At the start of the year we took a quick overnight trip to Pinnacles National Park outside of Hollister, CA about 2 hours to the south. Hiking there requires maneuvering through some pretty tight spaces sometimes in pitch black and up some winding stairs that have been carved into the rock face. It wasn’t supposed to rain while we were there but a storm blew in just as we were getting back to the visitor’s center.

Pinnacles is said to have been formed by volcanic activity about 23 million years ago. Now it’s a popular spot for hundreds of condors. The vocanic rock formations are irregular and dramatic, unfortunately we didn’t see any condors but there’s a much longer and steeper hike that will take you up close to their nesting spots.

Here are a few pictures from the park and surrounding area.