FYI: "Barbaric Action" Concerning Regaining Access to Pinnacles NP

[mtoma...@outlook.com]

Hello, all,

I'm getting nervous about identifying an appropriate spot for a March 21-22 "Messier Marathon" on/near the central coast.  And I got antsy waiting for one of you who is much smarter and diplomatic than I am to solve the problem of regaining access to the west entrance parking lot at Pinnacles National Park.

So I just took "barbaric action".

That is, I just submitted an on-line request for help to Representative Jimmy Panetta (whose 19th Congressional District includes the town where I live) and to Representative Zoe Lofgren (whose 18th Congressional District includes Pinnacles National Park).

The on-line contact form does not allow for a long message.  So I submitted the two shorter messages shown in colored bold font below.  They include a link to a PDF document that contains a much longer explanation and request.

If you have any interest in regaining easy in/out access to the Pinnacles National Park west entrance for stargazing under dark skies, please consider submitting your own request to either of these representatives.  (Or reach out to your own representative.)  Plagiarize my messages as you see fit.  And please clean up and correct the errors in what I wrote.  :-)

Thanks!

To submit a message to Jimmy Panetta:  https://panetta.house.gov/contact

To submit a message to Zoe Lofgren:  https://lofgren.house.gov/contact

What I submitted to Jimmy Panetta:

On behalf of the interests of amateur astronomers in and near CA’s 19th district, I am seeking your help in re-gaining public access to Pinnacles National Park west entrance parking lot after sunset.

This contact form does not provide enough space for me to explain what this is about.  So please paste the link below into a web browser address field to download a safe PDF document that details the background of this request for help.

https://nightsky.jpl.nasa.gov/documents/2209/For%20Jimmy%20Panetta.pdf

Thank you in advance for your attention to this matter.


What I submitted to Zoe Lofgren:

On behalf of the interests of amateur astronomers in and near CA’s 18th district, I am seeking your help in re-gaining public access to Pinnacles National Park west entrance parking lot after sunset.

This contact form does not provide enough space for me to explain what this is about.  So please paste the link below into a web browser address field to download a safe PDF document that details the background of this request for help.

https://nightsky.jpl.nasa.gov/documents/2210/For%20Zoe%20Lofgren.pdf

Thank you in advance for your attention to this matter.

[Vishal Kasliwal]

You know, we should just start inviting the representatives to join us....

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[Ted Hauter]

Indeed.

Has anyone gotten Musk under the stars to show him we may lose this?

Need to start somewhere.

To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/sf-bay-tac/CANZYFeGk1Df7WzeqD6P6k%3DEXjJNMD5hjvQC%3DrwBQf7U%3DvYs1fg%40mail.gmail.com.

[mtoma...@outlook.com]

Again, I'm asking for your help.

Update:  Representative Zoe Lofgren's office has responded to my inquiry, but it would like to hear from other local amateur astronomers who want nighttime access to the Pinnacles National Park west entrance parking lot be restored to how it was prior to last fall's decision to lock the gate closed at night.

If you have any interest in stargazing at Pinnacles NP west entrance parking lot again, please take five minutes to submit your own inquiry to Representative Zoe Lofgren's office.  It's easy.  Here are step-by-step instructions to do so:

https://nightsky.jpl.nasa.gov/documents/2240/Generic%20Z%20Lofgren%20Submittal%20Steps%202026.02.20.pdf

I have Zoe Lofgren's attention now.  I just need a gentle push from you folks on this forum.  And you don't have to live in her district to submit an inquiry.  (I explain a work-around in the document behind the link above.)

Thanks in advance for your support.

Mark T.

[Philip Manela]

Mark,

I’d like to submit a note to Rep Lofgren’s office, but I don’t live in her district.

The address provided as a “workaround” takes me to the Monterey County Jail.

Not to be overly nit-picky, but how is that legit?

— Philip

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[Peter Natscher]

Also, you might contact US Congresional Representative Jimmy Panetta of the 19th district as it's representational area lies more along the Santa Cruz and Monterey counties coastal area and also into southern Santa Clara county.

[mtoma...@outlook.com]

Philip,

Thanks for your interest.

The physical address that I show in the step-by-step instructions are for one of Zoe Lofgren's offices, as displayed at the bottom of her official website:

https://lofgren.house.gov/

I think that the county jail and her office are in the same building.

Her office's address is what I entered to be able to complete the submittal process.  That submittal triggered an email from one of her staff members, questioning my address entry.  Of course.  That's when I explained where I actually live, and that I submitted an inquiry to her office because Pinnacles National Park lies in her 18th Congressional District.  I haven't been arrested.  Yet.

Funny thing.  I also submitted the same inquiry to the office of Representative Jimmy Panetta, who represents the town I actually live in.  Rather than respond to me directly, someone in his office forwarded that inquiry to Zoe Lofgren's office.  (I"m sure the forwarding message started with, "This one's for you folks.  It's about Pinnacles National Park.")  And then I got ANOTHER email from Zoe Lofgren's office.

I recommend that you still submit an inquiry to Zoe Lofgren's office.  If you are not comfortable doing that, then please submit an inquiry to your representative.  I am pretty sure the steps are the same.  Only the starting website URL is different.

Thanks again for your support.

Mark T.

[mtoma...@outlook.com]

Peter, I already have submitted an inquiry to Jimmy Panetta's office.  As I stated in my response to Philip above, his office simply forwarded this inquiry to Zoe Lofgren's office.  But I still think that any of you who want to help should submit an inquiry to whichever Congressperson represents the town where you live.

Mark T.

[Peter Natscher]

I have sent an email to my 19th District Representative, Jimmy Panetta, asking for his intervention into our being locked out of access to night time astronomical activity inside Pinnacles NP - West Entrance.

On Friday, February 20, 2026 at 6:15:47 PM UTC-8 mtoma...@outlook.com wrote:

[Ted Hauter]

This year will be our 13th year at a National Park for solar outreach for thousands of people now and we always sign our life away on a flyer online or at the start of the event.

Signed paperwork needs to be started for nighttime admission that you sign at the start of the season, say, and renew.

To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/sf-bay-tac/32ef6e17-8039-4360-bb5d-a889a7f4ed01n%40googlegroups.com.

[mtoma...@outlook.com]

Thanks, Peter!!!!

I am curious to know if you get a response, and whether it came from Jimmy Panetta's office or from Zoe Lofgren's office.

[mtoma...@outlook.com]

Ted, you wrote, "This will be our 13th year at a National Park for solar outreach".  Which National Park?

[Jamie Dillon, DDK]

I haven't made a deal of this before, but I'm the person who has done the most observing at the Pinnacles, since 2010, when first finding out how friendly the rangers were.

Thanks for spearheading the fuss, Tomalonis. Zoe Lofgren is our representative. I'm a fan, plus she's responsive.

Good idea you and Peter had. I just wrote Lofgren a note. Did not whine.

[Aris Pope]

I suggested writing to the National Park service regional director back in November.

Aris

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[mtoma...@outlook.com]

Thanks, Jamie!  Surely whatever you wrote to Representative Lofgren was more eloquent than what I came up with.  Please let me know if you get a response.

Mark T.

[mtoma...@outlook.com]

Hi, Aris.  Yes, I recall you suggesting that.  Thank you.  I assumed that you took such action yourself.  Did you ever get a response?

Mark T.

[Aris Pope]

I didn't want to do it without the approval of the group. Come to find out he retired in December. 

Aris

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[Ted Hauter]

The Dark Sky Festival is a can't miss world class event each year at Sequoia National Park! 

To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/sf-bay-tac/CAP5wcXkhO5mcHi6iGGVvZo%3DD_rH4E%3DFUGO67YpMDPtX%3Dp6h2Pw%40mail.gmail.com.

[Nikola Nikolov]

Yesterday I went to Pinnacles West for day time activity.  There are new rules for entering the park.

We need to bring passports for visiting the park in case rangers decide to check. Also I am not sure how to pay the fees. In case of passport check, ranger must be present. 

Kind of confusing. 

To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/sf-bay-tac/CAL-cFaE82J%3DdJrBicAhPbMDRetmDBSaQT35k54-xWL-iuCuQvw%40mail.gmail.com.

[Nikola Nikolov]

I guess if we don't show a passport, we are supposed to pay $100 for entering Pinnacles West.  

I plan to renew my annual access to all National Parks.

Nikola

[Ted Hauter]

Or bring the mother-in-law?

When she goes with her senior all parks pass admission free for all of us for taking her.

To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/sf-bay-tac/CAKwf_gjZLXn-huT8WMo0KemuSv9FHRtqaq2e0KgR4RrfT%3DYtuA%40mail.gmail.com.

[Francesco Meschia]

Something feels very wrong about having to carry a passport to go somewhere on American soil.

I drafted a letter for Sam Liccardo (CA 16) about the problem of access to Pinnacles West, but I don’t think I’ll send it: that problem pales when compared to this.

To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/sf-bay-tac/CAL-cFaHoqdne4dNnG9Y1WH2fwobhymfDj80u42v2v3bq1hLdyg%40mail.gmail.com.

[mtoma...@outlook.com]

Francesco (and others),

Here is a link to an official government webpage that explains the new park entrance fee and proof of citizenship/residence policy:

https://www.nps.gov/aboutus/nonresident-fees.htm

From what I read on that webpage, a US passport is just one type of proof of citizenship or residency required to avoid being charged a new "nonresident" entrance fee of $100 per park visitor.  Other acceptable documents for proof of citizenship or residency are a state-issued drivers license, state ID card, or permanent resident card ("green card").

That website indicates that this new fee applies only to eleven (11) national parks, and Pinnacles National Park is NOT included in that list of parks.

It seems to me that the staff at Pinnacles National Park has misinterpreted the new national park entrance policy.  But I do not know that from any first-hand experience.

For better or worse, I'm an old guy.  Thus, I already have a "senior lifetime" entrance pass for all national parks.

Mark T.

[Francesco Meschia]

Nikola, what was your first-hand experience? Were you actually asked for passport? Other forms of ID? Or was it a sign/notice?

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[mtoma...@outlook.com]

Aris,

You wrote, "I didn't want to (contact the NPS regional director) without the approval of the group."

I understand your hesitation to contact that person without the approval of "the group" ("TAC" Google Group members).

It was not my intention to give anyone on this forum the impression that I was acting on behalf of any or all its members.  I'm just letting all of you know about my self-interested "barbaric action" to regain access to Pinnacles National Park west entrance parking lot for stargazing.  And, yes, I am encouraging as many of you as possible to take similar "barbaric action" for your own self-interest.

In my detailed statements, different versions of which I submitted to Zoe Lofgren (here), Jimmy Panetta (here) and Pinnacles management (here), I stated up front that I was acting on behalf of the INTERESTS of local amateur astronomers, not formally on behalf of local amateur astronomers.  A deliberate choice of words, just in case I get sued.  :-)

I have already confessed that I entered an invalid (for me) home address when I submitted my inquiry to Zoe Lofgren's office.  Despite such a "barbaric action", I haven't been sued or arrested.  Yet.  :-)

Mark T.

[Nikola Nikolov]

I double verified this morning. Passports are not mandatory, but state ID to verify residency. For annual pass, residency is verified by the address. I purchased annual pass for the usual $80. 

The $100 fee is for non-residents and international tourists. 

To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/sf-bay-tac/5DD9FFDB-DD93-440A-ACF8-F6861C184713%40gmail.com.

[Brad Templeton]

When you say you "double verified" you mean with the Pinnacles staff?   Because the new $100 fee only applies at a specific set of parks, and this is not one of them, so they may not have read their own regulations.  Not that this would help the foreign tourist pointing this out.

I recently entered Grand Canyon, which is on the list of parks with the surcharge, and they did not bother checking my ID (just my park pass, which in theory always requires ID with it.)

So a lot of variation in enforcement.

The $100 fee is also per person, so if you are two people, it would be rather unusual to not just get the $250 one year pass which covers multiple people, unless you are going to only one of the prime parks that year and are sure you won't go to another.     The $100 fee applies even if a US resident is driving the car with two tourists along, but I suspect they might not check that.

[mtoma...@outlook.com]

Success!!!!  Hooray!

"Thank you" to all of you on this forum who took action concerning regaining access to Pinnacles National Park west entrance parking lot for nighttime stargazing.  Honestly, I do not know if our collective efforts changed anything, but the desired result has been achieved.

In summary:

·      1.  The automated entrance/exit gate at the west entrance of Pinnacles National Park has been repaired (one or two weeks ago).

·     2.  The public may enter the park at the west entrance anytime up until 8:00pm.  After that, the entrance gate will remain closed from the outside.

·      3.  The proximity-sensor-activated gate will allow exiting the park at any time after 8:00pm.

·      4.  Anyone wanting to stargaze from the west entrance parking lot must adhere to these park policies and rules: 

·      Enter the park before 8:00pm.

·      Pay the park’s day use fee (or display an annual or lifetime national park visitor’s pass).

·      No sleeping or camping anywhere on the west side of the park.

·      While observing equipment may be set up on the asphalt (not in the dirt), there may not be any obstruction of vehicles driving through the parking lot.

·      Visitors must comply with any request to move equipment so that the drive-through path is not obstructed.

All this appears to me to be the same rules that have been in place for many years.  My takeaway is that the park never intended to lock the gate permanently, but that it had done that as a short-term solution until the automated gate had been repaired.

Below is an email thread between me and Pinnacles National Park, presented in chronological order (oldest to newest).  You may interpret what I have been told by the park differently than how I have, but my conclusion is that all is well again for stargazing from the west entrance parking lot.

I plan to be there either March 20th or March 21st, for a "Messier Marathon".

Mark T.

February 15th

My submittal to the Pinnacles National Park on-line contact tool:

Subject:  Request for Access to Pinnacles West for Stargazing on March 21, 2026

Category:  Facilities

Message:

On behalf of the interests of the many local amateur astronomers who have enjoyed stargazing at the park west entrance parking lot, I am asking that that area be made available to a small group of stargazers (perhaps a dozen) on the night of Saturday, March 21st. I and another representative of our group are willing to travel to your on-site offices to discuss this request and to try to find a mutually acceptable solution. For more details of this request, please read this PDF document: 

https://nightsky.jpl.nasa.gov/documents/2224/Pinnacles_Stargazing_Request_2026.03.15_20260215_170213.pdf

Thank you in advance for your consideration of this request.

Sincerely,

Mark Tomalonis

Lead Coordinator

MIRA Astronomy Club

 

February 24

Email response from Pinnacles National Park

Hello Mark,

Thank you for reaching out to the park!

Our compendium states that the West side is restricted to day-time entry. There is a gate that closes at 8pm, but it can still be activated from the inside so that you can leave the park. So as long as you (or your group) get in before 8pm, then there should not be an issue with your nighttime astrophotography. Just worth noting that you will not be able to enter the park after 8pm.

There are no accommodations on the West side for camping, and as a restriction there is no camping or sleeping outside of the campground, which is over on the East side of the park. 

Please let me know if you have any other questions.

Thanks again,

Chad Weisbrod

Recreation Fee Technician

Pinnacles National Park

Paicines, CA

Office: 831-389-4486 ext. 4239

February 24

Phone call to Chad Weisbrod of Pinnacles NP

I called Chad immediately, thanking him for his email.  The first part of the conversation was me saying some version of, "REALLY????  Are you SURE????"  His part of the conversation was, "I'm a lowly worker here.".  The next part of the conversation was me saying some version of, "Could you do all of us a favor and confirm with senior park management that what you wrote in your email is true?"

February 24

My follow-up email to Chad

Good afternoon, Chad,

Thank you again for your response below, and for chatting with me by phone this afternoon.

Again, what you wrote below is WONDERFUL news!  Thank you!

As I explained during our phone conversation, what you wrote is in contradiction to what we local astronomers were told last fall.  The local amateur astronomy community understood, as told to us by those who attempted to stargaze in the west entrance parking lot at that time, that the entrance gate would be locked at 8pm and unlocked the next morning and that amateur astronomers were no longer welcome at the west entrance parking lot.

So that I do not convey to other local amateur astronomers any inaccuracies, and as discussed by phone today, I am asking that you confirm with senior park management that the public is again able to enter Pinnacles National Park west entrance before 8pm and may leave at any time thereafter, via the again-functioning proximity-sensor-activated entrance/exit gate.  Please also confirm these terms of such use:

Park day use fee must be paid.  (Annual and senior “forever” NP passes are acceptable.)

No sleeping or camping.

No obstructing the ability of a vehicle to drive through the parking lot.  Stargazing equipment may be set up in available parking spaces.  It is not necessary that such equipment be set up in the dirt.

Thanks in advance for your confirmation of all of this.

Respectfully,

Mark Tomalonis

Lead Coordinator

MIRA Astronomy Club

February 25

Chad's response email today:

Hello Mark,

I was able to clarify some things with my supervisor. Yes, the three terms you mentioned are still in effect (the day fee must be paid unless at least one person per vehicle has a national parks pass, no sleeping/camping, and no obstruction).

One caveat that I would add is that if a ranger asks an astronomer to move their gear, that they should comply with the request. 

I will also say that the automatic gate is functioning perfectly normal right now, but we have had instances in the past with visitors ramming the gate, and during periods where the gate is not functioning automatically, the gate needs to be manually closed and locked. But that would be temporary until the gate function is reestablished. During any period when the gate is not functioning automatically and needs to be locked manually, the "normal" allowance of being in the park on the West side after 8pm might not be allowed.

Thanks again!

Chad Weisbrod

Recreation Fee Technician

Pinnacles National Park

Paicines, CA

Office: 831-389-4486 ext. 4239

[Francesco Meschia]

Mark – this is amazing! Thank you for persisting in this effort. My reading of the policies is the same as yours: (night) business as usual.

By the way, were you the other astronomer with me in the West parking lot on Nov. 22 when the ranger first told us we couldn’t stay for the night?

Francesco

To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/sf-bay-tac/8c34b365-78e9-467b-b34b-a939b9490c80n%40googlegroups.com.

[mtoma...@outlook.com]

Francesco,

No, I was not at Pinnacles on November 22nd.  But for the past few months, I have been acting on what you and whoever that was with on that date you reported to the rest of us here.  I credit your reports for putting the wind in my sails.

[Francesco Meschia]

Ok! I remember that it was someone from MIRA, and I have terrible memory for names, so I thought it was worth asking.

Francesco

To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/sf-bay-tac/b47f15eb-e563-411a-a896-4aab5585b3e3n%40googlegroups.com.

[Jamie Dillon, DDK]

All of us who pitched various fusses can take part in the credit.

But you, Tomalonis, are to be crowned with glory. I'm having a hard time not using far more florid language here.

Taking a breath and a step back, the people at the park sure weren't communicating well with us, nor even with each other! Remember one of us TACos heard from Rich Moorer, public program coordinator at the Pinnacles, about what a shame it was that we had been locked out, and hoping that would change back.

Any time I need some grease, and help from a squeaky wheel, I'm appealing to Mark Tomalonis.

[mtoma...@outlook.com]

Thanks, Jamie.  But I see myself more of a Forrest Gump, plugging away at life and just happening to be at the right place at the right time.  I’ll take coincidence any day, if it gets me what I want.  :-)

[Thomas Taylor]

That's great news but the Pinnacles is WAAAYY too far for me to travel just to spend a couple of hours observing with the telescope.  Fremont Peak is closer and back in the day when went there I would sleep on a air mattress beside the car until dawn broke or if I tried driving back I never made it further than "The Wagon Wheel" in Gilroy where I slept in the car out front until daylight.

[Mark Wagner]

Thomas, one could always stay at a motel in Soledad, which is less than a dozen miles from the west entrance I think, if one is wary of remaining in the park overnight.  That way it is possible to go and observe for many hours.  There can be a quite noticeable decrease in sky brightness by comparison.

I remember summers nights where there'd be perhaps 100 observers up at the Peak.  Those were exceptional, and I'm not talking about for special events like comets, meteor showers or Star-BQ.  Coulter row and the ocean overlook are were packed. So was the ranger's area where the "astrophotographers" would to go.