Shady Rock–Platypus, 6 rocks is a 3.4-mile out-and-back in Castle Rock State Park near San Lorenzo Park, CA. The route passes Lyme Disease Rock, Parking Lot Rock, Chew Tooth and Platypus before reaching Shady Rock at the turnaround, 1.7 miles in. It climbs 869 ft, with sections as steep as 24% grade, and is mostly dirt. It scores 21/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: paved and peopled.
Elevation
0 mi2,749 – 3,153 ft · steepest grade: 24%3.6 mi
Getting there
Trailhead: Skyline Trail 37.23017, -122.09372
Nearest town San Lorenzo Park, CA
Directions
AMBLEWAYwww.ambleway.com
Shady Rock–Platypus, 6 rocks
3.4 mi · ▲ 869 ft · 1 hr 34 min
Elevation 2,750–3,154 ft
Out & Back · Castle Rock State Park
Trailhead: Skyline Trail · 37.23017, -122.09372
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 · Parking lot at the trailhead
- Start on Skyline Trail, heading SE.
- 0.4 miTurn right, heading W.
- 50 ftPass Lyme Disease Rock.
- 0.2 miContinue straight onto Castle Rock Trail, heading NW.
- 0.2 miPass Parking Lot Rock.
- 50 ftBear right, heading N.
- 100 ftSharp left onto Saratoga Gap Trail, heading SW.
- 0.6 miSharp left, heading SW.
- 0.3 miPass Chew Tooth.
- 50 ftPass Platypus.
- 100 ftReach Shady Rock, then turn around and head back the way you came.
- 0.3 miSharp right, heading W.
- 0.6 miSharp right onto Castle Rock Trail, heading E.
- 100 ftBear right, heading E.
- 0.4 miTurn left onto Skyline Trail, heading S.
- 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
69% dirt31% 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 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
- Toilets at the trailhead
- Parking lot at the trailhead
Other ways to reach this destination
More from Skyline 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
- Parking Lot Rock–Ridge Trail, 3 sights 2.5 mi · ▲ 588 ft
- Castle Rock Falls–Saratoga Gap Viewpoint, 5 cliffs 2.9 mi · ▲ 738 ft
- Lyme Disease Rock via Skyline Trail 4.9 mi · ▲ 722 ft
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Hikes near San Lorenzo Park, California