Parking Lot Rock–Ridge Trail, 3 sights is a 2.5-mile out-and-back in Castle Rock State Park near San Lorenzo Park, CA. The route reaches Parking Lot Rock. It climbs 588 ft, with sections as steep as 17% grade, and is mostly dirt. It scores 44/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: green fringe.
Elevation
0 mi2,618 – 3,150 ft · steepest grade: 17%2.7 mi
Getting there
Trailhead: Castle Rock Trail 37.22852, -122.09400
Nearest town San Lorenzo Park, CA
Directions
AMBLEWAYwww.ambleway.com
Parking Lot Rock–Ridge Trail, 3 sights
2.5 mi · ▲ 588 ft · 1 hr 8 min
Elevation 2,618–3,150 ft
Out & Back · Castle Rock State Park
Trailhead: Castle Rock Trail · 37.22852, -122.09400
Weather Aug 3: Clear, high 86°F / low 70° · precip 0% · wind 4 mph · sunrise 6:15 AM · sunset 8:15 PM
Toilets at the trailhead
- Start on Castle Rock Trail, heading NW.
- 0.2 miBear right, heading N.
- 50 ftPass Parking Lot Rock.
- 150 ftSharp left onto Saratoga Gap Trail, heading SW.
- 0.5 miSharp right, heading W.
- 50 ftSharp left onto Ridge Trail, heading W.
- 50 ftTurn left onto Saratoga Gap Trail, heading W.
- 0.6 miReach Parking Lot Rock, then turn around and head back the way you came.
- 0.6 miTurn right onto Ridge Trail, heading E.
- 50 ftSharp right, heading NE.
- 50 ftSharp left onto Saratoga Gap Trail, heading NE.
- 0.5 miSharp right onto Castle Rock Trail, heading NE.
- 100 ftBear right, heading NE.
- 0.1 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
91% dirt9% unspecified
Weather
ClearTemperature 86°F70°
Precip0%Wind4 mphUV8Humidity33%
Hourly temperature
90°70°
Sunrise 6:15 AM12 AM3 AM9 AM12 PM3 PM6 PMSunset 8:15 PM
Tue
84°65°
Wed
81°49°
Thu
92°49°
Fri
98°56°
Sat
96°58°
Sun
91°50°
Sunset
The best sunset spot on this hike is 0.1 mi in (~1 min). Leave by 7:54 PM for the 8:15 PM sunset. Back at your car by 8:33 PM — 11 min before dark. Car visible from the viewpoint
Good to know
- Toilets at the trailhead
Other ways to reach this destination
More from Castle Rock Trail Trailhead
- Castle Rock–Balancing Rock, 4 cliffs 1.5 mi · ▲ 212 ft
- Hash Boulder–Parking Lot Rock, 4 rocks 1.8 mi · ▲ 361 ft
- Ridge Trail & Saratoga Gap Trail 2.1 mi · ▲ 446 ft
- Castle Rock Falls–Saratoga Gap Viewpoint, 5 cliffs 2.9 mi · ▲ 738 ft
- Shady Rock–Platypus, 6 rocks 3.4 mi · ▲ 869 ft
- Lyme Disease Rock via Skyline Trail 4.9 mi · ▲ 722 ft
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