Best viewing time: Any time of year.
The experience: California condors are a rare sight, but they’re easy to recognize if you’re lucky enough to get a close enough look. They’re black with white triangles on the underside of each wing, their heads bald, with colors ranging from pale yellow to orange. And they have the widest wingspan of any North American bird.
In 1987 all wild California condors were captured, but after a captive breeding program, the species was successfully reintroduced to certain areas, including at Pinnacles National Park. Still, these animals are considered critically endangered.
The park manages about two dozen condors, but these vultures have a large territory that extends beyond the park. One of the best trails to hike for a view of the condors is the High Peaks trail (marked on this map) from Bear Gulch. It’s a 6.7-mile loop and is considered a strenuous hike involving some steep and narrow rock steps, but the park has installed handrails at the most dangerous parts of the trail.
While in the area: Pinnacles National Park has other wonderful trails to explore — the Moses Spring trail to Bear Gulch Reservoir passes under a giant boulder hanging between two cliff walls. Outside of the park, explore the smaller wine regions around the area with San Benito County to the east and Salinas Valley to the west of the park’s entrances.