Pinnacles Campground

Just got back from a weekend of camping at this campground. I will just list the pros and cons of this place.
Cons.
–campground and lots of red and black ants
–some sites are full open all day long the ones I had was 27.28.29 was no shade.
–staff was driving around towing a blower clearing the roads of dust but blowing it into our site.
–raccoons roam the campgrounds getting real close to humans to grab any food you leave around. my kids started to freak out.
–2 mens and 2 womans shower in the front where you check in for the whole campground
–showers were cold water. .50 for 3 min
–pool was small and not the cleanest
–drivers drive well over the 10 mph speed limit. even tho there are kids around
(not the campgrounds fault)
–bathroom flooded the last day we were there and the closed it.
–some campers setup camp even tho it not under their name
–park ranger grove around only 1 time the whole day
–bathrooms had no lights and soap.
Pros.
–staff was very friendly and helpful
–campsite 32 had shade almost all day.
–staff cleans bathrooms 2 – 3 times a day (when working)
–campsite was pretty quiet after quiet time (10pm-​6pm)
–hikes are very nice many different trails to choose from
this will probably my families only trip here. But would return to hike the trails.

Staff was friendly but the campground itself was riddled with ants. Black ants and Red ants. The toilets clogged up frequently the showers were 50 cents for 3 minutes. The swimming pool was tiny. I think the pool in my complex is bigger. Beware of the raccoons they are very bold and will take any food laying around. The other campers would ignore the 10mph speed limit and will speed on the roads endangering kids playing and adults crossing the road to throw trash or go to the bathroom. We only saw the park ranger once patrolling the grounds.
The only reason it gets a 3 star is because of the hikes were good.
Good chance this will be our only stay there.

Really big campground. Each site has a set of picnic table and a fire ring. People are quiet in the night, which was good.
There is restroom, shower, and a swimming pool. The quality of shower is not great.

Just returned from a wonderful stay. Spring is definitely the time to go! A beautiful drive — lots of curvy roads (our kid gets car sick, so it took a LONG time). We’ve camped a lot and saw a greater variety of nature here than anywhere else we’ve been (bats, owls, raccoons, deer, rabbits, wild turkeys, the hugest variety of wildflowers and birds I’ve seen at a campground!). The birds woke us in the morning, the owls and frogs sang us to sleep! Didn’t see any condors :(
Campstore keeps odd hours during the week: groceries, firewood ($ 11), national park paraphenalia, etc.
Showers are here — didn’t try them. And a pool — wasn’t hot enough to swim.
RV sites are pretty close together and exposed.
Sites in the 60s-​80s are more private. 83, 81, 79 don’t have much shade but are right up against the hill and surrounded by beautiful grass. I heard a few weeks before we got there the grass fields were covered in poppies!
Sites 70 – 75 have pretty good shade. The outer sites back up to the hills creating a bigger feeling to your site. More connected with nature.
Site 55 might be our go-​to next time — shaded, next to the creek and a big area but mostly enclosed — great for toddlers!
The bat cave hike was perfect for our toddler. (1 mi= 1.5 hrs hiking :) She was thrilled to use a headlamp through the caves. There are handrails and it’s doable for kids (she’s 2.5).
Restrooms were really clean — cleanest I’ve experienced when camping.
We loved it.

There are definitely some better spots than others at this campground — all of the RV loop spots are very exposed. We stayed in Site 10, which was pretty nice. Not as secluded as my first stay at Site 32, but still pretty nice and shady.
The water here isn’t the tastiest, I will say.
Tip: If all the sites look booked up, keep checking online. We nabbed a spot 2 days before our time that had opened up b/​c of a cancellation. My name wasn’t even on the print-​out b/​c it had happened so recently. Also, the campground manager said that due to rain, they keep certain sites unreserved, so watch for those too, and if it called for rain and then didn’t, it might be worth it to show up first come first serve.
It was definitely pretty loud with all the children and people, but that’s fine by me for car camping. The site is pretty nice otherwise and in amongst some nice riparian forest.
I’d heard that the weekends and spring season can be pretty crazy, but we didn’t encounter too bad of crowd congestion, just a fair amount of people, but nothing like Yosemite.

If you want to get away from phones and internet, this is the place for you! There is no signal at the campground at all. I had a great time a couple of summers ago, the little store was convenient, showering at night in the coin op showers was hilarious, the wildlife was friendly and entertaining (funniest raccoon parade ever) and exploring the caves and boulders was amazing. I’m looking forward to going back.

Hot during summer, suggest a Sept-​Oct timeframe, we camped both and it is much cooler and tolerable. Camping is good, pool is great during summer, hiking trails are awesome both summer and fall. Tons of wildlife just keep a clean campsite and you should be good. Bobcats, deer, raccoons, condors, the reason to get into nature.
Beware: Of the old grumpy man who manages the campground. Total power trip dude, very rude. Imagine a long drive with kids, checking in lady at desk very nice gives you your pass, asks if you know where to go, to only be stopped on the road to your site by this grump to deny you to setup, when not a single sole is in the campground. It was empty, unbelievable. He came an apologized to me so I knew he knew he was being a jerk off. Everyone else that works there is very nice, except for grump-​meister.

We came in off Highway 25.
$ 10 per car for park entrance and another fee for the campsite.
There is a small convenience store; be sure to stop there for any camping stuff you need, beer, ice cream or general directions.
Behind the store is nice shimmering swimming pool for your kids; probably can take 20 kids. Free.
Restrooms are free and clean, but showers will cost you 3 quarters.
The campground is vigorously patrolled by park people, so if you need any help, there’s friendly help always available.
We had site #51, for five people with 3 tents. Running water was 200 feet down the road, but restrooms were a good 12 minute walk away. Site #50 is more secluded with five feet high hedges.
It’s a family type campground with quiet people all around.
Tip: if you go here to see a blue moon be warned to put a rain fly on your tent, because the moon will be very bright and you may not be able to sleep at night. If the moon is bright, the stars will be weak.
We were here, two days ago and 97 °F feels hotter than 97 °F.
Tip: bring plenty of sun protectant, water bottles and a wide brimmed hat. There is no swimming at the reservoir. During hot weather, no fires are permitted; you can use a gas stove though.
Fat hungry raccoon’s are plentiful around here and will steal your food at any time; be sure to use the bear lockers and lock it all up. Bring a big tube of mosquito repellent.
Tip: bring a large tent for day use, to be out of the sun.
The air is so clear here, you def. want to hike to the caves or to the reservoir; the area is picturesque.

If I could pick one campsite in Pinnacles campground it would be #49 because of it’s relatively secluded location, decent shade and nice setting. Many other reviewers provide detailed site analysis that are well thought out (see Margaret from Concord, CA) and I wish I’d given 66 a closer look while we were there. In general, I was less impressed with sites on the 57 – 83 loop than other reviewers simply because I didn’t think the setting was that great. In contrast, I found the setting for #35, 37 and 39 much nicer.
But overall most of the sites in this campground are decent and only a handful should be avoided (I’m looking at you, 20).

I’ve been on a 20 day camping trip to many different places and this stop was my least favorite.
I would recommend coming to this campsite in months other than summer months because it is too hot to do anything. There and not many trees to provide shade which makes the mornings and days toasty (I would suggest many pop up tents). Bathrooms were a little bit of a walk away. The ground is just dirt with painted white lines separating each site. There isn’t much privacy either. And because it was so hot and dry we couldn’t start a fire which was a bummer because that’s the best part about camping.
The campsite did offer a variety of trails but none were dog friendly so I didn’t go on any hikes. I did see a family of deer while I was walking through the campsite, which was really cool! Lots of wildlife roamed the campsite.
Overall, the campsite was decent and I would like to give it another chance when it is not so hot outside!

I was excited to visit Pinnacles– America’s newest National Park, but I didn’t really know what to expect. The road to Pinnacles is winding and desolate. No cellphone reception or satellite radio during much of the drive on the 199. We didn’t see many other cars or people, either…(make sure you have plenty of gas and supplies before heading to the park)…I was a little nervous and unsure of what I had gotten myself into!
We arrived at the park around 6:30pm. The store, pool, and information booth were all closed. Fortunately, we ran into the camp host who supplied us with directions to our camp site. Our site was large and secluded– although we heard other voices we never actually saw other campers from our site. The restrooms were close by. They were clean– pretty standard camping restrooms. There weren’t any showers close by– I think the only shower is located by the pool (near the store/​camp host).
At night, I was in awe of the sky– you could see so many stars! We heard some wildlife from our tent– skunks and raccoons, I think. But overall it was a very peaceful night!
The next day we decided to take a short hike to the caves. This is a MUST if you visit Pinnacles. Bring water and carefully read the trail signs– we got a little lost and turned around along the way. When we eventually found the caeca it was well worth the trek! Bring a flashlight and some water– you’ll need both for this hike!
Overall, great place to camp and hike! Hope to be back sometime soon!

Loved it here. Really feels like a getaway since it’s in the middle of nowhere with absolutely no cell phone service. Stayed at group site 126. Got very hot during the day not much shade at all. Bring plenty of shade! Like pop up tents or tarps. Make sure all food and coolers are completely put away at night in the food locker or your cars because the raccoons are massive and will appear as soon as lights are out!

We were there in late June during a heat wave over 104 temperatures!!! Lucky us we had #128 spot under a beautiful big oak tree, 2 was nights enough. Pool was too crowded, dog was not allowed on trails and other than the pool or under the tree every other place was too hot. Also, too many rangers overly vigilant. Anyway, the hike in the National Park, East entrance was spectacular!!! The caves, the views, rocks, made the trip significant but we had to take turns because the mini dog we have was not permitted on trails.

we camped in group spot #124, which has plenty of shade in the morning and a nice tree right over the fire ring for shade all day. the site has very good privacy and you cannot hear cars going by on the road.
You cannot park right next to your site, but must walk down stairs. Bathrooms are close by, but they are not very clean and there are not enough stalls for the number of people in all the nearby group sites.

This is my second time here. I absolutely love this place! I just wish it wasn’t getting so much attention because it is starting to get crowded.
No dogs are allowed on trails unfortunately =/​
Be careful there is poison ivy. Which I got yest.
Extremely hot. Wear shorts or comfortable clothing.
Water is a must.
Flashlights! Don’t underestimate the power of a flashlight or you might slip & fall.
Hiking boots are better than running shoes.
The earlier you get there the better! The less sun hits your face the better :) Be happy & enjoy!

Super easy to get there from San Jose. Took about 90 minutes, but it was a straight shot so it didn’t feel as long.
Most of the sites are right on top of each other or the spot designated for the tent is right next to the road. The sites right in the middle of the campground have zero shade or privacy. We stayed in site 66, it was PERFECT. 100 feet from a bathroom and right across from water. We could also back our car up the long drive right up to the kitchen. The site backed up to a tiny creek and had a decent amount of space– we could have easily fit another 4 – 6 person tent in there in addition to the one we brought. There were plenty of trees to set up a rain tarp to go over the picnic table. We didn’t have anyone staying on either side of us, which was great, because their tent sites were really close to our tent site and kitchen area. But, in comparison to other sites, this one had a ton of privacy.
I looked at some of the other reviews for the «good» sites, but I couldn’t really find any that had as much privacy as 66. Most of the sites would be great for groups staying together versus single groups.
There are only about 3 bathrooms for the entire 80+ campsites; some of the sites were a pretty good walk from a bathroom. Also, the bathrooms have no light in them, so make sure to bring a headlamp at night!
The camp store and visitor center was pretty good. The ranger who we talked to was not very friendly… after telling her this was our first time here, she was very to the point, pessimistic about the weather («it’s going to be like this all day, be ready to get wet»…) and told us we probably wouldn’t see any condors with the rain and cloud cover. We were like, okay, so should we not have come??? For the record, it didn’t rain a drop and we saw three condors flying at the top of the high peaks trail. I wish she would have been a little more welcoming.
Bear gulch cave was awesome! High peaks trail is definitely challenging, a lot of uphill and downhill and some really technical stuff down the «steep and narrow» portion. Can’t wait to go back!

The drive out was absolutely beautiful. Its amazing that someplace so remote is less than 2 hours from San Jose.
We stayed in site 66. the neighbors were close but the brush made it semi private we were close to the bathrooms which were clean and simple, bring your soap. There was water right across the way too.
We brought our dog and there was a nice walking path she could go on. the trails in the rest of the park are not dog friendly though so if you plan on hiking keep this in mind. There were wild turkey and rabbits along the path.
My boys enjoyed riding their scooters around the campground and loved the caves. we will be going here again for sure!

For my first mini-​milestone of 100 reviews, I decided to write about a place that I now associate with adventure and happiness — the most fun camping experience I’ve had with my closest friends. I see a plethora of complaints below due to minimal amounts of showers and amenities. Sorry people, it’s camping. Camping isn’t supposed to be clean and proper. It’s time to get DIRTY!
BATHROOMS:
— — — — — — –
There is, in fact, only one bathroom for the whole campground. Whoa! Perhaps I’m not as bitter because our campsite was so close to the bathroom. Campsite #127 for all the weak of bladder out there — you may want to write that down. Yes, there is only one shower stall each for males/​females, but honestly camping can be so dirty and dusty that there isn’t much point in showering.
SUN:
— — –
If your campsite is in the sun, this probably won’t be a huge problem, as you’ll probably wake up very early anyway to get your hike on.
CAMPFIRE:
— — — — — -
Be prepared to not be able to use the campfire. I know, camping without a fire sounds pretty lame, but for some reason… not setting forest fires during dry season tends to be their priority. Anyway, we made do with a kerosene lantern for some mood lighting on our campsite, as well as a portable stove and kerosene flame grill for our eats.
NIGHT-​TIME ACTIVITIES (no campfire required):
— — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — –
— Light wand painting — you need to see some photos to understand the awesomeness: 1. Epic Wizard Battle —
, 2. Angel & Devil —
— Banjo (s), guitar (s), bongo drum (s) — make some noise… until 10 PM, anyway.
FOOD/​DRINKS:
— — — — — — —
The food locker is of an ample size — you can fit about 2 – 3 large coolers and still have room for perishables. Foods I highly recommend for camping:
Keeps well for 1 – 2 days:
— Turkey bacon spinach wraps
— Bean salad
Good for camp cooking:
— Spanish rice (packaged)
— Chicken apple sausage (frozen/​refrigerated, already cooked)
— Hash browns —
— Pancakes —
Hiking:
— Trail mix
— Protein bars
Drinks:
— SANGRIA! Yes, we had our very own huge batch of watermelon sangria in cute dispensers, courtesy of the group’s bartender. It really hit the spot after a long day of hiking.
— A crap-​ton of water
RANGERS:
— — — — —
The rangers at Pinnacles were super awesome. Very friendly and struck up conversation with us even though they were making rounds to tell everyone it was almost time to shut up for the night. :) Even the ones in the information booths by the trails were super kind. One took his time to explain to a group of teenagers the rules of the trail and to look out for poison oak. Nice guy!
TIP: Bug spray. This will save you the headache of swatting flies the whole night. Recommend especially around the ears and neck. In which case, don’t use DEET. Use Repel, which is DEET-​free and composed of more natural ingredients.
TIP2: Unless you’re trying to go for an authentic camping experience by sleeping on the ground, why not save your back some trouble? I’d highly recommend an air mattress that fits in your tent, especially if you have back pain. Even if it doesn’t look like the air mattress will fit, give it a try!

I liked this campsite. We got a good site with no reservation (we never reserve sites, we almost always get a good campsite, too) and on Halloween weekend when we figured it would be packed. There were still plenty of open sites. Some teenagers were loud, but they got quiet at 10 pm when quiet time started.
No complaints!

We went camping at Pinnacles Campground on last weekend. we had a good and bad experiences at the same time. I will tell you in a bit.
First, If you book the camp site on the Internet, you may get confuse which camp site is the best, but I’d tell you that camp #17, #36 and # 49 are seems the best due to the size and privacy. We booked # 20 before cuz we thought it was privacy but when we got there it wasn’t exactly like the image on the website. Lucky us, we went there during cold weather so we had no problem to switch to other camp site.
Second, If you are looking for a «real» camping, you are in the wrong place cuz this camp site is so convenient, there are flush toilets, and showers for you. During cold weather i do not recommend anyone to take a shower here even though the sign said the temperature 90 degree of water and i did shower but felt like it was 30 –40! (Damn! it was so cold)
Third, we had a great time so far until one group came and stayed next to our camp site and made so much noise (i really mean it!)
they made such as turning on the loud and sick musics all day and night, talking/​partying late night (actually dead quite would be at 10 pm. but they made noise until they passed out around 2 am in the morning. They yelling and honking their cars most the time. Some people stood up and told them to respect the neighbors but they didn’t. The rangers came to check out but when the rangers left they made the loud noise again over again.
The next day we went to the office to check out the inf for the hiking, and the rangers asked us about what happened and how we slept last night cuz they got some complaints to this issue so we reported them everything and they said they would take care of it. Believe it or not, those little kids was way to much fun again on second night, they used all the time, even 9.58 pm. they still were singing happy b-​day song! OMG, i was sleeping but woke up again cuz i heard so many people were talking, someone called the rangers and those kids just knew how to shut up.
Fourth, I would like to THANK YOU to all the rangers i know this situation wasn’t an easy to be fixed, but at least they tried to fix the best. and i would like to say, please please people if you don’t know how to respect people and nature, please don’t come here otherwise you will ruin other people great time.