Anniversary of Pinnacles National Park, California Jan 16, 2025

Anniversary of Pinnacles National Park, California

Jagged pinnacles and spires, monoliths, and unusual caves—welcome to Pinnacles National Park in central California. President Theodore Roosevelt designated the area as a national monument in 1908, and Pinnacles would earn its status as a national park in 2013. As we celebrate the park"s anniversary today, let"s take a moment to appreciate this landscape. Pinnacles owes its formations to an ancient volcanic eruption that occurred 23 million years ago. The fiery beginnings made towering spires, cliffs, and talus caves, which are created by falling boulders wedged into narrow canyons. Over millennia, tectonic forces shifted the landmass northward, leaving the park far from its volcanic birthplace. Talk about a journey!

© yhelfman/Getty Images

palette

Today in History

Jan 16, 2018Lionfish off the coast of Indonesia
Jan 16, 2019Up on the glacier
Jan 16, 2020In the valley of the doll
Jan 16, 2021Oh, to sleep under the northern lights
Jan 16, 2022Hot and Spicy Food Day
Jan 16, 2023Martin Luther King Jr. Day
Jan 16, 2024Lake Louise, Banff National Park, Alberta

More Desktop Wallpapers:

Apr 7, 2020Once in a pink moon
Jan 30, 2024Aýna, Albacete, Spain
Mar 28, 2019Let us introduce you…
Feb 19, 2019A dreamy start to the Year of the Pig
Jan 20, 2021Penguins can t fly!
Jun 14, 2018Celebrating Flag Day: ‘O long may it wave’
Apr 13, 2024Apple trees in spring, Germany
Jun 28, 2021A medieval celebration in the Mediterranean
Apr 4, 2025National Cherry Blossom Festival, Washington, DC
Jul 30, 2025International Day of Friendship
May 21, 2022Albion Falls, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
Feb 10, 2019Groovy!
Oct 24, 2019Bridge of Hillsborough County
Dec 3, 2022Art Basel Miami Beach
Apr 12, 2019A story of wind and ice
Apr 23, 2023World Book Day
Oct 12, 2020Indigenous Peoples Day
Feb 6, 2020A hint of spring
Feb 11, 2019There’s a dog in there somewhere
Jul 16, 2018Instant romance
Aug 18, 2025Avalanche Lake Trail at Adirondack High Peaks, New York
Feb 5, 2023Monarch butterflies, Pismo Beach, California
Sep 22, 2018Time for brass bands and beer
Jul 4, 2023Happy Independence Day!
Sep 14, 2021Behold the mighty Aldeyjarfoss
Aug 28, 2025A great white egret in Hungary
Mar 29, 2023Manatee Appreciation Day
Jan 22, 2024Walton Lighthouse, Santa Cruz, California
Jun 24, 2024Kelimutu, Flores, Indonesia
Nov 4, 2023National Bison Day