Castle Rock State Park

Overview

Castle Rock State Park is open with day-use hours from 6am to sunset, and the Kirkwood Entrance Station operates 8am-5pm daily. The park is currently experiencing important restrictions: climbing areas are CLOSED (as of 12/24/2025), though trails remain OPEN. This 5,242-acre park sits along the crest of the Santa Cruz Mountains and features 34 miles of trails through sculpted sandstone formations, lush forests, and high-elevation coast redwoods. The park connects to the extensive Skyline-to-the-Sea Trail system linking to Big Basin Redwoods State Park. Trail camps are available by reservation. Note: the park has no cell service or rideshare access, no visitor center/store facilities, and there's a $10 day-use fee. Dogs are prohibited throughout the park. The phone lines are experiencing technical difficulties; contact (650) 948-9098 for information instead of the main number. Climbing closures can extend up to 3 days after rain due to fragile sandstone conditions when wet.