Castle Rock State Park is a state park

State park

State parks are parks or other protected areas managed at the federated state level within those nations which use "state" as a political subdivision. State parks are typically established by a state to preserve a location on account of its natural beauty, historic interest, or recreational...

 of California

California

California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...

, USA, located along the crest of the Santa Cruz Mountains

Santa Cruz Mountains

The Santa Cruz Mountains, part of the Pacific Coast Ranges, are a mountain range in central California, United States. They form a ridge along the San Francisco Peninsula, south of San Francisco, separating the Pacific Ocean from San Francisco Bay and the Santa Clara Valley, and continuing south,...

. It embraces coast redwood, Douglas fir, and madrone forest, most of which has been left in its wild, natural state. Steep canyon

Canyon

A canyon or gorge is a deep ravine between cliffs often carved from the landscape by a river. Rivers have a natural tendency to reach a baseline elevation, which is the same elevation as the body of water it will eventually drain into. This forms a canyon. Most canyons were formed by a process of...

s are sprinkled with unusual rock formations that is a popular rock climbing area. The forest here is lush and mossy, crisscrossed by 32 miles (51.5 km) of hiking trails. These trails are part of an even more extensive trail system that links the Santa Clara

Santa Clara Valley

The Santa Clara Valley is a valley just south of the San Francisco Bay in Northern California in the United States. Much of Santa Clara County and its county seat, San José, are in the Santa Clara Valley. The valley was originally known as the Valley of Heart’s Delight for its high concentration...

 and San Lorenzo valley

San Lorenzo Valley

The San Lorenzo Valley, often referred to locally as "SLV," is in the Santa Cruz Mountains in Santa Cruz County, California. It was once a center of the logging industry of California and is still home to millions of Sequoia sempervirens, or redwood trees...

s with Castle Rock State Park, Big Basin Redwoods State Park

Big Basin Redwoods State Park

Big Basin Redwoods State Park is a state park in the U.S. state of California, located in Santa Cruz County, about northwest of Santa Cruz. The park contains almost all of the Waddell Creek watershed, which was formed by the seismic uplift of its rim, and the erosion of its center by the many...

, and the Pacific Coast

Pacific Coast

A country's Pacific coast is the part of its coast bordering the Pacific Ocean.-The Americas:Countries on the western side of the Americas have a Pacific coast as their western border.* Geography of Canada* Geography of Chile* Geography of Colombia...

. Castle Rock is the starting point of the Skyline-to-the-Sea Trail

Skyline-to-the-Sea Trail

The Skyline-to-the-Sea Trail is a 29.5-mile hiking trail that descends from the ridge of the Santa Cruz Mountains in Northern California to the Pacific Ocean, passing through Castle Rock State Park and Big Basin Redwoods State Park. Big Basin is California's first state park...

, a 30 miles (48.3 km) trail that leads to Waddell State Beach, north of Santa Cruz

Santa Cruz, California

Santa Cruz is the county seat and largest city of Santa Cruz County, California in the US. As of the 2010 U.S. Census, Santa Cruz had a total population of 59,946...

. There are two walk-in campgrounds within the park for overnight backpacking

Backpacking (wilderness)

Backpacking combines the activities of hiking and camping for an overnight stay in backcountry wilderness...

. The 5242 acres (2,121.4 ha) park was established in 1968.

Location

The park is located on California State Route 35

California State Route 35

State Route 35 in the U.S. state of California, generally known as Skyline Boulevard, is a two-lane road running along the western ridge of Silicon Valley in California. It runs from Highway 17 to San Francisco at State Route 1. It provides scenic views of both the Santa Cruz Mountains, the...

 just 2.5 miles (4 km) southeast of the junction with State Route 9

California State Route 9

State Route 9 is mainly a rural and mountainous route in the U.S. state of California that travels 35 miles from SR 1 near Santa Cruz to SR 17 in Los Gatos, passing through the San Lorenzo Valley and the Saratoga Gap...

. It is located almost entirely in Santa Cruz County.

Usage and activities

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.

Pending closure

Under Governor Brown's current budget proposal this park will be closed. This doesn't necessarily mean that visitors couldn't enter the park, but it does mean that rangers will no longer staff the park. If the city of Santa Cruz doesn't step in, garbage collection will cease and crime may increase without the presence of park rangers.

External links

• Castle Rock State Park