The construction of the new West Side Visitor Center and Operation Facilities will actively begin on-site work starting the week of December 6, 2010. The project is being funded from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) and is expected to be completed by the end of December 2011.

The primary purpose of the project is to relocate flood prone visitor and maintenance facilities and staff housing away from the sensitive riparian habitat within the Chaparral Area and closer to the park's west boundary. The new facilities will provide increased visitor services while incorporating the latest in environmentally supporting technologies. Trailhead parking and picnic facilities will remain at the Chaparral Area at the end of the project.

Existing visitor facilities in the Chaparral Area will remain open until the new facilities are ready for occupancy. Visitors may experience intermittent short delays along the park roads during construction work days (Monday through Friday).

The contract for approximately $6 million was awarded in May 2010 to Anderson-Burton Construction, Inc., a general contracting company located in Arroyo Grande, CA. They have assembled a diverse team of experts who have facilitated the design of eco-conscious facilities. Anderson-Burton Construction, Inc. has been actively working with National Park Service staff at Pinnacles and the Design Service Center in Denver, Colorado to incorporate protection of park resources and provide high-quality visitor exhibits at the new visitor center project. The new facilities will be off-grid, powered by a photovoltaic (PV) system with a roof-mounted solar array on the maintenance facility.

Under the Recovery Act, the National Park Service is investing in the conservation of America's treasures, the diversity of stunning natural landscapes and for generations to come. With unprecedented transparency and accountability, the public can now follow the progress of this project and a full listing of National Park Service Recovery Act projects on www.recovery.gov and on www.interior.gov/recovery.

Feel welcome to visit Pinnacles or our website at for more specific information about the park.