Moses Spring and Rim Trail Loop is a 2.5 mile moderately trafficked loop trail located near Paicines, California that features a lake and is rated as moderate. The trail is primarily used for hiking, rock climbing, and bird watching.
Pinnacles National Park charges a fee to enter. Fees are $30 per vehicle or $25 per motorcycle. If you are entering on foot or bike the fee is $15 per person. You can also purchase a park specific annual pass for $55. This loop is a good choice for rock formations, talus caves, and the reservoir on a short hike and also a good choice for children. Bear Gulch Cave is open seasonally. Flashlight required in the cave.
California Travel and Tourism Commision, P.O. Box 1499 , Sacramento, CA, 95812-1499, Phone: 800-862-2543
Directions from Bear Gulch Visitor Center: Follow Moses Spring Trail southward .6 miles to the caves.
February 20, 2021Do it! Open Fri
February 14, 2021February 13, 2021Bear Gulch Reservoir was such a relief to see after the stairs! No cell service
February 9, 2021All beautiful rocks, can easily climb
February 7, 2021February 5, 2021January 31, 2021January 18, 2021January 3, 2021A little confusing at times because of no trail markers but it just led us to a couple of dead ends which made it easy to get back on the right trail. Very moderate hike, but a nice workout. We got there around 8 and parking was pretty much open. Once we got back around 10:30 it was packed. Get there early! Bathrooms are at the trailhead.
December 29, 2020Awesome
December 15, 2020Amazing views. Fun hike. One of my favorite. Get there early for parking.
December 4, 2020December 3, 2020All I can say is you have to see this beauty for yourself
November 28, 2020It was good
November 26, 2020November 23, 2020Perfect easy hike for the family. My boys loved hanging out by the lake and it was really cool walking down and under the big rocks.
November 8, 2020November 7, 2020October 20, 2020October 11, 2020Quite shaded. Parking lot was full so we parked a mile away, but the trail from there was very nice. Would be great to do again during the rainy season to see the stream.
September 5, 2020June 23, 2020Did this trail as part of a 17. 6 mile hike with two friends during our 4 day stay in Pinnacles N.P. We did this trail, with the others on Tues. June 23rd. This was my first visit to the park, and the campground was amazing. Clean, large sites. Thankfully I brought my own camping shower, as the campground only has 2 showers total for the women, in the entire campground. It was hot, over 100 degrees most days, especially the day we did our most hiking. The camp hosts are super nice and drive around often to make sure all is well, and quiet. The trail we did starts in the campground (bench trail), crosses a road (pinnacles highway), follows a dry river bed and goes into a forested area. This area is cool and shaded, but very short lived. LOL. Beautiful though. From the bear gulch nature center we chose the Bear gulch trail which would take us to the moses spring trail, to the bear gulch reservoir, to the rim trail, to the high peaks, to the steep and narrows trai back down condor gulch and back to camp. It climbs high and is exposed for most of the duration of the hike. There is little to no shade on this trail except for a tree here or there. The views during the entire hike are so amazing. There are rock formations and color changes that will surprise you and awe you. The high point was the fun rock scramble towards the top of condor gulch...we didn't see any condors that day, but lots of hawks. I am afraid of heights, but the steep and narrows trail at the top of high peaks is something to be seen and experienced. It is fun and challenging and scary and the handrails are helpful, albeit hot from the days sun. But it should be explored if you are up at the top because it is not a park to visit many times. It is such a small and beautiful park, that a few days visit will have you completing all the trails and no real need to come back unless you are a local. Highly recommend this national park. It is small, But it is mighty.
February 29, 2020February 17, 2020We got to our campsite a little later than intended and this was recommended to us as a quick trail we could wrap by around dusk. Took us about an hour, and we really enjoyed going through the cave which had hand rails and stairs where needed. Great intro to what pinnacles has to offer.
February 15, 2020
