Pinnacles National Park trip (6 Day)

Hi folks, I have a multi-day trip planned from 5/31 to 6/5 that takes in Pinnacles National Park, San Juan Bautista and New Brighton beach (near Santa Cruz) to complete a loop back to Campbell.

The plan looks like this:

• Day 1 (5/31): Campbell to Coyote Lake in Gilroy, via Los Alamitos Creek trail and Coyote Creek trail
• Day 2 (6/1): Coyote Lake to Pinnacles NP, riding through Gilroy wine region, Hollister, and Tres Pinos.
• Day 3 (6/2): Chill at Pinnacles. Do some hiking, or just hang out by the pool.
• Day 4 (6/3): Pinnacles to San Juan Bautista.
• Day 5 (6/4): San Juan Bautista to New Brighton State Beach
• Day 6 (6/5): New Brighton to Campbell, via Soquel-San Jose Road and Los Gatos Creek trail

The total loop is about 200 miles. Most days are about 40 miles. The stretch from Gilroy to Pinnacles is a bit longer (60 miles with a steady climb from Tres Pinos). The last day does involve going over the Santa Cruz mountains, with a climb to about 1700ft.

Here's an approximate map on Google Maps, based on a similar ride I did last year: Pinnacles Bike Packing 2025.

The route is mostly paved. There are two sections that are on hike/bike trails, but they can be avoided, as described at the end. I try to do as much on creek trails as possible, but most of the ride is on road.

WHERE WE SLEEP:
I have campsites booked for Coyote Lake, Pinnacles and New Brighton. My plan for San Juan Bautista is to stay at the Best Western near downtown.

THOUGHTS ON EATING:
There aren't good food options at Pinnacles. I'll be taking freeze dried (Mountain House) food for breakfast and dinner for the two days at Pinnacles. There's no restaurant or cafe at Pinnacles, unlike some of the bigger NPs. There is a camp store with some basic provisions.

At San Juan Bautista and New Brighton there are nearby food options. Either to eat out, or (in the case of New Brighton - take to the campsite and cook).

COST:
I've booked spots at the three campsites. We will share the cost between us ($165 is the total for the three sites).

Please arrange your own accommodation in San Juan Bautista. I booked my room at the Best Western already, it was around $150 for the night.

Last year I made lunch stops on the ride, I expect I'll do something similar this year. You might want to factor that into your budget. For example, on day two last year, I stopped for lunch at the Hollister Airport Eatery (it's en route).

ADDITIONAL INFO ABOUT THE NON-PAVED PARTS:

Unpaved section 1) The Harvey Bear trail from Harvey Bear entrance to Coyote Lake
The trail is a hike/bike trail.

• Screenshot of the trail option that I'll be taking: here

To avoid it, you will use the Roop Rd entrance into the Coyote Lake. I didn't want to ride up Roop Road, as it's got a steep switchback.

• Screenshot of Roop Rd option: here

When I did this ride last year, I just walked my bike up the trail. I have a gravel bike, I'm not a mountain biker and don't like cycling uphill on dirt!

• Use this AllTrails map for reference: harvey-bear-calaveras-coyote-ridge-and-willow-springs-loop

Unpaved section 2) A short trail alongside the Lexington reservoir

• Screenshot of the trail from Google Maps: here
• Picture of the trail I took on a recent ride

This path is only a short ride of about half a mile. It runs parallel to Highway 17, from Bear Creek Road to Alma Bridge Road. The alternative would be to take Old Santa Cruz Highway, which runs on the other side of the reservoir and requires a detour of a few miles.

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