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Pinnacles National Monument: Should It Be Labeled A National Park?
There's a move afoot in Congress to have the name of Pinnacles National Monument changed to Pinnacles National Park. U.S. Rep. Sam Farr of California believes the monument's 14,500 acres with their unique geology and many species that are either threatened or endangered at the state or federal level deserve the title.
"Upgrading Pinnacles to a national park makes sense for historic, natural and economic reasons,” the Democrat said Friday. “This area is much more than rock formations. It’s a huge swatch of land with historical significance for the state, it provides an important refuge for the California condor and it has great potential for tourism revenue.”
The monument is one of the oldest ones in the National Park System, having been designated by President Theodore Roosevelt in 1908. It received its name from "rock spires and crags that are remnants of an ancient volcano," notes the National Park Service. "The volcano eroded over millions of years as it moved northward along the San Andreas Fault. Rock debris in the form of boulders has weathered and settled, leaving behind spires of volcanic rock and talus caves."
Pinnacles National Monument has two main areas of caves; the Bear Gulch Caves are near headquarters in the East District, and the Balconies Caves are near Chaparral Campground in the West District.
http://www.nationalparkstraveler.com...-national-park
http://www.nps.gov/pinn
"Upgrading Pinnacles to a national park makes sense for historic, natural and economic reasons,” the Democrat said Friday. “This area is much more than rock formations. It’s a huge swatch of land with historical significance for the state, it provides an important refuge for the California condor and it has great potential for tourism revenue.”
The monument is one of the oldest ones in the National Park System, having been designated by President Theodore Roosevelt in 1908. It received its name from "rock spires and crags that are remnants of an ancient volcano," notes the National Park Service. "The volcano eroded over millions of years as it moved northward along the San Andreas Fault. Rock debris in the form of boulders has weathered and settled, leaving behind spires of volcanic rock and talus caves."
Pinnacles National Monument has two main areas of caves; the Bear Gulch Caves are near headquarters in the East District, and the Balconies Caves are near Chaparral Campground in the West District.
http://www.nationalparkstraveler.com...-national-park
http://www.nps.gov/pinn