Field ReView: Pinnacle Paintball Park
I decided to do some field reviews here, and if I'm going to start doing them, let's start with a bang. Pinnacle Paintball Park is a relatively new field, situated in New Jersey an hour or so outside of Philly in Malaga, NJ. If you've never heard of the town, join the crowd. I used to live in the Mid-Atlantic and had no idea where it is, mainly because it's a pretty small town. But don't let that fool you. I literally fly into Philly each year just to play an event at this place.
And why do I do that? This is on a very short list of nicest and most well thought-out paintball fields in the country. That isn't hyperbole or just me talking out of my ass. The place is incredible. Let's do a walk through for the uninitiated.
And why do I do that? This is on a very short list of nicest and most well thought-out paintball fields in the country. That isn't hyperbole or just me talking out of my ass. The place is incredible. Let's do a walk through for the uninitiated.
Welcome!
As I said, it's in Malaga, which isn't exactly a huge town, and is really right around a bunch of other things in town. You're five minutes from a decent diner, gas, and 10 minutes from hotels. That's important, because one of the only real downsides is that there's not camping there. When you pull into it's parking lot (which is ample), you'll immediately notice it's paved and that there's an extended area of nice gravel. It looks like a normal store's parking lot, and it's kept clean. You're going to notice that as a theme. This place is incredibly well-maintained.
From your car, you're going to notice a few things. There's a storefront/pro shop that you have to walk through in order to reach the field, fencing going out in both directions, and what almost looks like a huge, blown up tent. You'll also see a handful of large construction vehicles, and some ATVs behind the fence.
From your car, you're going to notice a few things. There's a storefront/pro shop that you have to walk through in order to reach the field, fencing going out in both directions, and what almost looks like a huge, blown up tent. You'll also see a handful of large construction vehicles, and some ATVs behind the fence.
"Do you have-" "Yes, yes we do."
Once you grab your stuff, and you'll head into what is one of, if not the, very nicest pro shops that I've ever seen attached to a field. Again, professional storefront that's kept in immaculate shape. Need a hoodie? They have you covered. Need a new marker? They have plenty and of all types. Need a new air system? Yep, they have that. Barrels? No problem. Lens crack? They had a ridiculous number of options to replace them. I blew out a burst disk in my HPA system, and they had one ready. You could walk in with just clothes and pick up every single thing you'd need to play there at almost any price point and walk onto the field. Again, this is a PRO SHOP ATTACHED TO A FIELD. That's extremely rare nowadays. And, to top it off, they have an incredibly nice group of ladies working in the store that will help you out once you arrive.
Once you've gotten in and registered, you walk out of the back door and see a handful of long benches, the paint/rental pick up to the left, a giant area netted off with a cargo container field in front of you, and a sign with arrows guiding you to different areas for their fields. You'll also see that tent to the left that I mentioned.
Once you've gotten in and registered, you walk out of the back door and see a handful of long benches, the paint/rental pick up to the left, a giant area netted off with a cargo container field in front of you, and a sign with arrows guiding you to different areas for their fields. You'll also see that tent to the left that I mentioned.
If you were to break a lens, they have you very covered
So what is that tent? It's Gellyball!! Yeah, they have a small Gellyball field for your minis! They also have benches there for parents to watch, and can host kiddos birthdays there. Basically, it's a get-em-started early area for kiddos that want to play while their parents might be playing on the big fields next to them, or just a spot for the kids to have fun and parents hang out. It's a great idea, and the only place I've seen with an indoor-ish Gellyball-dedicated area for kiddos at a field. They probably exist elsewhere, but it's a first for me to actually see.
Now, the field itself is definitely laid out in a different, but extremely intelligent way. Again, you'll walk out to see what I mentioned earlier, with a cargo container field directly in front of you. There is a cargo field, an area with bunkers made with railroad ties, the nicest castle I've ever played in, and then an area with short, concrete bunkers. These areas are all netted in with 20 foot wide gravel walkways surrounding them, and telephone poles and netting on each side of the walkway. It's the heart of the field, and core of it. It's also a giant rectangle.
Outside of the rectangular walkway surrounding those fields are woodsball fields, divided by staging areas. Those staging areas have picnic tables, some cover, and are large enough that teams of 150 can not only stage there, but set up their own tents and have plenty of space. They're huge. And again, because this place is so well thought out, they also have 3k and 4500pi air stations at each spot, as well as areas that you can chrono. Odds are good that when you walk off the field and back to your tent or table, you're literally about 100 feet tops from getting your air topped off or chrono-ing. And for air stations, I am not just talking that they run air lines out there. These are pump houses.
Now, the field itself is definitely laid out in a different, but extremely intelligent way. Again, you'll walk out to see what I mentioned earlier, with a cargo container field directly in front of you. There is a cargo field, an area with bunkers made with railroad ties, the nicest castle I've ever played in, and then an area with short, concrete bunkers. These areas are all netted in with 20 foot wide gravel walkways surrounding them, and telephone poles and netting on each side of the walkway. It's the heart of the field, and core of it. It's also a giant rectangle.
Outside of the rectangular walkway surrounding those fields are woodsball fields, divided by staging areas. Those staging areas have picnic tables, some cover, and are large enough that teams of 150 can not only stage there, but set up their own tents and have plenty of space. They're huge. And again, because this place is so well thought out, they also have 3k and 4500pi air stations at each spot, as well as areas that you can chrono. Odds are good that when you walk off the field and back to your tent or table, you're literally about 100 feet tops from getting your air topped off or chrono-ing. And for air stations, I am not just talking that they run air lines out there. These are pump houses.
Here's the field directory, right out of the backdoor of the pro shop
One of the added benefits of those big ass paths is the space itself. If they want to have vendors there, the vendors have space to set up right next to staging and fields. That's exactly what Inceptions Designs has done for Castle Jam, as did Dyzana. And they can do the same with food vendors, parking them next to the nets between staging zones. And if you need to go to the bathroom, there's space for the port-o-potties (you have found one of my only knocks---no indoor plumbing for players, which tragically seems industry-standard) right by your stuff. While no one loves that, great if yesterday's chili dog seeks revenge.
It poured the day I took this---and that tiny house with a garage---airstation. This is one of the staging areas.
So, how about the fields?
Well, this is an area that really, really sets the place apart. That cargo container field? It is multi-level, and can play in multiple directions or as part of the castle field. You can go either north-south or east-west, or have it connect to the railroad ties/castle area, and it works either way. It's multi-level in it's own right, with containers stacked and cut out to play at two levels.
And I have to mention this---I have welders and guys who work in HVAC on my team. They know welds, what's quality, and what's garbage. They were blown away with the quality of the metalwork on the railings, staircases, windows, and cut outs throughout the field. A LOT of fields are absolutely fine with 'good enough,' as opposed to actual quality metal work. This place did not skimp there, at all. The welds are rock solid and super clean, and that means the owner cared a ton about the safety of players and made sure that he did everything possible to keep you safe while running around his giant playground.
Well, this is an area that really, really sets the place apart. That cargo container field? It is multi-level, and can play in multiple directions or as part of the castle field. You can go either north-south or east-west, or have it connect to the railroad ties/castle area, and it works either way. It's multi-level in it's own right, with containers stacked and cut out to play at two levels.
And I have to mention this---I have welders and guys who work in HVAC on my team. They know welds, what's quality, and what's garbage. They were blown away with the quality of the metalwork on the railings, staircases, windows, and cut outs throughout the field. A LOT of fields are absolutely fine with 'good enough,' as opposed to actual quality metal work. This place did not skimp there, at all. The welds are rock solid and super clean, and that means the owner cared a ton about the safety of players and made sure that he did everything possible to keep you safe while running around his giant playground.
Yeah, that's a beefy staircase
After the cargo container field, it rolls into the railroad ties field, which sits next to the massive castle. This area, again, can play both ways, and has small house-type urban structures that provide very solid cover. We've seen these before, and they're great for rec ball and scenarios. The owner also did something smart, and mixed in sand with his grass in this area. The weather in the northeast can, well, suck. You can get big storms that make footing terrible, and it seems like the mix was done to try and fight that as much as possible, as well as preserve the grass there from the inevitable damage that comes with it. It's a small, but very helpful, thing.
Then there's this beast.
Then there's this beast.
Now THAT'S a castle!
This is the showstopper. It's Valken Castle. It's an absolutely massive castle with a lot of things that make it incredibly special. Obviously, there are a ton of windows throughout this thing, as well a two playable stories in a large, square castle. But the outside doesn't really tell it's story. Inside of the castle, there are two staircases (again, well welded-in handrails) that are wide enough that you aren't crowded with a couple people going up and/or down at once. There's a deadbox INSIDE of it that's air-cooled with fans and has straps to hold to keep you upright should your shoes have paint on them. There's bunkers both in it's courtyards and in some of the pathways inside, as well as internal walls. Oh, and if you run out of air, it has it's very own AIRSTATIONS in areas that are impossible to hit from the outside of the castle. PLEASE read the article on Castle Jam if you want the best idea on what all can happen with this thing, but do know that you're getting an incredible piece of field equipment to play on here, with the player in mind at every aspect of the build. It's nuts, had to cost a fortune to actually build, and honestly a ton of fun to play in.
And know that the castle itself is just huge. You can put 150 people in it without feeling overcrowded, and you'll still have shooting angles that you don't have enough people to completely cover. It's easily the best castle I've ever seen on a field, and they take great advantage of it as a set piece. And they also maintain it well. It's been around for a few years now, and it still looks new (you can say that about almost every single aspect of this place, to be honest).
And know that the castle itself is just huge. You can put 150 people in it without feeling overcrowded, and you'll still have shooting angles that you don't have enough people to completely cover. It's easily the best castle I've ever seen on a field, and they take great advantage of it as a set piece. And they also maintain it well. It's been around for a few years now, and it still looks new (you can say that about almost every single aspect of this place, to be honest).
View from the castle to the container field
Behind the castle, there is another area that can be played with the castle or on it's own, with concrete bunkers that are often 3/4 height, and are rock solid. This area doesn't have a ton of bunkers that you can fully stand in, but plenty to crouch behind. It rounds out the rectangular core of the field, and plays extremely well with the castle portion. Behind it sits the 20 foot walkway, and the staging area directly across the fields from the pro shop. While it might sound far, its really not---maybe a 5 minute walk.
And one thing that's underrated about this field is that core. You can watch it's big game, Castle Jam, very easily from the netted areas around it, and actually get to see what's happening. You don't get that almost anywhere if you're spectating a big game or scenario. You could bring your spouse and kids, and if they aren't off playing jellyball, they could see Daddy or Mommy actually playing and understand what's happening, see runs, flag pulls, pushes, and defenses, and get what's happening. That's exceedingly rare, and absolutely the case at this field.
And one thing that's underrated about this field is that core. You can watch it's big game, Castle Jam, very easily from the netted areas around it, and actually get to see what's happening. You don't get that almost anywhere if you're spectating a big game or scenario. You could bring your spouse and kids, and if they aren't off playing jellyball, they could see Daddy or Mommy actually playing and understand what's happening, see runs, flag pulls, pushes, and defenses, and get what's happening. That's exceedingly rare, and absolutely the case at this field.
The field behind the castle
Now, what about the fields on the outside. What are they like? Well, they aren't as flashy as the castle, but they're still well thought out, well-balanced fields. I do hope you like woodsball, because that's what you'll be playing.
That said, there's a field composed of school buses, as well as woodsball fields that allow for good movement and for pushes from each side. They, again, sit on the outside of the stone paths, right next to staging areas with a playable field on either side of said staging area. You can actually still see the gameplay, albeit on one side, of these fields as well. So you can have friends, family, or eliminated players watching while the game is going on. It's a great set up, and honestly a rare one these days.
That said, there's a field composed of school buses, as well as woodsball fields that allow for good movement and for pushes from each side. They, again, sit on the outside of the stone paths, right next to staging areas with a playable field on either side of said staging area. You can actually still see the gameplay, albeit on one side, of these fields as well. So you can have friends, family, or eliminated players watching while the game is going on. It's a great set up, and honestly a rare one these days.
So how do I like it and compare it to other fields?
As I've made pretty obvious, I think it's incredible and what other fields should aspire to. Am I saying that just because of the castle? Actually, no, although that certainly doesn't hurt it's cause. It's damn near everything all rolled up into one. The knocks on the place are the lack of camping and the lack of running water for bathrooms, and that it's not a speedball heavy place for people who want it. The only other thing I could see for some is that the field isn't gigantic, so it's not going to be the easiest place to host a 1000 person event.
In exchange, you get a field and facility that's kept in incredible shape. You get viewing angles for spectators all over the field. You get walkways big enough to have vendors, food, and bathrooms within a two minute walk, and 5 minutes to the pro shop. You get the nicest pro shop attached to the field you're going to see. You get an incredibly nice staff. You get a Gellyball field for kids. You get extremely high quality bunkers, build with both fun and safety in mind (and let's be honest, plenty of fields see the second part as an afterthought). Paint is 5 minutes away when you need it. And you have plenty of space to park your gear when you are on the field.
And I am far from alone in the way I feel about the place. We told a teammate who has over 20 years of playing under his belt about Pinnacle prior to him making the trip out there. He was a blown away by the place as we were, and frankly in disbelief of how the place was open and made money. Just everything about it screams quality, and that means money. He just kept talking about how it's the nicest field that he's been to, and frankly, I agree. If you can make the trip out to New Jersey, I would highly recommend dropping by and spending a day shooting your friends right in the face at Pinnacle Paintball Park.
As I've made pretty obvious, I think it's incredible and what other fields should aspire to. Am I saying that just because of the castle? Actually, no, although that certainly doesn't hurt it's cause. It's damn near everything all rolled up into one. The knocks on the place are the lack of camping and the lack of running water for bathrooms, and that it's not a speedball heavy place for people who want it. The only other thing I could see for some is that the field isn't gigantic, so it's not going to be the easiest place to host a 1000 person event.
In exchange, you get a field and facility that's kept in incredible shape. You get viewing angles for spectators all over the field. You get walkways big enough to have vendors, food, and bathrooms within a two minute walk, and 5 minutes to the pro shop. You get the nicest pro shop attached to the field you're going to see. You get an incredibly nice staff. You get a Gellyball field for kids. You get extremely high quality bunkers, build with both fun and safety in mind (and let's be honest, plenty of fields see the second part as an afterthought). Paint is 5 minutes away when you need it. And you have plenty of space to park your gear when you are on the field.
And I am far from alone in the way I feel about the place. We told a teammate who has over 20 years of playing under his belt about Pinnacle prior to him making the trip out there. He was a blown away by the place as we were, and frankly in disbelief of how the place was open and made money. Just everything about it screams quality, and that means money. He just kept talking about how it's the nicest field that he's been to, and frankly, I agree. If you can make the trip out to New Jersey, I would highly recommend dropping by and spending a day shooting your friends right in the face at Pinnacle Paintball Park.
