January 11, 2011. We drove to the western entrance, and hiked to the top of the high trail. It is very dry there!!! But there is standing water in the creek/rivulet at the start of the trail. We saw birds (including condors), pines, and fantastic rock shapes. Who designed these?? It is hard to believe they are "just" natural. Vegetation grows from tiny cracks in the rocks. Bright red and yellow lichen cover some of the rocks. Nice views into the Central Valley and the Salinas Valley.