Story:
Joel and I had been planning for the Berry Creek Falls loop at Big Basin, but the forecast ("Rain: 100%") and view of the fogged-in coastal range was enough to convince me that a trip to the temperate rainforest that is the coastal redwoods would be a bit too chilly. So instead we headed up to Castle Rock, with the theory being that it was just a bit further inland and high enough that we'd be able to escape the worst of the storms.
Well, I'm not so sure that it worked out like that, but we still managed a decent hike anyway.
When we got to the Castle Rock parking lot, around 8:30am on a holiday-weekend Sunday, the state park cutbacks were immediately apparent -- the gate was locked. We parked in the "overflow lot" outside the gate, and as we donned raingear and warmed up the GPS, a ranger swung by, unlocked the gate, and high-tailed it out of the park. I'm not sure if that was because they're no longer manning the parking lot ranger station on the weekends (??), or if the inclement weather was a factor, but it was weird to me that the ranger station was unmanned.
A bit of backstory: Of all the parks in the Bay Area, I think it's safe to say that Castle Rock is the one I know best. I moved out here about a decade ago, and my first "hike" in the area was up to the rock itself (about 0.3 miles from the parking lot -- oh yeah, I was hardcore). I saw climbers top-roping and boulderers bouldering, and immediately went out and got a climbing gym membership. Within six months I was heading to the park every weekend with a rope and harness, and while I was certainly never a good climber, I think it's fair to say that I got a bunch of experience on sandstone before I stopped climbing. And as a side-effect, I know the park pretty well too. Or so I thought.
I wanted to check out the various highlights of the park, and we decided to do them in roughly distance-from-the-car order, in case the weather took a significant turn for the worse. First up, Castle Rock. We headed up on the trail that goes south from the parking lot, got to the top, and then took a short respite in the cave on the back side. After that, we headed down past the Shark's Tooth (note: I wouldn't be surprised if I get a bunch of the names of the minor formations wrong -- climbers, please correct me) and detoured over to (I think) California Ledge, which gave us fantastic views of... the fog. Which became something of a running gag.
From there, it was down to the Saratoga Gap trail and the Castle Rock Falls viewing platform. The falls were running, but Joel took one look and said, "Does it ever get any stronger than this?" Yeah, not nearly as impressive as our originally-planned waterfall destination, alas.
We backtracked a bit and took the most direct route to Goat Rock, where I showed Joel the Swiss Cheese "route" and (from the top) the entrance to the cave. It was a bit too wet and slippery to be able to get to the backside cave entrance, so we left it and we headed over to the Interpretive Center.
I was surprised to discover that I've never been to the Interpretive Center.
It was at this point that I realized that -- despite false memories to the contrary -- I'd never been that far past Goat Rock, in all my years of hiking (or, more accurately, schlepping ropes and biners) around Castle Rock SP. Before entering the park, I was certain that I'd been to the campground on at least one occasion; once I saw the Interpretive Center (a mile from the campground, still) I realized that I've never quite made it there.
After the Interpretive Center, we wandered down the Ridge Trail (not that Ridge Trail), encountered a couple of deer, and found our way to the campground. The sites seem like they'd be a great place to camp, but the administrative buildings (and one poor nature-center-ish, completely vandalized building) look like they'd either been locked up tight or abandoned, or both. Once again, was it because of the budget cuts, or because it was January?
After glancing around the campground, we headed back out on the Saratoga Gap trail, which turned out to be more fun than expected, especially in the fog and rain. At one point the storm cleared just enough for us to be able to glimpse a few ridges to the west, which was just beautiful. We headed back past the Falls viewing platform and back to the car, and cranked the heat on our way back down to Saratoga.
Joel and I had been planning for the Berry Creek Falls loop at Big Basin, but the forecast ("Rain: 100%") and view of the fogged-in coastal range was enough to convince me that a trip to the temperate rainforest that is the coastal redwoods would be a bit too chilly. So instead we headed up to Castle Rock, with the theory being that it was just a bit further inland and high enough that we'd be able to escape the worst of the storms.
Well, I'm not so sure that it worked out like that, but we still managed a decent hike anyway.
When we got to the Castle Rock parking lot, around 8:30am on a holiday-weekend Sunday, the state park cutbacks were immediately apparent -- the gate was locked. We parked in the "overflow lot" outside the gate, and as we donned raingear and warmed up the GPS, a ranger swung by, unlocked the gate, and high-tailed it out of the park. I'm not sure if that was because they're no longer manning the parking lot ranger station on the weekends (??), or if the inclement weather was a factor, but it was weird to me that the ranger station was unmanned.
A bit of backstory: Of all the parks in the Bay Area, I think it's safe to say that Castle Rock is the one I know best. I moved out here about a decade ago, and my first "hike" in the area was up to the rock itself (about 0.3 miles from the parking lot -- oh yeah, I was hardcore). I saw climbers top-roping and boulderers bouldering, and immediately went out and got a climbing gym membership. Within six months I was heading to the park every weekend with a rope and harness, and while I was certainly never a good climber, I think it's fair to say that I got a bunch of experience on sandstone before I stopped climbing. And as a side-effect, I know the park pretty well too. Or so I thought.
I wanted to check out the various highlights of the park, and we decided to do them in roughly distance-from-the-car order, in case the weather took a significant turn for the worse. First up, Castle Rock. We headed up on the trail that goes south from the parking lot, got to the top, and then took a short respite in the cave on the back side. After that, we headed down past the Shark's Tooth (note: I wouldn't be surprised if I get a bunch of the names of the minor formations wrong -- climbers, please correct me) and detoured over to (I think) California Ledge, which gave us fantastic views of... the fog. Which became something of a running gag.
From there, it was down to the Saratoga Gap trail and the Castle Rock Falls viewing platform. The falls were running, but Joel took one look and said, "Does it ever get any stronger than this?" Yeah, not nearly as impressive as our originally-planned waterfall destination, alas.
We backtracked a bit and took the most direct route to Goat Rock, where I showed Joel the Swiss Cheese "route" and (from the top) the entrance to the cave. It was a bit too wet and slippery to be able to get to the backside cave entrance, so we left it and we headed over to the Interpretive Center.
I was surprised to discover that I've never been to the Interpretive Center.
It was at this point that I realized that -- despite false memories to the contrary -- I'd never been that far past Goat Rock, in all my years of hiking (or, more accurately, schlepping ropes and biners) around Castle Rock SP. Before entering the park, I was certain that I'd been to the campground on at least one occasion; once I saw the Interpretive Center (a mile from the campground, still) I realized that I've never quite made it there.
After the Interpretive Center, we wandered down the Ridge Trail (not that Ridge Trail), encountered a couple of deer, and found our way to the campground. The sites seem like they'd be a great place to camp, but the administrative buildings (and one poor nature-center-ish, completely vandalized building) look like they'd either been locked up tight or abandoned, or both. Once again, was it because of the budget cuts, or because it was January?
After glancing around the campground, we headed back out on the Saratoga Gap trail, which turned out to be more fun than expected, especially in the fog and rain. At one point the storm cleared just enough for us to be able to glimpse a few ridges to the west, which was just beautiful. We headed back past the Falls viewing platform and back to the car, and cranked the heat on our way back down to Saratoga.
Tips:
The tall trees (and high percentage of covered trail) helped make this a pretty good option even when it was raining, until the wind started blowing.
The tall trees (and high percentage of covered trail) helped make this a pretty good option even when it was raining, until the wind started blowing.
Comments (8)
I'd be a little concerned, but most of the trails aren't of the type that would tend to collect water. Either they're next to (and several feet above) a natural drainage, or they're on a ridge, or they're over rock. But I don't tend to head there after big storms, so I don't have any first-hand knowledge, sorry.
by navratil on Jan 22, 2010
I'd really like to go to Castle Rock this Saturday, since the rains will finally have let up. Do you think it will be too much of a mess after all this week's rain, though?
I have only been to Castle Rock once, about twelve years ago, in warmer weather.
by dowbiggin on Jan 21, 2010
I have only been to Castle Rock once, about twelve years ago, in warmer weather.
They weren't bad, for the most part. It was the beginning of the stormy weather, and the trail was either beneath very tall trees or scrambling on/over sandstone. There was one fairly large puddle we had to skirt on a dirt road in the campsite, and Joel stepped into a puddle somewhere on the way back, but other than that it was pretty decent. Very little mud. Now? I'd be concerned.
by navratil on Jan 21, 2010
Yeah -- I don't know what happened at the beginning, but the track also doesn't start at the car (it seems to start somewhere near Castle Rock). My guess is that I started hiking before allowing it to settle, but it sure did end up weird.
by navratil on Jan 19, 2010
Cool, I've never hiked Castle Rock but have always wanted to. Now I know where to go. Thanks!
(Your elevation profile is messed up...lol)
by sammydee on Jan 19, 2010
(Your elevation profile is messed up...lol)
The views -- especially along the (fairly exposed) Saratoga Gap Trail -- would have been significantly better were it a bit less wet, yeah :-)
by navratil on Jan 19, 2010
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