Hike Old Pinnacles Trail to Balconies Cave

You start from the Old Pinnacles Trailhead on the quieter east side of the park, heading west through open chaparral with Machete Ridge's jagged volcanic spires looming ahead like a broken saw blade. The trail rolls gently at first, lulling you into complacency before the terrain gets rockier and the creek crossings start — six of them, sometimes ankle-deep in winter and spring, bone-dry by summer. The real highlight is ducking into Balconies Cave, a talus cave formed by massive boulders wedged overhead, where you'll scramble through narrow passages in near-darkness. You loop back along the base of the Balconies Cliffs, with those towering rock walls catching golden light in the afternoon. This is the trail for hikers who want a little adventure without a punishing climb — part canyon walk, part spelunking, part geology lesson.