Established Camping
Castle Rock Trail Camp — Castle Rock State Park
About
State Park
Castle Rock State Park is a land of sculpted sandstone, lush forests, and sweeping vistas. From one of the highest ridges in the Santa Cruz Mountains, park visitors enjoy hiking, backpacking, and horseback riding. Rock climbers explore the park's caverns and rocks, including the namesake Castle Rock. Plant-lovers come for California black oaks, knobcone pines, and high-elevation coast redwoods. The park’s 34 miles of rugged trails conveniently connect to an extensive trail system that links the Santa Clara and San Lorenzo valleys to nearby Big Basin Redwoods State Park and open space preserves on the Skyline to the Sea Trail.
The Castle Rock Trail Camp is open year round on a first-come, first-serve basis. The campground is a 2.5 mile (4 kilometer) hike from the parking area and you will have to carry all of your equipment into the camp. Castle Rock Trail Camp has trash receptacles, bathrooms, and 20 campsites with picnic tables and fire rings. Wood is available for sale during the wet season. Fires are not allowed during fire season.
Camping is permitted only in designated camps. Campers are required to be in their campsites from sunset to 6 a.m.
To register and pay your fees, check in at the Entrance Station at the Castle Rock parking lot. If you arrive when the station is not staffed, you can use the self-registration envelopes. Make sure you bring exact change or a check to use in case you must use the self-registration. Place your receipt on the dashboard in a visible place as proof of payment. Rangers will verify payment. For more information about camping and fire closure dates, please call Castle Rock State Park at (408) 867-2952. For more information and reservations for Waterman Gap Trail Camp, please visit the Santa Cruz Mountain State Parks Backcountry Trail Camp Page.
Fee Info
Castle Rock Trail Camp — Located 2.6 miles from the main parking lot via the Saratoga Gap Trail, this camp is situated on a ridge. Each of the 20 first-come, first-served sites has a table, fire ring, nearby piped drinking water and vault toilets. A camp shelter is available for everyone’s use during inclement weather. Fires are allowed only in designated fire rings when fire season is closed. Wood gathering is prohibited, but campers may purchase firewood at the camp. The only access for bicyclists to this camp is via the Campground Service Road Trail, off Hwy. 35. Bicycles are not allowed on any trails beyond this camp.
$15 per campsite per night. This includes overnight parking for one vehicle. Each additional vehicle is $8 per night.
For required trail camp reservations, location of overnight parking areas and information on planning your hike, call Big Basin Redwoods State Park at (831) 338-8861.
Access
- Walk-InPark in a lot, walk to your site.
- Hike-InBackcountry sites.
Stay Connected
- WiFiAvailable
- VerizonUnknown
- AT&TUnknown
- T-MobileUnknown
Site Types
- Tent Sites
Features
For Campers
- Trash
- Picnic Table
- Firewood Available
- Drinking Water
- Toilets
- Fires
Pleasant setting with some noise from the shooting range
I liked the trees, picnic tables, and fire rings at the sites. The sites were spaced nicely to allow for privacy. Frog Flat seemed a bit more secluded than the main camp. There was no water running at the site when I stayed there, but vault toilets were available. There is a nearby shooting range and you can hear the gunshots during the daylight hours.
Henry Coe
Beautiful and worth it
FINALLY CAN GET OUT THE CITY!
I just learned about this app yet it’s put together perfectly! I will be using this week or this upcoming weekend!
Location
Castle Rock Trail Camp — Castle Rock State Park is located in California
Address
15000 Skyline Blvd
Los Gatos, CA 95033
Coordinates
37.235713 N
122.118688 W