Pinnacles National Monument79
Campsite #79 at Pinnacles Campground, Pinnacles National Monument, CA
$43
Campsite #79
| Drive-In | 6 people |
| 20 ft | Back-In |
| 1 | fair |
3/4
4/23
Campsite #79 Features: Drive-In access, Back-In parking, 20ft driveway, Fire ring, RV Site, Tent Site, Trailer Site, Pets Allowed
Campsite Reviews (25)
5.0 out of 5
| 5 star | | 72% |
| 4 star | | 12% |
| 3 star | | 16% |
| 2 star | | 0% |
| 1 star | | 0% |
@Christoph19649 · Camped on Jul 13, 2025 at Campsite #79
Stayed in site 79. Spacious enough for two 4-man tents. Planning on coming back. Had some raccoons in our site, as did others. We kept our site clear of food and scents, which made for no issues with the raccoons.
No Service
@ShaneK2855518 · Camped on Jun 5, 2025 at Campsite #79
Hiking through the talus caves is an otherworldly experience. The trails are impeccably maintained.The campground was well cared for.
No Service
@JerrieL2B281FA · Camped on May 14, 2025 at Campsite #79
Beautiful and would recommend has showers and a store!
@CynthiaA3A87AF · Camped on Apr 2, 2025 at Campsite #79
I wish the shuttle was working there imwas no parking and no shuttle, so we missed a couple of hikes like bear gulch just couldnt find a spot. We got a ticket one day , but it was worth it to do the hike
Good
@Alexandra58759 · Camped on Mar 30, 2025 at Campsite #79
Site 79 was a nice, shaded, private site. Saw a raccoon the first evening, which may have been the same one that got INTO our tent the next night! So heads up, they can undo zippers - zip your tent up high, and don't leave any food inside. Luckily, the food boxes are bear-proof, and raccoon-proof. The fire ring & grill were good for cooking on, but not adjustable-height. The closest bathrooms were porta-potties with outdoor temporary sinks - not the best. Good toilets and showers were back by the camp store. Store was great - plenty of food but no milk I could see, fyi. The next nearest store is FAR. We hiked to the Bear Gulch cave which was very cool (and wet!), but had to park far away which added over 2 miles to the hike. Afternoon might be a better time to try. I couldn't tell if the shuttle was running. It was cool during the day, and pretty chilly at night, and it rained the 2nd night. Campsite was pretty well sheltered from the wind. Water faucet was right nearby.
Major Issues
@SamH1879656 · Camped on Feb 28, 2025 at Campsite #79
Hot showers were great - but there are limited toilet block facilities at this campsite, some were simply port-a-loos.
Some Coverage
@TomF2764999 · Camped on Aug 29, 2024 at Campsite #79
Only chemical toilets within walk distance. Very underrated camping ground. Very private due to very dense bushes between the campsites. Lots of wildlife, raccoons birds running around all night.
Good
@IngridCC6E8320 · Camped on Feb 5, 2024 at Campsite #79
My mid-Feb 2024 4-day trip here was rainy and chilly during the days. Other Februaries have been warm during the days, though. (Fall,winter, spring are always cold at night here.) I was almost the only tent camper, and the sites in loop C were mud-baths, I could barely walk in mine, sliding and slipping or sinking in the mud! I spent my evenings after hiking on the veranda or back porch of the store rather than at my site. Did my weekly 7pm Zoom class there after hours (you can buy Wifi for the week at the store and use it there, only some phones have cell reception at the camp but not mine (verizon). Park trails however were not particularly muddy, good hiking, but any low-lying trails (South Wilderness, Old Pinnacles and especially the North Wilderness trail) were blocked by high rushing water and many creek crossings, and the trail from the reservoir to Chalone Peaks was completely impassable because it was blocked by a huge waterfall rushing over it - an amazing spillover from the reservoir. One month later my mid-March 5-day trip here was sunny and warm (chilly at night of course), high 70's to low 80's, reservoir not spilling over trail to Chalone Peak, lots of flowers along the trails though they might not be at full peak yet. It'll probably be killer hot when they are, though! Creek crossings on North Wilderness trail required wading a few times, but not a big deal on a warm dry non-stormy day. People had put rock-hopping stones in on crossings on Old Pinnacles trail. Big wade necessary across Chalone Creek on the South Wilderness trail. Gorgeous everywhere with all the water in the creeks, greenery and flowers. As always camp is good, free showers, lots of shady sites, some right on the camp road but others with lots of room and trees and semi- to almost full privacy. Please don't leave your trash, fruit peels and toilet paper on or off the trails, people! And pick up the ones that other inconsiderate people throw down. Thats what plastic bags are for.
No Service
@PeterM4881533 · Camped on Jan 8, 2024 at Campsite #79
This site is nice and private but not at all suited for a campervan because it is not level and a large number of leveling blocks would be needed, which is a real hassle when we're coming and going. It was also very muddy where we would have parked our van.
No Service
@BonnieN6437101 · Camped on Dec 10, 2023 at Campsite #79
Very quiet campground (#79) and quite private, shielded from the road and neighboring sites. Free, hot showers are near the store. They even have shampoo and conditioner. Firewood was very pricy. We loved the hikes, exploring the caves, and seeing the wildlife.
No Service
@ChloeV36F2F022 · Camped on Dec 8, 2023 at Campsite #79
Wonderful trip - the site has nice privacy from neighbors because it is completely surrounded by bushes/trees. Very well shaded. The bushes were definitely a wildlife pathway, we had a few raccoons and a fox walk right through the camp!Note the closest bathrooms are port a potties. Also a bit of a walk to the nearest spigot.
Good
@MargaretC31174 · Camped on May 16, 2023 at Campsite #79
Our campsite was very private with the vegetation wall.
@DeyiJ5266645 · Camped on Apr 9, 2023 at Campsite #79
The location is great with a lot of vegetation around the sites. The campground is suitable for all different type of setups. There is even a free shower facility close to the visitor center.
@MarkieHDDF178F · Camped on Mar 19, 2023 at Campsite #79
We went in early spring during an unusually wet year. Some campsites were very muddy. The one next to us was actually closed because of the mud and minor flooding. But wasn't a problem for us because we had a overland tent. Some campsites are very open and some more private. Bathrooms are a decent walk from some sites. Wasn't busy when we went because of weather. They also have a general store if you forget anything.
@JohnD1553494 · Camped on Nov 6, 2022 at Campsite #79
Perfect small park to explore in a few days. Simple amenities, needs a little TLC. Hiking was amazing, in our top 3 parks in California.
@DaleC5331739 · Camped on Sep 13, 2022 at Campsite #79
Some bathrooms were not working and the ones that did work were far from my camp site.Lots of wildlife in the area. The animals that literally walked through my camp site: a fox, turkeys, quail, deer does and fawns , brazen raccoons, bunnies, squirrel, red-headed wood peckers. Lots of birds in the trees.
@KyleL3240725 · Camped on Jul 26, 2022 at Campsite #79
This campground tries with some unusual perks but also failed with closed bathrooms and only port-a-pottys for use
@JulianP8688323 · Camped on Jun 15, 2022 at Campsite #79
Super clena camp ground and well organized
@JenniferF67302 · Camped on May 2, 2022 at Campsite #79
The hiking in Pinnacles National Park was amazing! I highly recommend going to the park and spending a few days. The cave hikes were particularly interesting. The campground had some lovely campsites. The biggest problem was that 3 of the 5 restrooms were closed and replaced with portapotties. There was no information about why they were closed and in the 4 nights we were there, we didn't see anyone working on them. The entire campground of 134 sites had access to 2 women's shower stalls, plus the requirement to enter the pool (which was lovely after a long hike) was to shower before entering. That's ridiculous! Finally, the shuttle service wasn't operating on weekdays, so getting to trailheads was an issue for us. Most trailheads are 1.5-3 miles from the campground, and the shuttle would have helped a lot.
@MeganF6790036 · Camped on Apr 9, 2022 at Campsite #79
Our campsite was gorgeous and very secluded. There were tons of native birds flitting around, and we even saw two deer in the nearby meadow! Every employee we interacted with was so sweet and seemed they they genuinely liked their job. The park was beautiful, too, and the trails weren't too crowded.
@JenniferC92685 · Camped on Mar 23, 2022 at Campsite #79
Large and yet quiet campground with a nicely stocked upscale store. Unfortunately the bathroom on loop C was closed during my visit but the other 2 were clean and stocked. Beautiful night sky and no generator noise!
@SusanM8574216 · Camped on Mar 3, 2022 at Campsite #79
A beautiful and secluded campground with free showers and a pool (during the summer).
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