Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
On the park's east side, this popular family-oriented campground has more than 130 sites
(some with shade), drinking water, coin-op hot showers, fire pits and an outdoor pool (usu-
ally closed from October to March).
Information
The best time to visit Pinnacles National Park is during spring or fall; summer heat is ex-
treme. Information, maps and books are available on the park's east side from the small
NPS visitor center ( 831-389-4485; 9:30am-5pm daily, to 8pm Fri late-Mar-early Sep) in-
side the campground store ( 831-389-4538; 3-4pm Mon-Thu, noon-6pm Fri, 9am-6pm Sat
& Sun) , which sells bottled water, snacks and sundries.
Getting There & Away
There is no road connecting the two sides of the park. To reach the less-developed west
entrance ( 7:30am-8pm) , exit Hwy 101 at Soledad and follow Hwy 146 northeast for 14
miles. The east entrance ( 24hr) , where you'll find the visitor center and campground,
is accessed via lonely Hwy 25 in San Benito County, southeast of Hollister and northeast
of King City.
Mission San Antonio De Padua
Remote, tranquil and evocative, this historical mission ( 831-385-4478;
www.missionsanantonio.net ; end of Mission Rd, Jolon; adult/child 12yr & under $5/3; usually
10am-4pm) sits in the Valley of the Oaks, once part of Hearst Ranch's sprawling land hold-
ings. Today it's inside the boundaries of the US Army's Fort Hunter Liggett.
The mission was founded in 1771 by Franciscan priest Junípero Serra. Built with Native
American labor, the church has been restored to its early-19th-century appearance, with a
wooden pulpit, canopied altar and decorative flourishes on whitewashed walls. A creaky
door leads to a cloistered garden anchored by a fountain. The museum has a small collec-
tion of such utilitarian items as an olive press and a weaving loom once used in the mis-
sion's workshops. Around the grounds, you can inspect the remains of a mill and irrigation
system with aqueducts.
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