Closest airports
| Airport | City | Drive to the park | Straight-line miles | Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monterey Regional Airport (MRY) | Monterey, CA | 1 h 40 min (71 mi) | 37 | Regional |
| Merced Regional Macready Field (MCE) | Merced, CA | 2 h 30 min (110 mi) | 66 | Regional |
| Mineta San Jose International Airport (SJC) | San Jose, CA | 1 h 50 min (82 mi) | 73 | Large hub |
Drive times run from the airport to West Pinnacles Visitor Contact Station, estimated with OSRM routing on OpenStreetMap roads at normal speeds; allow extra for traffic, stops and construction.
Regional airports have fewer flights, so compare fares with the larger hub.
Directions from the park service
Pinnacles National Park is accessible through highway 101 for the West entrance, and highway 25 for the East entrance. From highway 101 you must pass through the City of Soledad to find highway 146 which will lead to West side of Pinnacles. To enter East Pinnacles you must find highway 25 through the City of Hollister coming from the North, and King City through Bitter Water Road (G-13) when coming from the South. NOTE: There is no through road between the east and west entrance.
Hours
Open 24 hours, every day. Entrance to the east side of Pinnacles National Park is open 24 hours, 7 days a week, including holidays.
Visitor centers
- Pinnacles Park Store: Daily, 9:00AM - 4:00PM. Open 9am to 4pm, Everyday. Including holidays.
- [West Pinnacles Visitor Contact Station](): Mon 9:00AM - 3:00PM; Tue 9:00AM - 3:00PM; Wed 9:00AM - 3:00PM; Thu 9:00AM - 3:00AM; Fri 9:00AM - 3:00PM; Sat 9:00AM - 3:00PM; Sun 9:00AM - 3:00PM. The West Pinnacles contact station is open daily depending on available staffing. Please note that this contact station may close seasonally when we are low staffed.
- [Bear Gulch Nature Center](): Daily, 10:00AM - 3:00PM. The Bear Gulch Nature Center is a small, humble, interpretive center. Park Rangers are usually in the area, ready to answer visitor questions! Please note that this visitor center may be closed seasonally depending on available staffing.
Last gas, groceries and EV charging
Places mapped in OpenStreetMap within 19 miles (straight line) of Pinnacles Park Store and West Pinnacles Visitor Contact Station. Fill up before you head deep into the park: most parks have little or no fuel inside.
Gas stations (12 within reach)
| Place | Where | Miles | Fuel extras and hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arco | See map | 6.7 | |
| Valero | See map | 6.7 | |
| Shell | See map | 6.7 | |
| Fastrip Gasoline | See map | 6.8 |
Grocery stores and supermarkets (6 within reach)
| Place | Where | Miles | Hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| El Pueblo Market | See map | 6.6 | |
| Foods Co | See map | 6.8 | |
| Mendoza Market | See map | 11.0 | |
| Santa Fe Foods | 851 5th Street | 12.0 | Daily 8 am to 9 pm |
EV charging (6 within reach)
| Place | Where | Miles | Plugs and spaces |
|---|---|---|---|
| SemaConnect Charging Station | See map | 6.6 | |
| EVCS | See map | 6.6 | CCS, CHAdeMO, 1 spaces |
| Tesla Supercharger | 2080 H Dela Rosa Street, Soledad | 6.6 | Tesla (NACS), 7 spaces · Open 24 hours |
| EV Range | See map | 6.8 | 4 spaces |
Opening hours and fuel types are what local mappers have recorded, so call ahead in winter or off season. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors, available under the Open Database License.
Getting around
Most parks are best seen by car. Fill up before you enter, since gas inside parks is limited or absent. Parking at popular trailheads fills early in summer.
Sources
- National Park Service Data API: directions, hours and visitor centers (public domain)
- OurAirports: airport list and locations (public domain)
- OSRM drive-time estimates on OpenStreetMap road data (ODbL)
- OpenStreetMap: gas stations, grocery stores and EV chargers (ODbL)
Last checked 1 November 2026.