Rasika says “This was our first time hiking through a cave. While it was exciting, it was also intimidating! The hike to and from the cave was also fun; we loved seeing these captivating rock formations that were formed due to volcanic eruptions and erosions from water and wind over time. If you’re visiting California, Pinnacles National Park is a must-do on your itinerary as it shows you how nature changes over the years.”

Read on for Rasika’s full Bear Gulch Cave Trail guide. It includes:

• Trail information you’ll need to know for hiking the Bear Gulch Cave Trail
• The best time to hike through the Bear Gulch Cave Trail
• How to get to Pinnacles National Park and the Bear Gulch Cave trailhead
• What makes the Bear Gulch Cave Trail so special; is it worth hiking? 
• Hiking directions for the Bear Gulch Cave Trail

This is a sensitive wilderness area. Learn how to Leave No Trace to keep the wilderness wild. Make sure you are prepared by bringing the 10 Essentials. Get ready for adventure with this checklist of things to do before every hike.

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Bear Gulch Cave Trail Basics

This trail takes you through the Bear Gulch Cave and finishes at the Bear Gulch Reservoir. The Bear Gulch Cave is one of the two talus caves in Pinnacles National Park. When huge boulders fall into a canyon or a mountain slope, the space underneath is a talus cave.

This isn’t your average hike; hiking through this cave requires your full attention as you will be moving through some narrow passages with low ceilings. Even though some of the areas are narrow, it is a two-way hike so be prepared to see hikers coming back and make way when necessary. Follow the arrows to stay on the correct route.

Make sure that you’re packing the 10 essentials when hiking this trail: flashlights, water bottles, and a first aid kit in case you hit your head/feet on one of the rocks. (They should all be on your California packing list anyway!)

Is the Bear Gulch Cave Trail Worth Hiking?

So, with all these precautions, is it really worth hiking the Bear Gulch Cave Trail? That’s what we thought when we were preparing for the hike. But yes, it was worth it!

If you’ve ever wanted to visit a bat cave, this is it. Townsend’s big-eared bats reside in this cave. Plus, there are 16 species of bats in the Bear Gulch Cave. The trail takes you through an immersive cave experience and you get into survival mode.

After you exit the cave, you hike up to a scenic view of the Bear Gulch Reservoir, the second-best attraction in the park after the Bear Gulch Cave. 

Bear Gulch Cave Trail Information

Distance: 1.5 miles (2.4 km) round trip (2.2 miles/3.5 km total including the connector trail from the parking lot to the Bear Gulch Cave Trail) 

Elevation Gain: 240 feet (73 meters)

Time: 2-3 hours

Difficulty: Moderate

Season: Bear Gulch Cave is closed between mid-May and mid-July due to the bats’ pupping season.

Toilets: Available at the Bear Gulch Day Use Area parking lot 

Pets: No pets are allowed on the trails. Pets are allowed on-leash in the parking lots, picnic areas, and the Pinnacles Campground. 

Fee/Passes: $30 7-day vehicle entrance fee; free if you have the $80 America the Beautiful Pass or the $55 Pinnacles National Park Annual Pass. There are also National Park Service Fee Free days when you don’t have to pay a fee to enter the park.

Maps: Use this Pinnacle National Park map to stay on track. You can also buy a Pinnacles National Park topographic map.

Rules: Stay on established trails. Bicycles are prohibited on all trails. Drones aren’t allowed. It is not allowed to feed, approach, or hunt wildlife in the park. 

Best Times to Hike to Bear Gulch Cave Trail

The best time to hike the Bear Gulch Cave Trail is during spring or fall. This is because the entire cave will be open during the last weeks of March and October. They may open up earlier but that’s based on the presence of bats.

The lower section of the cave is open from April to May, July to September, and November to February.

The entire cave is closed between mid-May through mid-July when the maternal colony of bats raises their babies. Make sure to check the status of the caves on the National Parks Service site before planning a hike on the Bear Gulch Cave Trail.

Apart from the seasonality of the Bear Gulch Cave, spring and fall are great times to see the colorful scenery around the park. Visit during spring to see the vibrant wildflowers blooming or visit during the fall to admire the fall foliage. Our fall trip was gorgeous with orange leaves all around and the air being chill enough to feel comfortable to spend our whole day at the park.

While you can still visit the lower sections of the cave during the winter and spring, winter lacks that colorful scenery and summers can be as hot as 100 Fahrenheit (or more!).

If you plan to visit during the summer, please note that it can get very hot and very dry in the park. Make sure you are ready and have the required materials to hike under that heat. 

How To Get To Bear Gulch Cave Trail

Even though Pinnacles National Park is a relatively small park compared to other U.S. National Parks, the park has 2 sections: the East side and the West side. But they don’t connect via road. They only connect through a hiking trail. The Bear Gulch Cave Trail is located on the east side of the park.

If you’re traveling from the San Francisco/San Jose/Oakland area, you will need to take US-101 North, then CA-25 through Hollister to get to the east entrance. If you’re traveling from the Los Angeles area, take I-5 and CA-25 through Bitterwater. 

Make sure you get gas before entering the park. You can fuel up in Hollister; that’s 33 miles away from the Bear Gulch Day Use Area parking lot. The nearest parking lot is the Bear Gulch Day Use Area parking lot. Click here for Google maps directions.

However, if it is crowded (weekends and holidays), you might be directed to park near the Pinnacles Visitor Center. However, if you continue to drive and look around, you might find an open spot in/near the parking lot. That’s what we did.

While the park does get crowded, the trail only takes a few hours, so you will eventually find a parking spot as hikers return to their cars. 

Bear Gulch Cave Trail Hiking Directions

Once you’ve parked at the Bear Gulch parking lot, make sure to use the restrooms before starting the trail as it can take 2-3 hours to get back. The Bear Gulch Cave Trail doesn’t start at the parking lot. You will have to hike the Moses Spring Trail first to access the Bear Gulch Cave Trailhead. 

You’ll hike around 0.5 miles until you reach the Moses Spring trailhead. Turn left to start the trail (the trail on the right is the Rim Trail.) On this trail, you’ll walk under a few mini caves. We also saw a couple of rock climbers climbing nearby peaks. The trail takes you through incredible pinnacle formations towering among the trees.

You will know when you’re near the cave entrance since you can smell and feel the dampness in the cave. It’ll also feel chillier, and you’ll see rocks covered with moss. Make sure to have your flashlight on. 

The cave starts out wide and after some time, the cave walls narrow in. You’ll see white arrows that show you how to hike through the cave. There are puddles in the cave so take your time in crossing them. You will have to bend through some areas and near-crawl in others. Once you exit the cave, you’ll come across a long flight of stairs. Take the stairs to a dramatic view of the Bear Gulch Reservoir, a lake surrounded by pinnacles. 

After taking a break at the Bear Gulch Reservoir, you have two options on how to hike back to the parking lot. Either you can turn around and hike back through the cave or you can take the Rim Trail that goes around the cave.

If you want to do the cave hike again and/or are running short on time, hike back on the Bear Gulch Cave Trail.

If you want to explore more of the park (Rim Trail has some gorgeous mountain views!) and/or have some extra time, take the Rim Trail. You will have to hike up then hike down this trail but the views make it worth it. The Rim Trail then connects to the High Peaks Trail that has a few switchbacks. The High Peaks Trail then connects to the Moses Spring Trail and then it’s the same hike back to the parking lot. 

I hope this guide helps you plan for your hike to Bear Gulch Cave Trail. If you’re visiting Pinnacles National Park for the day, I recommend hiking this trail then staying back in/near the park to stargaze at night. You’d be surprised at just how beautiful Pinnacles National Park can be at nighttime as well! -Rasika, Bae Area and Beyond

MORE OUTDOOR ADVENTURES IN CALIFORNIA:

• Best things to do in Pinnacles National Park
• 10 Under-the-Radar US National Parks to Add to Your Bucket List (including Pinnacles National Park)
• Things to Do in Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks
• 15 Awesome Things to Do in Joshua Tree National Park
• Best Places to Stay Near Joshua Tree

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Great Sand Dunes National Park, Colorado

I was surprised to hear that North America’s tallest sand dunes aren’t near an ocean. They are in Colorado’s Great Sand Dunes National Park! The park protects 30 square miles of sand dunes, including 755 foot-tall Star Dune, the tallest dune on the continent. The strenuous hike to the top of the dune takes 5 hours. If you’re looking for something a bit more fast-paced, rent a sandboard in the nearby town of Alamosa and sled on the dunes. This lesser unknown American National Park is also a popular spot for hiking, camping, four-wheel-drive exploring, and star-gazing.

Lassen Volcanic National Park, California

When I think of geothermal areas with boiling mud pots, steaming fumaroles, and hot springs, Yellowstone National Park comes to mind. But Northern California’s Lassen Volcanic National Park has thermal features too, without all the crowds. (And omg the crowds on my visit to Yellowstone!) The park’s Lassen Peak is an active volcano that last erupted in 1921. Hardy hikers can make the 5-hour trek to the summit. The volcano’s underground heat causes all kinds of interesting activity at Bumpass Hell, Sulphur Works, and Boiling Springs Lake thermal areas.

Isle Royale National Park, Michigan

The only way to reach Isle Royale National Park is by boat or floatplane from Michigan’s Upper Peninsula or northern Minnesota. The island sits in the middle of Lake Superior near the Canadian border and is actually the least visited US National Park in the Lower 48. It’s a wild and roadless place known for excellent hiking, camping, and paddling. Isle Royale has a healthy wildlife population, but the stars of the show are the wolves and moose. The island’s isolation and lack of human population have allowed researchers to study the interactions between these two species for over 50 years. 

Mammoth Cave National Park, Kentucky

Kentucky has the world’s longest known cave system and it is protected inside Mammoth Cave National Park. It has over 400 miles of mapped caverns, but more are being discovered every year. The only way to go underground is on a guided ranger tour. The easiest and most accessible option is the Frozen Niagara tour that passes waterfall-like rock formations. More adventurous cavers can take challenging routes that include lots of stairs, steep hills, and squeezing through narrow passageways. You can explore in the off-season too because it’s always the same temperature underground: about 54F (12C). 

Congaree National Park, South Carolina

Although it’s been open since 2003, South Carolina’s Congaree National Park is a lesser known National Park. The park protects one of the tallest temperate deciduous forests in the world. You’ll find the tallest known examples of 15 different tree species here including a 167-foot loblolly pine, a 157-foot sweetgum, and a 154-foot cherrybark oak. The easiest way to see the trees is to follow the 2.4-mile Boardwalk Loop Trail as it meanders through the old-growth hardwood forest. You can also explore the park by canoe on the marked Cedar Creek Canoe Trail. Try to time your visit for early summer to catch the fireflies lighting up the sky each evening. 

Theodore Roosevelt National Park, North Dakota

North Dakota’s Theodore Roosevelt National Park includes three separate areas of eroded rock badlands. The park is named for America’s 26th president who had a ranch in the area and became enamoured with the western lifestyle. The best way to see it is to take a drive on one of the scenic parkways. There are lots of viewpoints to stop and admire the unique rock formations. Don’t miss Painted Canyon Overlook. As you drive, keep an eye out for wildlife including bison, pronghorns, wild horses, coyotes, elk, bighorn sheep, and deer. For extra cuteness, visit one of the prairie dog colonies in the southern part of the park. (The wildlife spotting here can be as good as in Yellowstone, but with a fraction of the crowds.)

Pinnacles National Park, California

As one of America’s newest National Parks, central California’s Pinnacles National Park is still under-the-radar even though it’s just 2 hours south of San Francisco. Upgraded from a National Monument to a National Park in 2013, it’s named for a series of rocky pinnacles that are actually the eroded remains of an extinct volcano. Rock climbers love to scale the pointy spires. You can see the rock formations up close from several hiking trails. One of the park’s signature hikes is Bear Gulch Cave Trail, a talus cave that is Other trails lead to hidden talus caves, home to colonies of Townsend’s big-eared bats. It’s also a great place to spot endangered California condors soaring overhead. Be sure to visit in the spring when the wildflowers erupt in a carpet of blooms.

North Cascades National Park, Washington

Washington’s North Cascades National Park is a rugged mountain paradise and includes the largest glacier system in the Lower 48. It definitely deserves its nickname: “The American Alps.” Even though it is only 2.5 hours from Seattle, it’s still an under-the-radar National Park.  Most of the park is a remote wilderness, accessible only by hiking, boating, or horseback riding and the only way to reach most summits is by mountaineering or rock climbing. If you aren’t up for a hike, you can still get great views of the peaks from the scenic pullouts along Route 20. Stop at Diablo Lake Overlook for great photo ops of the turquoise lake surrounded by mountains. (This is the only park on this list that I’ve actually been to. I spent three days there a few years ago backpacking on the East Bank Trail on Ross Lake. I’d love to go back and hike up into the mountains as they look spectacular.)

Saguaro National Park, Arizona

If you’ve seen classic cowboy films, you’re familiar with the saguaro cactus. Pronounced “suh-WAHR-oh”, these prickly plants can grow up to 40 feet tall and live for 200 years! Saguaro National Park protects two parcels of the Sonoran Desert. It’s an important habitat for this giant cactus as well as many desert plants and animals. Both parts of the park are a short distance from Tucson and are easy to explore on several different scenic roads.

Get out into nature on one of the park’s easy hikes or explore the petroglyphs at Signal Hill. If you’re up for a challenge, there are lots of challenging hikes in Saguro National Park. Be sure to stay later in the day to catch the spectacular sunset colours at Gates Pass or Javelina Rocks. I’ve heard the scenery is a bit like Joshua Tree National Park, but waaay less busy. 

Psst! Heading to Arizona? Check out this epic Arizona road trip itinerary.

Katmai National Park, Alaska

The only way to get to Alaska’s Katmai National Park is by plane or boat, which explains why it is one of the least visited National Parks. The park is named for Mount Katmai, one of 18 volcanoes in the park, many of which have erupted in the last 100 years. To explore the volcanic backcountry you’ll need to hike or take a scenic flight. However, the volcanoes aren’t the only attraction at Katmai. The park’s huge Alaskan brown bears are world-famous. Every year dozens of bears come to Brooks Camp to feast on spawning Sockeye salmon. The park has dedicated viewing platforms for visitors to watch the bears from a safe distance. 

Have you visited any of these under-the-radar US National Parks? Are there other uncrowded US National Parks you recommend? Let me know in the comments!

Read More National Parks Posts:

• 25 Things to do in Grand Teton National Park
• 70 Things to do in Yellowstone National Park
• 15 Awesome Things to Do in Joshua Tree National Park
• Things to Do in Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks
• How to Cycle Tour the Natchez Trace Parkway
• How to Take an Epic Canadian National Parks Road Trip
• Hike the Bear Gulch Cave Trail in Pinnacles National Park
• Take an Epic Outdoors Arizona Road Trip

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