New Soledad-Pinnacles Visitors’ Center opens

The new Soledad-Pinnacles Visitors’ Center officially opened Saturday with a ribbon-cutting attended by Congressman Sam Farr and Sen. Barbara Boxer.

Rep. Farr and Sen. Boxer toured the site of the new center, located in the city of Soledad. The two led congressional efforts to designate Pinnacles as a national park.

The pair spoke about how this designation has been a boost to the local economy and has helped attract even more visitors to the park.

The park was considered a national monument until January 2013, when it was re-classified as a national park.

Thousands of visitors from around the state and beyond have traveled to the Salinas Valley park, dining in local restaurants, staying at local hotels and shopping at local stores.

Soledad is just 12 miles west of Pinnacles National Park.

The new visitors center is still under construction, but Boxer and Farr toured the site along with Soledad Mayor Fred Ledesma, and Pinnacles Superintendent Karen Dorn.