Pinnacles National Monument

Where: Pinnacles National Monument, California
Trail: Balconies Trail, Balconies Cave, Trail, Balconies Cliff Trail
Difficulty: Easy to Moderate
Distance: 2.4 mile loop
Adventure Rating: 3 Stars
Pets: Not allowed

There is no through road in Pinnacles National Monument. You can hike it, but that's a long trip. Last time we hiked the east side of the park. This time we decided to hike the west side. The Balconies Trail includes the Balconies Cave, which we was fun. We didn't get to see any bats, unfortunately.

Pinnacles National Monument

Where: Pinnacles National Monument, California
Trail: Moses Spring Trail, Bear Gulch Cave Trail, High Peaks Trail, Condor Gulch Trail
Difficulty: Moderate to Strenuous
Distance: 6 mile loop
Adventure Rating: 4 Stars
Pets: Not allowed

We hiked the Moses Spring Trail, through the Bear Gulch cave to the High Peaks Trail, and then took the Condor Gulch Trail back to the parking lot. It was a 6-mile hike, varying from easy to strenuous with an elevation gain of almost 1500 feet. The cave involved some crawling (and flashlights) and the High Peaks Trail had some very narrow passages with rock on one side and NOTHING on the other except a low rail. It is by far the most awesome hiking adventure yet. The fact that we got to hike through a cave is just too cool.

El Morro National Monument

Where: El Morro National Monument, New Mexico
Trail: Mesa Top Trail Loop
Difficulty: Moderate to Strenuous
Distance: 2 mile loop
Adventure Rating: 4 Stars
Pets: Allowed on leash


The Inscription Trail portion of the hike was very easy. It's paved and flat. The beginning of the Mesa Top Trail is fairly strenuous as it is a 200-foot climb. In the morning, that part of the hike is in the shadow of the sandstone bluffs and was pretty chilly in November. Once we were on top of the bluffs, it was much warmer in the sun. Most of the trail is up on the sandstone bluffs, which is just cool.

See the parallel lines in the sandstone? That's the trail.

El Malpais National Monument

Where: El Malpais National Monument, New Mexico
Trail: Sandstone Bluffs
Difficulty: Moderate
Distance: n/a
Adventure Rating: 4 Stars
Pets: Allowed on leash

There isn't a trail per se, but there are plenty of places to climb all over the boulders.

BE VERY CAREFUL, THERE ARE STEEP DROP-OFFS. THIS AREA CAN BE DANGEROUS.

Petroglyph National Monument

Where: Petroglyph National Monument, New Mexico
Trail: Piedras Marcadas Canyon
Difficulty: Easy
Distance: 1.5 miles round trip
Adventure Rating: 2 Stars
Pets: Allowed on leash
 
The Petroglyph National Monument wasn't the most exciting hike, at first. The monument is located right outside Albuquerque, New Mexico. The parking lot for the monument is in a neighborhood, but once you get out there, you sort of forget about the city.

We hiked the Piedras Marcadas Canyon trail which is dog-friendly and free. According to the NPS website, the trail is "Easy to moderate unpaved trail." We didn't find anything even moderately strenuous about the trail--which is probably why we went off trail.

Along the 1.5 mile (out and back) trail, you can see hundreds of petroglyphs. They tend to be really cool at first, but by the 20th one, I was much less interested. Unless I saw a funny one like the one to the right.

Overlooking Albuquerque