McCabe Canyon added to Pinnacles National Monument

McCabe Canyon preserves an increasingly rare and important California habitat: valley oak woodland. This new acquisition is a key to the Pinnacles.

The 240-acre McCabe Canyon (known as the Francis Ranch) was added to Pinnacles National Monument in September. The property abuts the park across the road and north of the entrance station. It preserves an increasingly rare and important California habitat, valley oak woodland, and provides a key piece of the boundary protection envisioned in the park’s 2000 boundary expansion. The property owner, a willing seller who has been working with park officials over the past two years, will retain a life estate on the property.

Threatened valley oak ecosystems, extremely rare within the park and disappearing throughout the state, are extensive throughout McCabe Canyon. The valley oak systems have healthy native understories which are both excellent wildlife habitat and an extremely valuable seed source that will provide an outstanding opportunity for restoration with native genetic stock. The park will manage this site for its natural resource values.

At present, there is no developed public access to McCabe Canyon. Park officials are working to make McCabe Canyon more accessible while preserving both the resources and the privacy of the former owner, who lives on site.

The 24,000-acre Pinnacles National Monument, protected since 1908, preserves intact a remarkable diversity of habitat and natural resources unique to the central coast region of California. A boundary expansion in 2000 added over 12,000 acres to the park, some 2,500 acres of which was private property. With the purchase of McCabe Canyon, Pinnacles National Monument is one step closer to completing its critical land acquisition priorities. The park’s top acquisition priority remains the 2000-acre Pinnacles Ranch, which is rich in natural and cultural resources and will provide critical habitat for California condors, which are slated to be released at Pinnacles National Monument in December.