By Kara Reedy—
Professor Tammie Gerke from the Geology department of the Middletown campus led a recent discussion about Pinnacles National Park. Provided by the librarians of the Harvey-Gardner Library, the National Parks Talk series provides in-depth information about the national parks found throughout America. As with other sessions, Professor Gerke discussed the park’s geology, history, and wildlife. This lecture was a little more geology-heavy, but Professor Gerke provided plenty of information to make understanding the presentation a little easier. Pinnacles National Park has a diverse and complex geology, which has made it one of the most visited parks in the country.
The discussion of Pinnacles National Park was very different from the previous session. Instead of
focusing on the park’s history, Professor Gerke talked about the extraordinary geology of the park. The
entire park is essentially half of a volcano, which erupted between 20 to 23 million years ago. The
leftover skeleton of the volcano, named Neenach, was separated into two parts following the merging of two tectonic plates into one, which formed a geological formation known as the San Andreas Fault. Half of the volcano began to move 314 kilometers, or 195 miles, north alongside the fault, creating what is now recognized as Pinnacles National Park. The portion of the volcano that had been moved became a popular site, with the Chalon and Amah Mutsun native peoples settling in the area. Visitors to the park
can still find bedrock mortars that the native populations had used to prepare herbs and powders.
Pinnacles was initially established as a National Monument in 1908 by President Theodore Roosevelt. As
a National Monument, the park’s surrounding area was provided natural protection, but mainly for the
remnants of the volcano. The classification of the park changed in 2013 when President Barack Obama
established Pinnacles as a National Park. Recognizing Pinnacles as a National Park allowed the entire
area to become protected by the National Parks Service. The re-establishment of Pinnacles has ensured
that all of the various geological formations, animals, and plants will be preserved. We also learned that
visitors might want to avoid Pinnacles if they have an allergy to bee stings, since there are over 400 types of bees in the park. There are also fourteen species of bats in Pinnacles, including Townsend’s big-eared bats. The fourteen types of bats are considered “sensitive species,” which means that the many breeds are in constant need of protection.
Bats aren’t the only animals in Pinnacles that need a little extra attention. The park is also known as a
Condor preserve, and the California Condor is considered a dangerously endangered species. In order to help protect the Condor population, Pinnacles has begun working towards repopulating the species with the help of the natural ecosystem in the park. Pinnacles used to be one of the primary locations for the California Condor population, but the species began to die out because of the destruction of their habitats and poaching. To combat this destruction, the National Parks Service began a project that would support the conservation of the Condors. Starting in 2003, the Service began releasing up to twenty to thirty birds a year. The Service keeps track of the birds, ensuring everything works in their favor. They use tracking technology, and cameras operate daily to monitor the Condors.
California Condors aren’t the only birds being watched over in Pinnacles National Park. There are also Falcons and Prairie Hawks spread around the park. Aside from bird species, Pinnacles provides a home to many California native animals, including coyotes, roadrunners, and snakes and lizards of all types. The park also has a colorful assortment of wildflowers that bloom in the spring with help from the several hundred varieties of bees flying around. The flowers quickly dry out as the summer heat rolls through the park, taking with it most of the few water sources available. The Civilian Conservation Corps has worked tirelessly since 1933 to provide travelers with water sources, trails, and walkways so that Pinnacles National Park can be explored anytime.
There are many different activities available to explorers of the park. Many people travel from around the country to explore the cave system, which is only open for a short period to allow the bat population to remain healthy. Rock climbers enjoy the sporadic geology of the landscape, climbing up rock formations that house the Condor population. Walkways and stairwells are carved into the very rock itself, allowing for easy access to many of the fascinating features of Pinnacles National Park. The surrounding natural area is impressive and offers a beautiful view of California’s complex geology and natural life. Pinnacles National Park remains one of the most unique parks ever established in the United States.
Contact Information
- Professor Tammie L. Gerke: [email protected]
- John Burke: [email protected]
- Jessie Long: [email protected]