Obama signs bill designating California’s Pinnacles National Monument a national park

[Redfairen]

Source: Washington Post

Pinnacles National Monument, a 40 square-mile site that includes caves and towering volcanic rock formations popular with climbers, became the country’s 59th national park on Thursday.

President Barack Obama signed the bill creating the park.

The new park holds cultural significance for several Native American tribes and is also home to the endangered California condor.

A condor re-establishment program has been in place at Pinnacles since 2003. Every fall, captive-bred condors are released into the wild.

Read more: http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/obama-signs-bill-designating-californias-pinnacles-national-monument-a-national-park/2013/01/10/f8c63526-5b6e-11e2-b8b2-0d18a64c8dfa_story.html

[lob1]

1. Does anyone in California know where this is? Central California

is a big area.

[samrock]

2. I have been to the Pinnacles..

It is in Central California.. South of the Bay area about 125 miles.. it is right on the San Andreas fault.. half the park is sliding south and half moving north.. it is a very cool place to go hiking.. but NOT in the summer when it can be very hot.. Good place to site Condor's soaring.. Lots of nice trails as well.. It is a bit out of the way..

[lob1]

4. Thank you.

[Wernothelpless]

18. It's close to Hollister ...

Beautiful in spring ...

[CreekDog]

3. here

[lob1]

5. Thanks for the map. I appreciate it.

[stubtoe]

13. Near Salinas.

[Cha]

6. Thank you, all who worked for this!

[ReRe]

7. Maybe this was a little gift for CA...

.... since they have achieved a balanced budget under Jerry Brown? Just thinking out loud... Seems like a coincidence that PO did this on the same day of Gov Brown's announcement. Thanks for posting this, Redfairen.

[CountAllVotes]

9. there are other changes like this

shifts to the federal government.

[ReRe]

21. No comprende

say that again in a different way...I'm old and decrepit and didn't understand.

[CountAllVotes]

24. Now the Pinnacles is Federal land right?

Hence, it no longer is under State jurisdiction, hence no cost to the State.

State Parks transferred to the counties (which in many cases to counties w/o resources to care for them ... ).

I have mixed ideas on these transfers of who oversees what.

[ReRe]

26. Oh... I see

what you mean now. I have no clue. Well, if it's no longer the State's responsibility to administer, then looks to me like that would be a win for CA, at least as far as the state budget goes. But of course, the wingers will interpret it as PO's "proclivity to spend, spend, spend." Really, I know nothing about the Federal land right business... Thanks!

[waddirum]

31. read the article again

It was previously a National Monument, and was just upgraded to a National Park. It was always owned by the Federal Government.

[barbtries]

8. right after my daughter died

my friend Jacques took me out to the pinnacles. he sent me the pictures a month or so later and when i saw this one i was sure that Bekah had been there with me.

[JohnnyLib2]

10. Barbtries

Nice photo, wonderful thought.

[barbtries]

14. thanks JohnnyLib2!

[stubtoe]

11. Great news! That place is awesome.

The CCC built a trail and stairways through the rock formations. The portion of the volcano it was split off from by the San Andreas Fault is almost 200 miles to the southeast. SO worth a visit. SO glad it is protected.

[pinto]

12. Yeah.

[bayareaboy]

15. An excellent place.

Spent a lot of time there as a Boy Scout. the Place is far enough away from the City that it doesn't get a lot of folks even during the summer.

Folks that follow Steinbeck and his novels of Central California know that this was a good area for him as well.

[Gregorian]

27. That's funny. I spent one the coldest nights of my life there as a boy scout.

I'll never forget it. Probably 1969.

[bayareaboy]

29. Then perhaps you remembered the ...

Scout motto. Be Prepared!

I had a friend who somehow lost his sleeping bag on the first day out in Kings Canyon Pk and we had four more days to go on the trek. He wore every piece of clothing he could find.

[Piedras]

16. Pinnacles NP is east of Soledad in Monterey County, California

Last edited Thu Jan 10, 2013, 10:47 PM - Edit history (2)

Pinnacles National Monument, now a national park, is in Monterey County, (on the Central Coast of) California. Its easterly from the small city of Soledad. Soledad is south of Salinas via Highway 101 and north of Paso Robles. I've camped and hiked there. It's pretty remote, especially the east side of the park where the campground is located. You can enter the west side of Pinnacles from Soledad via Hwy. 146. To enter the east side of the park you'd travel northerly from King City on (very rural) Highway 25, or southerly from Hollister on Hwy. 25, then turn west onto Hwy. 146.

Highway 146 is the access road to both the Westside and the Eastside of the Pinnacles. However, highway 146 does not connect the two sides of the monument together. Please take the time to map out which entrance will be best suited for your plans and ensure an enjoyable experience. (NOTE: Most GPS units will automatically lead you to the West Pinnacles)

Yeah for our new national park on the California Central Coast.

[sheshe2]

17. For the Condor, for the Tribes,for us!

Thank you once again Mr. President.

[janx]

19. Excellent news! K&R n/t

[liberal N proud]

20. It was already a National Monument

Glad to see the NP list expanded and more wonders protected.

[Piedras]

22. Now better protected from fracking?

I wonder if changing the Pinnacles from a national monument to a national park better protects it from natural gas and oil fracking? Nearby areas of Central California with Monterey shale formations are starting to have lease sales opening up federal land for fracking. Sure hope so.

[OnyxCollie]

23. I have been to Pinnacles.

While we were there, climbing high on the rocks, a bomber flew by at nearly the same elevation as we were. It was cool as hell.

Also, my friend and I were chasing after what he thought was a black squirrel. Turns out it was a gila monster.

[Spitfire of ATJ]

25. Knowing Republicans, they'll complain about the cost of the signs....

[jonthebru]

28. I have actually been there.

I was staying in Monterey and went there on a day hike. It is a very beautiful, compact park. It shows dramatically the sliding of the San Andreas fault. Part of the Pinnacles are here, part are there, and it moved there, or here, over a long period of time...

Yes, it can be very hot, take lots of water and take your time on the hike. I'll wait here...

[bayareaboy]

30. If it is too hot in the Summer

There is a trail that goes through some of the rocks that is usually pretty cool. Or perhaps you can do as I used to do with my Children and tell them about the ice cream stand at the top of the hill!

But definitely carry water in case the ice cream stand is closed.