Goat Rock Overlook & Service Road Trail via Ridge Trail is a 5.9-mile out-and-back in Castle Rock State Park near San Lorenzo Park, CA. The route reaches Goat Rock Overlook at the turnaround, 3 miles in. It climbs 1,212 ft, with sections as steep as 18% grade, and is mostly dirt. It scores 37/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: green fringe.
Elevation
0 mi2,385 – 2,979 ft · steepest grade: 18%6.3 mi
Getting there
Trailhead: Skyline Trail 37.24439, -122.10887
Nearest town San Lorenzo Park, CA
Directions
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Goat Rock Overlook & Service Road Trail via Ridge Trail
5.9 mi · ▲ 1,212 ft · 2 hr 34 min
Elevation 2,387–2,981 ft
Out & Back · Castle Rock State Park
Trailhead: Skyline Trail · 37.24439, -122.10887
Weather Aug 3: Clear, high 87°F / low 71° · precip 0% · wind 2 mph · sunrise 6:16 AM · sunset 8:15 PM
Parking lot at the trailhead
- Start on Skyline Trail, heading SE.
- 0.5 miSharp right onto Service Road Trail, heading W.
- 450 ftBear right, heading SW.
- 0.8 miTurn left onto Loughry Woods Trail, heading SW.
- 50 ftContinue straight onto Service Road Trail, heading SW.
- 0.1 miTurn left onto Ridge Trail, heading SW.
- 1.5 miTurn right, heading SE.
- 250 ftReach Goat Rock Overlook, then turn around and head back the way you came.
- 1.5 miTurn right onto Service Road Trail, heading SE.
- 0.1 miContinue straight onto Loughry Woods Trail, heading N.
- 50 ftTurn right onto Service Road Trail, heading N.
- 0.8 miTurn right, heading E.
- 450 ftSharp left onto Skyline Trail, heading E.
- 0.4 miArrive back at the trailhead.
Each distance is the walk from the previous step. Tap a step for a map of its junction.
Trail surface
97% dirt3% unspecified
Weather
ClearTemperature 87°F71°
Feels like82°Precip0%Wind2 mphUV8Humidity27%
Hourly temperature
90°70°
Sunrise 6:16 AM12 AM3 AM9 AM12 PM3 PM6 PMSunset 8:15 PM
Tue
84°65°
Wed
90°50°
Thu
94°50°
Fri
99°57°
Sat
97°59°
Sun
92°51°
Sunset
The best sunset spot on this hike is right at the trailhead, so there is no walk out. Be there by 7:55 PM to have the sun's last 20 minutes of sky before it sets at 8:15 PM. Your car is right there — dark at 8:44 PM.
Good to know
- Parking lot at the trailhead
Other ways to reach this destination
More from Skyline Trail Trailhead
- Summit Rock–Lookout Tower, 3 summits 2.6 mi · ▲ 414 ft
- Saratoga Gap Trail & Service Road Trail 3.9 mi · ▲ 840 ft
- Lookout Tower–Loughry Woods Trail, 4 sights 4.3 mi · ▲ 829 ft
- Emily Smith Observation Point & Service Road Trail via Ridge Trail 5.2 mi · ▲ 1,015 ft
- Lookout Tower–Goat Rock Overlook, 3 summits 7.5 mi · ▲ 1,412 ft
- Goat Rock–Lookout Tower, 5 sights 8.7 mi · ▲ 1,821 ft
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Hikes near San Lorenzo Park, California