County residents who enjoy getting away from the city street
lights and taking in the sights and sound of the great outdoors are
invited to join the rangers at the Pinnacles National Monument for
its 10th year of summer moonlight hikes and dark sky walks.
County residents who enjoy getting away from the city street lights and taking in the sights and sound of the great outdoors are invited to join the rangers at the Pinnacles National Monument for its 10th year of summer moonlight hikes and dark sky walks.
“It’s a great experience for those who enjoy a star canopy overhead that isn’t visible with urban light,” Ranger Peter Szydlowski said.
This Saturday night, the park will host its first dark sky program of the summer, which is held when there is no moon. The point of the program is to allow people a chance to see the Pinnacles with no light so they can take in the sights and sounds on nature, according to Ranger Interpreter Charles Ewing.
“The hike is strictly by starlight,” he said. “This is great for people who like the adventure of it, but wouldn’t go out on their own and hike. Having the rangers there and being in a large group sort of gives people a safety net experience for the first time which may encourage them to go out on their own the next time.”
During the summer weeks when the moon is full, rangers will take park visitors on moonlight hikes. Ewing said this is a great way for people to tap into their night-vision and see a colorless view of the pinnacles.
“You basically see all the same things you would see during the day, except the moonlight takes away all the color and you’re left with listening to the sounds around you,” Ewing said.
Veteran Hiker Adrea Simmons said she enjoys the moon-lit hikes because it’s not very often she gets to enjoy the sound of nature.
“When you work 9 to 5 and you’re constantly surrounded by the sounds of traffic, television and other stuff you lose your touch with nature, and hiking at night, taking in all the sounds around me just puts my mind at ease,” she said. “It’s sort of like taking your shoes off and walking on the ground barefoot. There are certain things in life that just make you feel more centered with the world.”
Another special adventure, which will only be offered three times, is an exclusive nighttime bat hike. Ranger will take hikers to the reservoir where they’ll use devices to locate the sounds made by the bats and follow them with a spotlight to catch their nighttime feeding patterns.
“It’s really neat,” Ewing said. “You can watch the bats swoop down onto the water to find insects.”
Visitors who enjoy day time events also can participate in the nature hikes which will be held throughout the day on the weekends. Night time hikes and programs require registration and all the programs are free of cost except for the $5 per vehicle park entry fee.
For more information call 831-389-4485 or log onto www.nps.gov/pinn.
