Bench Trail to Balconies Cave

Pinnacles National Monument
(East Side)

Distance: 8.7 mile

The Moderate, 8.7 mile Bench Trail to Balconies Cave provides access between Pinnacles Campground and Balconies Cave; sunny hike along Chalone Creek. Connects with Bear Gulch Trail to Visitor Center. Preferred way to access the park from the campground. Please note: the Chalone Creek Area is closed for construction and no facilities are available. Flashlight required through cave.

Directions:

Pinnacles National Monument has two entrances: east & west. To reach the west entrance from the town of Soledad, travel east on Hwy 146 to the Chaparral area.

To reach the east entrance from Hwy 25 between Hollister and King City, travel south on Hwy 25, then west on Hwy 146.

There are no roads connecting the east and west sides of the Monument.

When trying to decide which side of the Monument to visit, keep in mind that there is a variety of trails that start from either side. To visit a cave, the west side offers the Balconies Cave Loop, which is a 2.0 mile round trip. However, the road to the west side is winding and narrow, if traveling in an RV, you may want to enter from the east.