Pinnacles National Monument
Pinnacles National Monument is not for the fainthearted.On the way to the area, you will see gently rolling hills and spectacular lowland scenery, lulling you into the sense that you are about to experience a gentle hike over soft fields and hills.
Not so. Pinnacles National Monument lies just west of the San Andreas fault and was formed some 23 million years ago when a volcano erupted. As if the volcano weren’t enough, the area was then torn apart by the earth’s shifting plates, leaving behind what you see today--a landscape that looks like volcanic rock has exploded from the ground in an effort to reach the sky, and has been frozen mid-way through its journey.
Monterey Bay Aquarium