Pinnacles National Park campground open to ‘essential travel’ visitors

PAICINES, Calif. (KION) A Regional Stay at Home order is in effect for the San Joaquin Valley region of California, including San Benito County, as a result of the rising number of COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations.

While the order is in effect, Pinnacles National Park is making changes to who may use the campgrounds.

Park officials say the campgrounds are open, but only "essential travel" visitors are allowed to use the short-term lodging. The state said that while the order is in effect, hotels and other types of lodging can only provide accommodation for COVID-19 mitigation and containment measures, treatment measures, essential workers or housing solutions that include measures to protect the homeless.

The state's travel advisory, which recommends that people arriving in another state or country or returning to California should self-quarantine for 14 days, is still in effect. As part of the advisory, the state is also encouraging residents to stay in their own region and avoid non-essential travel.

Those who meet the criteria for essential travel and plan to stay at Pinnacles' campground must check in at the store when they arrive and certify in writing that the travel is essential.

If the travel is non-essential, Pinnacles suggests rebooking for another date, requesting credit for a future stay or canceling the reservation. Reservations can be booked by logging in here, and you can contact the park by calling 877-444-6777 or emailing info@visitpinnacles.com. There is no refund for no-shows.