America has a new national park

photo: TheBrockenInaGlory on wikimedia.com

America's newest National Park, its 59th, calls California home. Pinnacles National Monument became a National Park with a stroke of President Obama's pen on January 10.
Rising out of the Gabilan Mountains east of central California's Salinas Valley, Pinnacles is the result of millions of years of erosion, faulting and tectonic plate movement. Within the park's boundaries lie nearly 27,000 acres of diverse wild lands. Visitors will find beauty and variety of its spring wildflowers and more than 400 species of native bees. The Pinnacles rock formations are a popular destination to challenge technical and beginner climbers alike.

Designated as a national monument in 1908 by President Theodore Roosevelt, the park's management will not change by the legislation that brought about its birth. The Pinnacles National Park Act recognizes the broader significance of park resources, specifically the chaparral, grasslands, blue oak woodlands, and majestic valley oak savanna ecosystems of the area, the area's geomorphology, riparian watersheds, unique flora and fauna, and the ancestral and cultural history of native Americans, settlers and explorers.

NPS photo

Pinnacles serves as a California Condor incubator, one of only three release sites in the nation. Thirty-one free-flying condors call the park "home." Wild chicks are monitored by biologists and volunteers. Aside from condor watching, there are other draws to visitors. If you're a "heavy duty trail hiker," than you may find some great views from the steep trails throughout the park's volcanic pinnacles.

NPS photo

Not in to the high stuff? Cave exploration is possible in the park's talus caves, created when narrow canyons filled up with boulders, leaving passages in between the big rocks. Popular Bear Gulch cave on the park's eastern side, like its cousins the Balconies caves on the west, are home to colonies of Townsend's big-eared bats. Park managers try to keep the caves open as much as possible, up to ten months out of the year, but occasionally do close them, either by section or in entirety, when "pupping" season rolls around.

NPS photo

You'll find camping on the east side of the park at the Pinnacles Campground. There are both tent and RV sites, and many of the latter offer electric hookups, and water and a dump station are available. Bring your swim gear--the pool is open, generally from mid-April to the end of September. Leashed pets are OK in the campground, and on roads and in parking lots.

The rock formations of Pinnacles National Monument and the Gabilan Mountain Range divide the park into East and West Districts which are connected by trails, but not by a vehicle road. More than 30 miles of trails access geological formations, spectacular vistas and wildland communities. Pinnacles National Park is a day-use park, with occasional full moon hikes and dark sky astronomical observations led by ranger-interpreters.

Get more information at the park's website.

Best places to see fall colors in National Parks

The National Park Foundation has released its “National Parks Fall Foliage Guide” for 2012. It lists many parks with exceptional fall colors, although the group notes there are many more not included. It advises park visitors to visit nationalparks.org to learn more or to share their own photos of fall foliage in the parks.

The list below includes information about region-specific flora as well as estimated timing on the peak of colors:

Nez Perce National Historical Park (Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Washington) – Peak foliage times range across the rivers, canyons, prairies and mountains of this park which overlaps four states. The short-grass prairies of White Bird Battlefield (ID) and Spalding (ID) peak around mid- to late October. The plains and plateaus of the sagebrush steppe eco-region include a site called Buffalo Eddy (WA) where fall foliage also peaks around mid to late October.

Steamtown National Historic Site (Pennsylvania) –Take a ride back in time on a 1920’s era passenger car, with either a 1917-built steam or historic diesel-powered locomotive, to combine a view of the autumn scenery with the history of railroading. Peak is estimated to be Oct. 7-20.

Sagamore Hill National Historic Site (New York) – Visit the site of Theodore Roosevelt’s home around mid-October to see the changing colors of oak-tulip tree, hickory and copper beech. Sagamore Hill Day, a Fall Family Festival giving tribute to the agricultural heritage of the site, is conveniently planned for Oct. 20 which is also Theodore Roosevelt’s 154th birthday!

St. Croix National Scenic Riverway (Wisconsin, Minnesota) –The St. Croix and Namekagon rivers create a 255-mile corridor with a variety of color from one end to the other, including maple, aspen, oak, and birch trees. Visit this park soon, as leaves are changing quickly, with peak colors from now through mid-October.

Mammoth Cave National Park (Kentucky) – Foliage at this park includes the changing colors of black gum, poison ivy, and dogwood, peaking from mid to late October. Join the Friends of Mammoth Cave for a Walk-In-The-Park on Oct. 6, and choose one of three different walks that are sure to suit your interests and abilities while allowing the perfect opportunity to support the park and view a variety of fall colors.

Vicksburg National Military Park (Mississippi) – The location of a critical battle in the Civil War, this park has a brief period of fall foliage, usually lasting from mid-October through mid-November. Visitors can see changes in the hickory, pecan, and black walnut trees, among many others. Plan a visit around Oct. 27, and the kids can participate in a “Shape Up, Junior Ranger Owl Discovery Walk.” This 1-mile walk teaches more about the park’s nighttime creatures, and is the perfect chance to test out this year’s Halloween costume.

Lyndon B. Johnson National Historical Park (Texas) – Located in the Hill Country of Texas, leaves at this park change from mid-October through the end of November. The sumac, oaks, and haw holly add bursts of fall colors, while the pecans cover the ground and the purple flowers of the gay feather herb enhance the color palette and autumn atmosphere. For a fantastic foliage tour, start with a drive through the LBH Ranch and tour the Texas White House. Make your way into Johnson City to visit the Boyhood Home and finish out your tour with a walk down the nature trail to the Johnson Settlement and the 1960s cabin and barns.

Flight 93 National Memorial – (Pennsylvania) This national memorial, dedicated to the brave passengers and crew of Flight 93 who fought back against terrorism on September 11, 2001, encompasses 2,200 acres of rolling hills, wild flowers, wetlands and old-growth and newly planted trees. Once a coal mine, this location has experienced a breathtaking rebirth as a place of national honor and reflection. Peak viewing times span early to mid-October, but if you can’t get there in person, you can enjoy the foliage from the park’s Live webcam.



Keep up with the latest news and information about RVing at the RVtravel.com Facebook page.