle, seasonal creek runs through the grounds. Springtime finds Pinnacles bursting with a wide variety of vivid wildflowers that line every trail and fill entire meadows with color. Deer and wild turkeys roam the area, and condors can be viewed from within the campground. The park ranges in elevation from 824 feet along South Chalone Creek to 3,304 feet atop North Chalone Peak.
What the agency tells you
First come, first served sites are NOT available at this location. Entrance fee: NPS fee of $30 per vehicle is required and valid for seven days; Interagency passes are accepted. Campground Store & Office Hours: 9:30 a.m.-5 p.m., seven days per week. Quiet Hours: from 10pm to 6am. Generators are not allowed at any time in any site.
Campsite check-in time: is 1pm and check out is 11am. Tent Cabin check-in time: is 3pm and check out is 11am. If you are arriving late or would like to check-in online you can do so here - Online Check-In
Tent/RV Sites: 6 people, 3 tents and 2 vehicles or one vehicle and one trailer or RV/Motor home. Group sites: 20 people, 5 vehicles max. No RV’s, motorhomes or trailers allowed. Any self-contained vehicle designed for sleeping is considered an RV/Motor home. Extra vehicles MUST be left in the overnight parking lot. A tow vehicle plus a trailer counts as two vehicles. Social Trails: Avoid walking through other campsites, creek beds, and closed areas. Lighting: Party lights, disco lights, Christmas lights, travel trailer parking lights, any decorative lighting must be turned off starting at 10:00pm and ending at 6:00am Parking: All vehicles and bicycles must stay on paved surfaces. Where parking pads are provided, vehicles must be parked with all wheels on the pad and may not extend into the traffic lane or into the campsite. All vehicles must be parked at thier respective campsites in front of the parking stops. Moving parking stops, driving beyond them or parking in another area/site will result in a ticket from NPS. If your vehicle does not fit in your site you MUST park it in the overflow parking area bhiend the store. Wastewater: carry to toilets for disposal. Washing dishes/clothing and brushing teeth at water spigots is prohibited. Campfire Restrictions: may be in effect at any time of year. BEfore arrival please check https://www.nps.gov/pinn/planyourvisit/conditions.htm
Everything else this campground posts · 10
RV Sites: have 120v/ 30-amp service; EV CHARGING IS PROHITIED AT RV SITES, An EV charger is located by the store. Tent and group sites have no hook-ups. Generators are not allowed at any time in any site.
Swimming pool: is open 4/1 to 10/31, weather permitting. No lifeguard on duty.
Pets: allowed on leash in the campground but not on hiking trails. NEVER leave unattended.
Wi-Fi: Guests receive 30 minutes of complimentary Wi-Fi. Extended access is available for purchase. Wi-Fi use is optional and not included in the nightly rate.
Dump station: is available for registered guests.
Trees: All trees, even when healthy and well-maintained, can pose a natural hazard of falling limbs. Visitors assume responsibility for any property damage, injury or other circumstances that may result from these hazards.
Lost, Stolen or Damaged Property: Pinnacles Recreation Company is not responsible for loss or to property due to fire, theft, accident or any other cause.
Please watch these videos prior to your arrival to help plan your trip and protect wildlife during your stay: How to Plan for Zero Waste Camping How to Do Camp Dishes How to Properly Store Trash and Food
During peak visitation periods, access to the campground through the East Entrance station may be restricted. Delays can be expected due to high traffic volumes and parking reaching capacity. We advise planning accordingly to avoid prolonged wait times. Pinnacles experiences extremely high visitation on weekends, holidays, and during favorable weather, especially in the spring. Expect long lines and delays [or possible restrictions especially] between 10:00 am and 3:00 pm.
Restrooms (Loop C) Loop C does not have flush restroom buildings. Portable toilets are located in Loop C. Flush toilets and sinks are available in nearby Loop B and Loop G.
Tents and rigs
- Sites
- 134 · 7 tent-only, 13 group, 10 cabin
- Hookups
- 34 electric
- Longest rig
- 75 ft
- Accessible sites
- None listed
- Pets
- Allowed
- Shade
- 76 of 82 sites
Facilities
- Toilets
- Flush Toilets - year round · Composting Toilets - year round · Portable Toilets - year round
- Showers
- Yes, the record doesn’t say what kind
- “Showers are available.”
- Drinking water
- Yes
- Dump station
- Yes
- recreation.gov lists “Dump Station”
- Store
- Nearby
Around the campground
- On the water
- Reservoir, Creek, Coast, Meadow
- Climbing
- Hiking
- Ranger programs
- Other Recreation Concession Site
- Visitor center
- Wildlife viewing
- Night sky · 877th darkest of 1,201 in CA
- Bortle 4
14 of 266 site-nights open this Friday and Saturdayread 16:20 UTC
Every site here is reservable, and the record lists none held back for anyone who drives up.
OpenBooked
Watch for a cancellation
Full? Watch it.
One email when a night opens, plus More Than Just Parks dispatches. Unsubscribe any time.
We read recreation.gov once an hour, at 40 minutes past, and write the first time a site in your window is free for the nights you asked for.
Scanners that check every few minutes exist, and most of them charge. This one is free, it reads the same calendar, and it won’t always be first.
Tell me when the season opens
Watch for the season to open
One email when the season goes on sale, plus More Than Just Parks dispatches. Unsubscribe any time.
We check once an hour, at 40 minutes past, and write the first time the agency has that season on sale.
Scanners that check every few minutes exist, and most of them charge. This one is free, it reads the same calendar, and it won’t always be first.
We make nothing when you book. The link goes straight to the government.
Every line of the receipt · 16
What you actually pay
Derived by CAMPANAC: the agency’s published rates for this season, $44–$62 a night, plus one $8 recreation.gov reservation fee for the booking, plus the agency’s published $12 weekend rate on Friday and Saturday. A weekend here means Friday and Saturday night, booked once. Optional charges (an extra vehicle, a second tent, a dump-station fee) are listed separately and aren’t in this total.
Who keeps the booking fee
The agency’s own policy text says the reservation fee and the cancellation processing fee are “retained by the reservation service contractor”, and that a campground concessionaire will decline to refund them because “they did not receive these fees”. Recreation.gov is run under contract by Booz Allen Hamilton. What share of your booking fee the contractor keeps isn’t published in any federal dataset we can read, so we print no number for it. Our reporting on the contract →
How we know this receipt · 5
recreation.gov availability, read 16:20 UTC · rules read Sep 9, 2026 · rates Sep 10, 2026 · How we know all this
The sites
134 sites · which ones have room · the site map
The sites, ranked
from 134 mapped sitesAll 134 sites
The price is derived by CAMPANAC, not published per site: the per-night rate this campground publishes for each site’s own site type. 134 of the 134 sites listed carry one, and a site whose type has no published rate sits out of the price rather than being called free.
Measured shade is NLCD Tree Canopy Cover 2024 (USDA Forest Service / MRLC) read at the site’s own coordinate, 27% canopy or more, and only for the sites the agency gave no Shade value. It never changes the agency’s own shaded count beside it.
| A | 1 | standard nonelectric | 27 ft | 101 ft | 4,728 ft | $44 | |
| A | 10 | standard nonelectric | 25 ft | 65 ft | 5,120 ft | $44 | |
| A | 11 | standard nonelectric | 27 ft | 106 ft | 5,234 ft | $44 | |
| A | 12 | standard nonelectric | 45 ft | 48 ft | 5,245 ft | $44 | |
| A | 13 | standard nonelectric | 45 ft | 48 ft | 5,205 ft | $44 | |
| A | 14 | standard nonelectric | 27 ft | 55 ft | 5,150 ft | $44 | |
| A | 15 | standard nonelectric | 25 ft | 88 ft | 5,068 ft | $44 | |
| A | 16 | standard nonelectric | 27 ft | 60 ft | 4,828 ft | $44 | |
| A | 17 | standard nonelectric | 25 ft | 64 ft | 4,769 ft | $44 | |
| A | 18 | standard nonelectric | 27 ft | 84 ft | 4,685 ft | $44 | |
| A | 19 | standard nonelectric | 24 ft | 128 ft | 4,565 ft | $44 | |
| A | 2 | standard nonelectric | 27 ft | 31 ft | 4,819 ft | $44 | |
| A | 20 | tent only nonelectric | 25 ft | 125 ft | 4,939 ft | $44 | |
| A | 21 | standard nonelectric | 15 ft | 65 ft | 5,239 ft | $44 | |
| A | 3 | standard nonelectric | 27 ft | 31 ft | 4,849 ft | $44 | |
| A | 4 | standard nonelectric | 30 ft | 31 ft | 4,963 ft | $44 | |
| A | 5 | standard nonelectric | 30 ft | 31 ft | 4,959 ft | $44 | |
| A | 6 | standard nonelectric | 27 ft | 60 ft | 4,826 ft | $44 | |
| A | 7 | standard nonelectric | 25 ft | 81 ft | 4,916 ft | $44 | |
| A | 8 | standard nonelectric | 25 ft | 57 ft | 4,997 ft | $44 | |
| A | 9 | standard nonelectric | 25 ft | 57 ft | 5,054 ft | $44 | |
| B | 22 | standard nonelectric | 21 ft | 65 ft | 5,276 ft | $44 | |
| B | 23 TENT CABIN | cabin nonelectric | 20 ft | 50 ft | 1.0 mi | $129 | |
| B | 24 TENT CABIN | cabin nonelectric | 37 ft | 64 ft | 1.0 mi | $129 | |
| B | 25 TENT CABIN | cabin nonelectric | 31 ft | 47 ft | 1.0 mi | $129 | |
| B | 26 TENT CABIN | cabin nonelectric | 37 ft | 47 ft | 1.0 mi | $129 | |
| B | 27 TENT CABIN | cabin nonelectric | 34 ft | 58 ft | 1.1 mi | $129 | |
| B | 28 TENT CABIN | cabin nonelectric | 34 ft | 58 ft | 1.1 mi | $129 | |
| B | 29 | standard nonelectric | 25 ft | 58 ft | 1.1 mi | $44 | |
| B | 30 | standard nonelectric | 30 ft | 59 ft | 1.1 mi | $44 | |
| B | 31 | standard nonelectric | 25 ft | 52 ft | 1.1 mi | $44 | |
| B | 32 | standard nonelectric | 30 ft | 52 ft | 1.1 mi | $44 | |
| B | 33 | standard nonelectric | 20 ft | 65 ft | 1.1 mi | $44 | |
| B | 34 | standard nonelectric | 30 ft | 41 ft | 1.1 mi | $44 | |
| B | 35 | standard nonelectric | 30 ft | 76 ft | 1.1 mi | $44 | |
| B | 36 | standard nonelectric | 20 ft | 56 ft | 1.1 mi | $44 | |
| B | 37 | standard nonelectric | 20 ft | 56 ft | 1.1 mi | $44 | |
| B | 38 | standard nonelectric | 25 ft | 56 ft | 1.1 mi | $44 | |
| B | 39 | standard nonelectric | 25 ft | 56 ft | 1.1 mi | $44 | |
| B | 40 | standard nonelectric | 25 ft | 50 ft | 1.1 mi | $44 | |
| B | 41 | standard nonelectric | 20 ft | 50 ft | 1.1 mi | $44 | |
| B | 42 | standard nonelectric | 20 ft | 76 ft | 1.1 mi | $44 | |
| B | 43 | standard nonelectric | 20 ft | 58 ft | 1.1 mi | $44 | |
| B | 44 | standard nonelectric | 20 ft | 49 ft | 1.0 mi | $44 | |
| B | 45 | standard nonelectric | 25 ft | 49 ft | 1.0 mi | $44 | |
| B | 46 | standard nonelectric | 25 ft | 48 ft | 1.0 mi | $44 | |
| B | 47 | standard nonelectric | 25 ft | 48 ft | 1.0 mi | $44 | |
| B | 48 | standard nonelectric | 25 ft | 48 ft | 1.0 mi | $44 | |
| C | 49 | standard nonelectric | 25 ft | 41 ft | 1.1 mi | $44 | |
| C | 50 | standard nonelectric | 20 ft | 67 ft | 1.1 mi | $44 | |
| C | 51 | standard nonelectric | 20 ft | 43 ft | 1.2 mi | $44 | |
| C | 52 | tent only nonelectric | 20 ft | 43 ft | 1.2 mi | $44 | |
| C | 53 | standard nonelectric | 25 ft | 55 ft | 1.2 mi | $44 | |
| C | 54 | standard nonelectric | 25 ft | 55 ft | 1.2 mi | $44 | |
| C | 55 | standard nonelectric | 25 ft | 107 ft | 1.2 mi | $44 | |
| C | 56 | standard nonelectric | 27 ft | 153 ft | 1.2 mi | $44 | |
| C | 57 | standard nonelectric | 27 ft | 103 ft | 1.3 mi | $44 | |
| C | 58 | standard nonelectric | 27 ft | 44 ft | 1.3 mi | $44 | |
| C | 59 | standard nonelectric | 27 ft | 44 ft | 1.3 mi | $44 | |
| C | 60 | standard nonelectric | 20 ft | 49 ft | 1.3 mi | $44 | |
| C | 61 | standard nonelectric | 25 ft | 57 ft | 1.4 mi | $44 | |
| C | 62 | standard nonelectric | 25 ft | 57 ft | 1.4 mi | $44 | |
| C | 63 | standard nonelectric | 20 ft | 58 ft | 1.4 mi | $44 | |
| C | 64 | standard nonelectric | 25 ft | 50 ft | 1.4 mi | $44 | |
| C | 65 | standard nonelectric | 27 ft | 50 ft | 1.4 mi | $44 | |
| C | 66 | standard nonelectric | 45 ft | 76 ft | 1.4 mi | $44 | |
| C | 67 | standard nonelectric | 27 ft | 76 ft | 1.4 mi | $44 | |
| C | 68 | standard nonelectric | 27 ft | 103 ft | 1.4 mi | $44 | |
| C | 69 | standard nonelectric | 25 ft | 51 ft | 1.5 mi | $44 | |
| C | 70 | standard nonelectric | 25 ft | 46 ft | 1.5 mi | $44 | |
| C | 71 | standard nonelectric | 30 ft | 46 ft | 1.5 mi | $44 | |
| C | 72 | standard nonelectric | 20 ft | 50 ft | 1.5 mi | $44 | |
| C | 73 | standard nonelectric | 20 ft | 55 ft | 1.5 mi | $44 | |
| C | 74 | standard nonelectric | 29 ft | 55 ft | 1.4 mi | $44 | |
| C | 75 | standard nonelectric | 20 ft | 54 ft | 1.4 mi | $44 | |
| C | 76 | standard nonelectric | 15 ft | 54 ft | 1.4 mi | $44 | |
| C | 77 | standard nonelectric | 25 ft | 50 ft | 1.4 mi | $44 | |
| C | 78 | standard nonelectric | 27 ft | 50 ft | 1.4 mi | $44 | |
| C | 79 | standard nonelectric | 25 ft | 166 ft | 1.4 mi | $44 | |
| D | 100 | rv electric | 45 ft | 30 amp | 42 ft | 1.0 mi | $62 |
| D | 101 | rv electric | 45 ft | 30 amp | 36 ft | 1.0 mi | $62 |
| D | 102 | rv electric | 45 ft | 30 amp | 36 ft | 1.0 mi | $62 |
| D | 103 | rv electric | 45 ft | 30 amp | 55 ft | 1.0 mi | $62 |
| D | 104 | rv electric | 42 ft | 30 amp | 39 ft | 5,202 ft | $62 |
| D | 105 | rv electric | 45 ft | 30 amp | 39 ft | 5,170 ft | $62 |
| D | 106 | rv electric | 45 ft | 30 amp | 44 ft | 5,127 ft | $62 |
| D | 107 TENT CABIN | cabin electric | 75 ft | 30 amp | 67 ft | 5,031 ft | $139 |
| D | 108 TENT CABIN | cabin electric | 75 ft | 30 amp | 62 ft | 5,097 ft | $139 |
| D | 109 | rv electric | 45 ft | 30 amp | 45 ft | 5,184 ft | $62 |
| D | 110 | rv electric | 42 ft | 30 amp | 63 ft | 5,255 ft | $62 |
| D | 111 | rv electric | 45 ft | 30 amp | 61 ft | 1.0 mi | $62 |
| D | 112 | rv electric | 45 ft | 30 amp | 61 ft | 1.0 mi | $62 |
| D | 113 | rv electric | 45 ft | 30 amp | 42 ft | 1.0 mi | $62 |
| D | 114 | standard nonelectric | 23 ft | 59 ft | 1.1 mi | $44 | |
| D | 115 | standard nonelectric | 34 ft | 59 ft | 1.1 mi | $44 | |
| D | 116 | standard nonelectric | 22 ft | 70 ft | 1.1 mi | $44 | |
| D | 80 TENT CABIN | cabin electric | 40 ft | 30 amp | 66 ft | 5,010 ft | $139 |
| D | 81 TENT CABIN | cabin electric | 40 ft | 30 amp | 47 ft | 5,074 ft | $139 |
| D | 82 | rv electric | 45 ft | 30 amp | 47 ft | 5,070 ft | $62 |
| D | 83 | rv electric | 45 ft | 30 amp | 36 ft | 5,009 ft | $62 |
| D | 84 | rv electric | 40 ft | 30 amp | 36 ft | 5,025 ft | $62 |
| D | 85 | rv electric | 45 ft | 30 amp | 42 ft | 5,059 ft | $62 |
| D | 86 | rv electric | 30 ft | 30 amp | 48 ft | 5,106 ft | $62 |
| D | 87 | rv electric | 45 ft | 30 amp | 53 ft | 5,170 ft | $62 |
| D | 88 | rv electric | 45 ft | 30 amp | 50 ft | 5,133 ft | $62 |
| D | 89 | rv electric | 45 ft | 30 amp | 49 ft | 5,165 ft | $62 |
| D | 90 | rv electric | 45 ft | 30 amp | 49 ft | 5,211 ft | $62 |
| D | 91 | rv electric | 42 ft | 30 amp | 47 ft | 5,235 ft | $62 |
| D | 92 | rv electric | 45 ft | 30 amp | 47 ft | 1.0 mi | $62 |
| D | 93 | rv electric | 45 ft | 30 amp | 55 ft | 1.0 mi | $62 |
| D | 94 | rv electric | 45 ft | 30 amp | 53 ft | 1.0 mi | $62 |
| D | 95 | rv electric | 45 ft | 30 amp | 60 ft | 1.0 mi | $62 |
| D | 96 | rv electric | 45 ft | 30 amp | 47 ft | 1.0 mi | $62 |
| D | 97 | rv electric | 45 ft | 30 amp | 44 ft | 1.0 mi | $62 |
| D | 98 | rv electric | 40 ft | 30 amp | 44 ft | 1.0 mi | $62 |
| D | 99 | rv electric | 50 ft | 30 amp | 44 ft | 1.0 mi | $62 |
| G | 117 | group standard nonelectric | 128 ft | 1.1 mi | $110 | ||
| G | 118 | group standard nonelectric | 104 ft | 1.1 mi | $110 | ||
| G | 119 | group standard nonelectric | 171 ft | 1.1 mi | $110 | ||
| G | 120 | group standard nonelectric | 153 ft | 1.2 mi | $110 | ||
| G | 121 | group standard nonelectric | 99 ft | 1.2 mi | $110 | ||
| G | 122 | group standard nonelectric | 37 ft | 91 ft | 1.2 mi | $110 | |
| G | 123 | group standard nonelectric | 91 ft | 1.2 mi | $110 | ||
| G | 124 | group standard nonelectric | 103 ft | 1.2 mi | $110 | ||
| G | 125 | group standard nonelectric | 103 ft | 1.2 mi | $110 | ||
| G | 126 | group standard nonelectric | 116 ft | 1.2 mi | $110 | ||
| G | 127 | group standard nonelectric | 116 ft | 1.3 mi | $110 | ||
| G | 128 | group standard nonelectric | 137 ft | 1.2 mi | $110 | ||
| G | 129 | group standard nonelectric | 179 ft | 1.3 mi | $110 | ||
| G | 130 | tent only nonelectric | 70 ft | 1.3 mi | $44 | ||
| G | 131 | tent only nonelectric | 20 ft | 70 ft | 1.3 mi | $44 | |
| G | 132 | tent only nonelectric | 34 ft | 43 ft | 1.3 mi | $44 | |
| G | 133 | tent only nonelectric | 45 ft | 43 ft | 1.4 mi | $44 | |
| G | 134 | tent only nonelectric | 44 ft | 1.4 mi | $44 |
25 of 134 listed
Getting there
the map and the coordinate · the agency’s directions · the phone number
Where it is
Arroyo SecoLos Padres National Forest · 23 miArroyo Seco Group CampgroundLos Padres National Forest · 24 mi
White Oaks CampgroundLos Padres National Forest · 24 mi
China Camp CampgroundLos Padres National Forest · 25 mi
Escondido CampgroundLos Padres National Forest · 29 mi
Memorial CampgroundLos Padres National Forest · 29 miPinnacles National Park is located 32 miles south of Hollister, CA on Hwy 25 and 29 miles northeast of King City, CA on Hwy 25. Campground is located on the east side of Pinnacles National Park off Hwy 25.
The weather
the next four days · the thirty-year normal
Next four days, and the thirty-year normal
Forecast
NWS forecast for Soledad, CA
Typical weather
Typical October night 43°F, day 83°F.
Coldest month of the year: typical December night 33°F. Bring the bag rated for it.
Daily high and lowDays with 0.10 in or more
A normal is the 1991-2020 average for the month, not a forecast: about half of all Julys are colder than the July line. The seven-day forecast above answers the other question.
The land, and who answers for it
what threatens it · who answers for it
What threatens this place
You’re camping on ground somebody wants. We track the threats and the comment deadlines.
Who answers for this land
Pinnacles Campground is in California’s 18th congressional district. Its representative, Zoe Lofgren (D), votes on the laws that decide what happens to this land. Public-lands grade so far: A+. See every public-lands vote →