Distance: 1.8 miles round trip on trail
Summit Elevation: 1600' (Upper cave)
Elevation Gain: 300'
Elevation Gain (in Empire State Buildings): 1.8
Round trip time: 1 hour
Recommended water: 16 oz.
Parking/Fees: $35 National Parks Fee (or annual pass)
Difficulty: Easy
We arrived at Pinnacles NP in the afternoon and it was 3 PM by the time we got camp set up. Bear Gulch Cave was short so we decided to give it a day in court. Parking was limited at the Moses Spring trailhead, so we had to park at Bear Gulch day use area. That added 0.3 miles each way. The caves are gated and open based on conditions and bat nesting season. The sign at the entrance said you needed a flashlight. We both had headlamps and I always carry a second light source (plus a phone). Just past the gate, we got into cold shin deep water. A storm had passed through leaving the creeks up and water flowing in the caves. The cave system was not all underground. We went through a dark section, then emerged from some boulders, then went back into the dark. There was some class 2 moving over and under some boulders and the rocks and walls were wet. Railings were added for some steep sections. Several underground waterfalls in the cave added to the atmosphere. We exited near the Bear Gulch Reservoir, then took the rim trail back. It was a fun start to our three day trip.
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