Pinnacles National Monument53
Campsite #53 at Pinnacles Campground, Pinnacles National Monument, CA
$43
Campsite #53
| Drive-In | 6 people |
| 26 ft | Back-In |
| 1 | fair |
3/4
4/16
Campsite #53 Features: Drive-In access, Back-In parking, 26ft driveway, Fire ring, Picnic Table, RV Site, Tent Site, Trailer Site, Pets Allowed
Campsite Reviews (21)
5.0 out of 5
| 5 star | | 48% |
| 4 star | | 43% |
| 3 star | | 5% |
| 2 star | | 0% |
| 1 star | | 5% |
@IsabelleM75503 · Camped on Jun 26, 2025 at Campsite #53
The campground was clean and nice. The pool was good. The park is so beautiful! Lots of birds. Be careful of the raccoons!
@PocharaPCA513C · Camped on Jan 10, 2025 at Campsite #53
Great campground. Clean and well-managed.
No Service
@BrittanyPAB75C · Camped on Dec 31, 2024 at Campsite #53
The campground was decent & we loved our site. I was surprised by the lack of facilities in the area though. Porta-potties with handwashing stations but no garbage cans for the paper towels. Restrooms with flush toilets & running water but without a functioning light for nighttime use. Very odd. This could certainly be improved. I didnt utilize the shower facility, but it is an offering.
No Service
@MichaelF110976 · Camped on Nov 19, 2024 at Campsite #53
Campsite 53 was roomy and had plenty of shade for camping during warmer months. Water spigot very close by and bathrooms were a short walk away. This park is one of the best places around for spectacular scenic hiking. In our short time there we saw a raccoon, skunk, deer, including a buck. A gopher snake trying to get warm on the trail. Hiking the High Peaks trail is hairy but well worth it as we saw condo at eye level soaring around us. Don't miss the cave and don't forget your headlamps. You'll need both hands to scramble through.
Good
@JenniferH28313 · Camped on Apr 8, 2024 at Campsite #53
The campsites in the 50's are nice and shady, but it's a long walk to the restroom. We were there in early April, Monday-Wednesday, and the parking lots at the trailheads filled up by about 10am each morning.
Some Coverage
@AnnP5053744 · Camped on May 21, 2023 at Campsite #53
This is a great campground. Wonderful hiking, considerate folks and a pool!
No Service
@KeithW1632645 · Camped on Apr 15, 2023 at Campsite #53
Nice campsite (53C) with flat area for 2 tents and welcome shade. A little concerned about dead branches high over the tent but nothing fell. Bathrooms in the next loop have running water, flush toilets. (They could do with a shelf or two next to the wash basins). Very quiet at night and good wildlife - rabbits, birds, racoons. Generally the campsites are well spaced, though some are completely in the open.
No Service
@DebraB3515095 · Camped on Jun 30, 2022 at Campsite #53
Rigorous but interesting and beautiful hike. Our campsite was shady, spacious and clean but quite a distance from the campground restrooms and the camp store. Shuttle only runs on weekends, and its quite a distance to the main trailheads where parking is limited.
@StevenF2888379 · Camped on Jun 12, 2022 at Campsite #53
Shady campground, some areas are much better than others. Make sure you drive in to the east side (not west). Fun hikes, nice place to spend a night or two. Bring what you need, there is a camp store, but nothing else drivable.
@RobertF6718628 · Camped on Jun 5, 2022 at Campsite #53
We have hiked in Pinnacles National Park before but this was our first time camping. We found the campground quite pleasant. It was more verdant than we had expected. Our campsite was flat and clean. However, the food lockers being the two shelves type precluded getting our coolers inside. They were not overly large. I wish they had the flat roof type than the slanted roof. Can't store anything on top of it. We liked the fact that there was a camp store open. The campers were quiet and respectful. The workers were polite and helpful. One big problem. All of the restrooms were locked up and all we had were porta potties. At least they were supplied well and as clean as can be expected. They did have hand soap and water available. We hope there is a plan to reopen the restrooms in the near future.
@MarissaT559293 · Camped on May 15, 2022 at Campsite #53
Bathrooms are under construction, be prepared for hot portapotties. Campground was quiet and well spaced between sites with good tree cover. Camp store and book store were well stocked and very helpful!
@JessicaV1D4D7E · Camped on Apr 15, 2022 at Campsite #53
We had a great time in the campground. Bear gulch hike is a must do!
@MelissaF4F954A · Camped on Mar 15, 2022 at Campsite #53
Really enjoyable stay at Pinnacles campground. The spot I had (#53) faces a clearing area and doesnt have a neighbor to one side. One star off because the parking area isnt level and I have a camper van, which made me have to do some "creative parking" The bat caves at the end of the "Old Pinnacles Trail" are fun! My advice is to go bat caves first, then up and around back to old pinnacles trail. That way youre scrambling UP instead of DOWN inside the caves. Nice area after caves to hang out and rest before completing the bluffs on the return.
@KRISTENM447078 · Camped on Feb 20, 2022 at Campsite #53
Beautiful campsite. Lots of trees & vegetation. 5 minute walk to the bathroom.
@WillaC818 · Camped on Apr 26, 2021 at Campsite #53
This was my first visit to Pinnacles, and it was absolutely beautiful. I arrived on a Monday afternoon for a 2-night stay, and I didn't feel like it was overly crowded inside the park. If you, uh, haven't really been exercising during the pandemic (like me!), I would suggest waking up early and finding parking closer to the trailheads. I decided to walk from the campground (~2.3 miles / 1.5hrs to Bear Gulch), and had to cut one of my hikes short to ensure I had enough energy to walk all the way back. Pinnacles is interesting to me, in that you can't just drive up to the amazing vistas. You must hike in! :)
The campground was definitely one of the biggest I've ever been to! Lots of friendly, wonderfully diverse folks, some with impressively huge RVs and trailers. There was a lively atmosphere, even on the weekdays. Bird watching seemed like a HUGE DEAL here. One couple stopped in front of my campsite and pointed their binoculars in my direction. I was very confused, until I saw the beautiful bird in the tree behind me. :) I could hear singing, laughter, music, instruments from the campers; birds and frogs and raccoons and squirrels living their best lives. I did sleep in my car the second night, because I forgot my earplugs. I booked site 53 and while it gave me shade, relative privacy, and seclusion, it was pretty far from the trash cans and restrooms! My neighbors actually used their bikes to travel to the restrooms. If you're picky (like me!), I'd suggest hopping onto Google Maps and street viewing the sites. Some had full sun, some were shady, some had no privacy, some were tiny, some had interesting parking situations.
The campground was definitely one of the biggest I've ever been to! Lots of friendly, wonderfully diverse folks, some with impressively huge RVs and trailers. There was a lively atmosphere, even on the weekdays. Bird watching seemed like a HUGE DEAL here. One couple stopped in front of my campsite and pointed their binoculars in my direction. I was very confused, until I saw the beautiful bird in the tree behind me. :) I could hear singing, laughter, music, instruments from the campers; birds and frogs and raccoons and squirrels living their best lives. I did sleep in my car the second night, because I forgot my earplugs. I booked site 53 and while it gave me shade, relative privacy, and seclusion, it was pretty far from the trash cans and restrooms! My neighbors actually used their bikes to travel to the restrooms. If you're picky (like me!), I'd suggest hopping onto Google Maps and street viewing the sites. Some had full sun, some were shady, some had no privacy, some were tiny, some had interesting parking situations.
No Service
@DavidM981 · Camped on Apr 18, 2021 at Campsite #53
Beautiful campsites. Most are large and quite private with trees.
Some Coverage
@ZoeJ381 · Camped on Apr 2, 2021 at Campsite #53
Was unable to cancel reservation and get refund. Second time in past few weeks. Rec.gov has to do better
@SherylD693 · Camped on Jan 16, 2021 at Campsite #53
Very crowded and popular campground, In the early mornings the road was like a rush-hour of traffic heading up to the trailheads. Day hikers and even the campers drove up to the trailheads, causing all parking to be filled up by 8:30 am. It is best to just park the car in your campground and walk everywhere once you arrive.
No Service
@LeeSungC72928E · Camped on Jun 28, 2020 at Campsite #53
Beautiful park, hidden gem. It's great for camping and hiking with children. Lots to discover and explore: rock climbing, caves, bats, geology, rocks, plants and trees, and birds. And lots more.
@MinL95CE65BD40 · Camped on Apr 25, 2020 at Campsite #53
Everything was great except one thing. It would be nice if there are more signs that show visitors or campers the correct path to the park.
@StephenP202589 · Camped on Aug 2, 2019 at Campsite #53
Pinnacles is a beautiful park with a lot of different kinds of trails (caves, mountains, etc). The staff is friendly, the campsites are clean and well spaced, the store and pool are a bonus.
No Service
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