Bear Gulch Cave at Pinnacles National Park partially reopens

The Bear Gulch Cave at Pinnacles National Park will be partially open beginning Wednesday, July 16 until early October.

The lower half of the cave will be accessible to visitors. The upper half will remain closed.

The cave is fully open each March and October for as many as one to four weeks depending on the presence of a colony of Townsend’s Big-eared bats. The bats, which are listed by the state of California as a species of special concern, raise their young and hibernate in the cave.

Visitors are asked to be careful about disturbing the bats and to speak quietly while inside the cave.

The Bear Gulch Cave and the Balconies Cave both offer the opportunity to explore what’s called a talus cave. Visitors should bring flashlights and wear sturdy shoes.