Just 2½ hours south of San Joaquin County, intrepid explorers will find the spectacular remains of an ancient volcano, moving steadily north a few inches each year on the San Andreas Fault, distancing itself from its mother volcano in the Los Angeles area!
A rugged part of the Gabilan Mountains south of Hollister, Pinnacles National Park offers a stunning landscape of rugged spires, deep canyons, eerie talus caves, verdant foliage, rushing streams and robust wildlife, from deer, wild turkeys, bob cats and feral hogs, to the majestic California condor with wingspans up to nine feet. If you want your kids/grandkids to appreciate the power of nature, the park offers dramatic evidence of the effects of heat, water and wind constantly wearing away at this alien landscape.