Balconies Trail

Dogs No Dogs

Features River/Creek · Views · Wildflowers

This trail can be accessed in several ways from the Chaparral Trailhead Parking area located on the west side of the park. Either head north through the picnic area and find the obviously marked trail heading east out of the picnic area or take one of the two connector trails from the parking lot to the Juniper Canyon Trail. Head north on the Juniper Canyon Trail for a very short distance. The Juniper Canyon Trail ends where it meets the Balconies Trail moving east.

This is an easy, flat trail leading to The Balconies area of the park. The trail is at first open and airy, offering views of two of Pinnacles most imposing rock formations, Machete Ridge to the east and The Balconies to the west.

At the third small bridge crossing, however, the trail enters The Balconies area and gets up and close with the rock formations. The trail passes formations called The Shepherd, Hummingbird Spire, The Gameshow, and the obviously looming large Machete Ridge. The trail ends at a junction with the Balconies Cliffs Trails and the Balconies Cave Trail after a small bridge crossing.

Pinnacles is currently one of five release sites for California Condors. The park hosts more than thirty of these scavengers. These birds are best seen in the higher regions of the park and can also often be seen on a hill behind the campsites. Pinnacles is also home to many species of raptors and other birds and is an excellent area for birding.

Wild flowers like Larkspur, California buckeye, Elegant clarkia, California buckwheat, Mariposa lily, Bush poppy, Gray mule-ears, Indian Warrior, California poppy and many others are abundant in spring.

Look for manzanita shrubs interspersed among patches of chaparral.

The park is also home to around 300 different species of lichens, which are easily visible on the many rock formations they color.