Golden Gate Photo - Pinnacles National Monument Gallery

Golden Gate Photo - Pinnacles National Monument Gallery
Fine Art Photography from Pinnacles National Monument in California.

These are the jagged peaks of Pinnacles National Monument near Salinas in the central coast of California. They are remnants of a 23 million year old volcano that was split in half by the San Andreas Fault. This half lies on the west side of the fault and has been carried northwest, along with Los Angeles and a good chunk of the southwestern portion of California. The remnants of the other half of the volcano lie 195 miles to the southeast. That means over the last 23 million years, the San Andreas Fault has offset this area an average of a little over half an inch per year (1.4 cm/year). For more images along the San Andreas Fault, take the GeoTour.

	Pinnacles from High Peaks Trail The Pinnacles are 500 to 1,200 feet (150 to 360 meters) high and are composed of rhyolitic to andesitic lava flows and pyroclastic deposits. Print No. A99-20-8
	Pinnacles from Balconia Caves Trail The High Peaks are seen from the west through the contrasting dense chaparral. Print No. A99-20-5
	High Peak Northwest View This northwest view shows the High Peaks in the foreground and Machete Ridge in the background. The purplish groundcover is a sign of the spring bloom. Print No. A98-21-10
	High Peaks and Hawks From the south end of the High Peaks Trail looking north, this is the top of one of the highest spires in the High Peaks region. As warm afternoon thermals rise up from the valleys on either side of this north-south ridge line, is it common to see the birds taking advantage of the lifting action. Print No. A98-22-6 Here is a close-up of the two hawks on the right.

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