Hike Jawbone Trail
What to Expect
Safety Advisory
The descent is steeper than the short distance suggests, with loose gravel on volcanic rock — watch your footing, especially in the morning when shade keeps things slick.
Summer temperatures at Pinnacles regularly push past 100 degrees with zero shade on this exposed stretch. If you're connecting to a longer loop, start before sunrise or skip the west side entirely in July and August.
Trail Details
Pro Tips
Use Jawbone as a one-way descent to link Prewett Point with the Balconies Cave Loop — going downhill here and saving your legs for the caves is smarter than climbing it on tired quads.
Park at the Chaparral lot early on spring weekends; it fills by mid-morning, and if you're planning to use Jawbone as part of a longer loop, you want your car at the bottom, not the top.
Carry a headlamp even for a day hike — if your loop takes you through Balconies Cave, you'll need light in the darker passages, and Jawbone is the trail that connects you to that route.
Photos
NPS Photo/Emily Novack
