Name: Bear Gulch Cave
Rating: 2

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Bear Gulch Cave

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Places to see

Caves

United States

California

San Benito County

Bear Gulch Cave

Recommended by 16 hikers

This Highlight is in a protected area

Please check local regulations for: Pinnacles National Park

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Location: San Benito County, California, United States

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Best Hikes to Bear Gulch Cave

5.0

(2)

hikers

1. High Peaks and Bear Gulch Loop Trail — Pinnacles National Park

11.8km

03:44

490m

Intermediate hike. Good fitness required. Easily-accessible paths. Suitable for all skill levels.

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Intermediate

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2. Bear Gulch Caves and Moses Spring Loop — Pinnacles National Park

2.44km

00:46

100m

Easy hike. Great for any fitness level. Easily-accessible paths. Suitable for all skill levels.

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Easy

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3. Chalone Peak Trail from East Entrance — Pinnacles National Park

17.3km

05:27

690m

Expert hike. Very good fitness required. Easily-accessible paths. Suitable for all skill levels.

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Expert

Tips

Javi

May 5, 2023

The Bear Gulch Cave has two sections, with the lower section usually open for about 10 months of the year, and the upper section closed most of the time to protect the endangered bats that live there. The entire cave is closed from mid-May (sometimes earlier if it's a warmer Spring) to mid-July for the bats' pupping season. There are also limited openings of the whole cave for one to four weeks in March and October, depending on the presence of bats. You can check the opening status on the park's website.

NamNori

August 12, 2019

This spot in the national park is extremely popular, and for good reason. Therefore, go EARLY in order to get parking!

🕊️ 𝑻𝒓𝒂𝒗𝒆𝒍𝒆𝒓

December 23, 2016

The talus caves at Pinnacles formed when steep, narrow canyons were filled with boulders, leaving passages between the larger rocks. Trails to and through Bear Gulch Cave on the east side of the park and Balconies Cave on the west side are seasonally open to visitors: They house breeding colonies for Townsend's big-eared bat and are closed during pupping season. The caves may be flooded at times of high water, check the park website nps.gov/pinn

Pinnacles National Park is a U.S. National Park protecting a mountainous area located east of the Salinas Valley in Central California, about 5 miles east of Soledad and 80 miles southeast of San Jose. The pinnacles are the eroded leftovers of the western half of an extinct volcano that has moved 200 miles (320 km) from its original location on the San Andreas Fault, embedded in a portion of the California Pacific Coast Ranges. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pinnacles_National_Park

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Details

Informations

Elevation 410 m

Weather

Monday 22 September

33°C

17°C

0 %

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Max wind speed: 3.0 km/h

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See hikes here

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Location: San Benito County, California, United States

Bear Gulch Cave

1. High Peaks and Bear Gulch Loop Trail — Pinnacles National Park

2. Bear Gulch Caves and Moses Spring Loop — Pinnacles National Park

3. Chalone Peak Trail from East Entrance — Pinnacles National Park

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