Wildflowers in Pinnacles National Park

A Love Your Parks Tour Story by Nancy J. Reid and Lisa D. Smith

Located east of Monterey in central California, Pinnacles National Park is known for its geological significance, as well as its disparate landscape that stuns visitors with seasonal meadows, meandering creeks, springs, and waterfalls that are all set within a spectacular maze of rock spires, monolithic boulders, cool caves, and rolling hills. Pinnacles National Park is about 50 miles inland from the Pacific Ocean and 140 miles south of the San Francisco Bay area. Learn more about the Park at www.NPS.gov/pinn and plan your visit at www.DiscoverSanBenitoCounty.com.

Wildflowers are a big draw, with the peak blooming season running from March through May when over 80 percent of the park’s plants are in bloom. Depending on rainfall and temperature, flowers can begin opening as early as January and continue into July. It’s spectacular! Wildflower species range from milkmaids and shooting stars in late winter, to poppies, fiddlenecks, monkeyflowers and baby blue-eyes in early spring, and sun cups, larkspur, bush lupine and penstemons in late spring and early summer.

The best way to experience this wildflower bloom is to hit the trails! With over 32 miles of hiking trails, there’s something for everyone’s fitness level and interest.