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Castle Rock Trail Camp
40 sites · RV, Tent
Nestled in the Santa Cruz Mountains, the Castle Rock Trail Camp offers intrepid backpackers 20 primitive sites perched on a ridge.
Campfire allowed
No pets allowed
No showers
Toilets
Potable water
Picnic tables
No sewage hookups
No electric hookups
First come, first served
RV, Tent
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14 ratings · 10 reviews
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· June 2022
This was a fun backpacking weekend. Awesome views on the way in, either way you take the trail from the parking lot. Decent amount of rock scrambles that were a little nerve wracking with the pack. But manageable. Campsites were okay - no potable water right now so you need to pack your own and/or bring a filter. We hiked down to a nearby stream to get extra water for filtering. Lots to do and explore in the park from camp. One big downside was that mosquitoes were everywhere, constantly. Not sure if it’s just the time of year (June and very hot) or what. Another downside is the nearby gun range which we heard all day, each day.
Meaghan W.
3 years on Hipcamp
September 2019
Camped here August 2019 and there is NO potable water in the campground. They may be fixing that but definitely check with the staff at the parking lot BEFORE you hike in. They have water at the overnight parking lot.
The hike is fairly easy and quick.
Campgrounds can fit multiple tents easily.
Lots of mosquitos in the evening - bring bug spray! A campfire might have helped but it was fire season so no fires allowed.
Overall a good trail and spot for first-time backpackers.
Liv L.
5 years on Hipcamp
June 2016
V chill spot. good privacy and water availability, as mentioned in other comments. FYI to people on bikes - you must ride in through the service entrance, which is juuust to the left of the gun range along 35. Its about... maybe a half mile before the parking lot. You don't need to go to the parking lot at all, you can pay down at the campsite. Its a sick dirt descent down, and steep climb out in the AM. enjoy.
Chris C.
9 years on Hipcamp
November 2015
Great campsite with a very easy hike in. Open year-round. Very pretty views - overall a great place for a overnighter to escape the nearby suburbia.
There are often a number of scouting groups here, so it's not the quietest campsite. The hike in is short but there are some areas that require small rock scrambles. Be aware that during heavy rain, some of the campsites will partially flood - take care in tent location selection.
The main Castle Rock parking lot is very small and can fill up. As this is the only lot that permits overnight parking, you'll just have to wait a bit for somebody to leave and a spot to open up.
R
Randy M.
9 years on Hipcamp
September 2015
You can feel comfortable rolling the dice going here even if you can't look up it's availability -- it apparently almost never fills up.
We asked a ranger around the 4th of July, and it sounds like they've only filled up a few times over the past few years, only on holiday weekends.
Especially given the burn ban this July, the campsites were more empty than filled when we went, even on the 4th.
P
Patrick C.
10 years on Hipcamp
August 2015
This was an easy hike-in campsite. It had firewood, picnic tables, potable water, and restrooms. Our campsite was also fairly large and fit multiple tents comfortably.
If bringing a large pack, I recommend bringing trekking poles, as there are some parts of the hike where you have to scale some rocks and could benefit from extra balance.
Abby W.
10 years on Hipcamp
May 2015
If you bring cash- assuming there is no burn ban there is usually firewood available for purchase at the campsite (pretty rare for a hike-in spot).
H
Hipcamper
10 years on Hipcamp
May 2015
The higher numbered sites are all heavily wooded, you can see into one other site from some place in your campsite if you try, but otherwise there is a good amount of privacy. Bathrooms and water access are also evenly distributed between the campground.
H
Hipcamper
10 years on Hipcamp
May 2015
You'll probably notice on your way into camp- but the best sunset vista by far is about .3 miles before arriving at the campground. Return to the ledge after you setup camp for stunning views and a killer sunset
H
Hipcamper
10 years on Hipcamp
May 2015
Sites 1 and 2 are in an open space with an outhouse and faucet- definitely avoid if possible. Sites 3, 4, and 5 are all fairly secluded closer to the skyline (though trees hide the actual view)
H
Hipcamper
10 years on Hipcamp
LocationCastle Rock Trail Camp, Castle Rock State Park, California, United States
Is anything missing?Suggest edits to improve this listing for fellow campers.
Campfire allowed
No pets allowed
No showers
Toilets
Potable water
Picnic tables
No sewage hookups
No electric hookups
Other campgrounds in Castle Rock State Park
- Castle Rock Trail Camp
First come, first servedRV, Tent