Castle Point Trail–Forbidden Forest, 3 sights is an 8.7-mile out-and-back near Kirkwood, CA. It climbs 2,190 ft, with sections as steep as 18% grade. It scores 22/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: paved and peopled.
Elevation
0 mi7,599 – 8,757 ft · steepest grade: 18%8.8 mi
Getting there
Trailhead: Forbidden Forest 38.68878, -120.07543
Nearest town Kirkwood, CA
Directions
AMBLEWAYwww.ambleway.com
Castle Point Trail–Forbidden Forest, 3 sights
8.7 mi · ▲ 2,190 ft · 4 hr
Elevation 7,599–8,756 ft
Out & Back
Trailhead: Forbidden Forest · 38.68878, -120.07543
Weather Sep 20: sunrise 6:47 AM · sunset 7:02 PM
Toilets at the trailhead · Parking lot at the trailhead
- Start on Funny Bunny, heading W.
- 0.2 miBear left onto Forbidden Forest, heading W.
- 50 ftContinue straight onto Funny Bunny, heading SW.
- 200 ftBear right onto Sentinels Trail, heading W.
- 1.1 miBear right onto Thunder Mountain Loop, heading NW.
- 1.4 miTurn right onto Castle Point Trail, heading W.
- 1.6 miReach Forbidden Forest, then turn around and head back the way you came.
- 1.6 miTurn left onto Thunder Mountain Loop, heading S.
- 1.4 miBear left onto Sentinels Trail, heading S.
- 1.1 miBear left onto Funny Bunny, heading SE.
- 200 ftContinue straight onto Forbidden Forest, heading SE.
- 50 ftBear right onto Funny Bunny, heading E.
- 0.2 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
39% dirt61% unspecified
Weather
Sunrise 6:47 AMSunset 7:02 PM
Sunset
The best sunset spot on this hike is 3.0 mi in (~101 min). Leave by 5:01 PM for the 7:02 PM sunset. Back at your car by 8:54 PM, after dark — bring a headlamp.
Good to know
- Toilets at the trailhead
- Parking lot at the trailhead
Other ways to reach this destination
More from Forbidden Forest Trailhead
- Emigrant Lake–Caples Crest, 7 sights 10.2 mi · ▲ 2,387 ft
- Dangberg Trail & Robey Wolfe via Solitude 3.7 mi · ▲ 671 ft
- Castle Point–Castle Point Trail, 3 sights 7.4 mi · ▲ 1,849 ft
- Forbidden Forest & Sentinels Trail 2.7 mi · ▲ 897 ft
- Thunder Mountain–Forbidden Forest, 4 sights 6.8 mi · ▲ 1,935 ft
- Caples Crest–Carson Emigrant National Recreational Trail Loop, 11 sights 13.3 mi · ▲ 3,366 ft
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