Castle Rock State Park (California)
| Castle Rock State Park | |
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The Santa Cruz Mountains from Castle Rock State Park, with Monterey Bay in the distance.
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| Location | Santa Cruz, Santa Clara, and San Mateo Counties, California, USA |
| Nearest city | Los Gatos, California |
| Coordinates | 37°13′50″N 122°05′44″W / 37.2306°N 122.09568°WCoordinates: 37°13′50″N 122°05′44″W / 37.2306°N 122.09568°W |
| Area | 5,242 acres (2,121 ha) |
| Established | 1968 |
| Operated by | California Department of Parks and Recreation |
Castle Rock State Park is a state park of California, USA, located along the crest of the Santa Cruz Mountains. It embraces coast redwood, Douglas fir, and madrone forest, most of which has been left in its wild, natural state. Steep canyons are sprinkled with unusual rock formations that are a popular rock climbing area. The forest here is lush and mossy, crisscrossed by 32 miles (51 km) of hiking trails. These trails are part of an even more extensive trail system that links the Santa Clara and San Lorenzo valleys with Castle Rock State Park, Big Basin Redwoods State Park, and the Pacific Coast. Due to its overnight parking lot, Castle Rock is a popular starting point for the Skyline-to-the-Sea Trail, a 30-mile (48 km) trail that begins near by at Saratoga Gap and leads to Waddell Beach north of Santa Cruz. There are two walk-in campgrounds within the park for overnight backpacking. The 5,242-acre (2,121 ha) park was established in 1968.
The park is located on California State Route 35 just 2.5 miles (4.0 km) southeast of the junction with State Route 9. It is located almost entirely in Santa Cruz County.
Castle Rock State Park is suitable for many activities. There are two walk-in campgrounds for overnight hikers, many trails for day-hikes, rock climbing routes, and picnic areas. Dogs are not allowed on the trails or in the campgrounds, and horses allowed only on designated trails.
Under Governor Brown's current budget proposal this park was going to close. This would mean that visitors couldn't enter the park, and rangers would no longer staff the park.
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