Pinnacles National Park, California, United States 16 Jan 2025

Pinnacles National Park, California, United States

Jagged pinnacles and spires, monoliths and unusual caves—welcome to Pinnacles National Park in central California. It all began in 1908 when President Theodore Roosevelt designated the area as a national monument. Later in 2013, Pinnacles earned its status as a national park. As we celebrate the anniversary of its establishment today, let"s take a moment to appreciate this landscape. This land owes its formations to an ancient volcanic eruption that occurred 23 million years ago. The fiery beginnings made towering spires, cliffs and talus caves, 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

Winter wonderland
16 Jan 2024Lake Louise, Banff National Park, Alberta, Canada
16 Jan 2026Leopard at Etosha National Park, Namibia

More Desktop Wallpapers:

14 Feb 2024Valentines Day
12 Jan 2025Crescent-tail bigeye fish, Great Barrier Reef, Australia
3 Nov 2024International Day for Biosphere Reserves
The oldest way to fly
A smooth landing, feet first
When art imitates life
5 Aug 2025Tide pools in La Jolla, California, United States
11 Jan 2025Heri es-Swani in Meknes, Morocco
28 Oct 2024Pumpkin field, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
9 Dec 2023Vermilion Cliffs National Monument, Arizona, USA
11 Nov 2023Val di Funes, Italy
23 Sep 2023Autumnal equinox
20 Feb 2025Red deer, Canada
18 Dec 2025Capitol Reef National Park, Utah, United States
Panoramic Penzance
25 Apr 2025World Penguin Day
19 May 2025Mount Hamilton, San Francisco Bay Area, California, United States
10 Jan 2025Abraham Lake, Alberta, Canada
5 Jun 2024World Environment Day
Looking sharp
Sep 2, 2023National Hummingbird Day
18 Oct 2023Canary Wharf tube station, London
3 Mar 2024World Wildlife Day
9 Jan 2025Sossusvlei sand dunes, Namib desert, Namibia
1 Feb 2025Königstein Fortress, Saxon Switzerland, Germany
15 Apr 2025World Art Day
12 Apr 2025International Day of Human Space Flight
24 Jan 2026Big Garden Birdwatch
24 Jan 2025Thorrablot: The Icelandic midwinter festival
14 Oct 2024Coco Beach, Goa, India