Castle Rock State Park located at the top of CA Hwy 35 in the northern end of the Santa Cruz mountains. This is a very large park spanning 5,242 acres with the majority of the park in Santa Cruz County but extending into Santa Clara and San Mateo counties as well. I went hiking there recently and took my mom and sister with me. They like to hike too. Amazing how many people were out that day for the nice weather. Glad that the state and county parks have been good at trying to maintain social distancing by making certain trails one way instead of both ways. When we got there parking was full, but were lucky to find a spot. $10 for a day parking pass we saved a dollar cause my mom was a senior so they gave us a discount. Get there early for parking. Their maps give you a look at all the trails and their difficulty levels. I would have like the maps to be more clear with the trails but the park is so big they try to cram it all in together. I think they should break down the trail maps into sections of the park. So never being there before we picked a moderate trail that leads to a waterfall. That trail is the Castle Rock trail which connects to the Saratoga trail that leads to some amazing views of the Santa Cruz mountains and valleys. You get a wonderful view of just how big this park is. Although the waterfall wasn't flowing per a few hikers we met while on the trail. It started out quite nice and easy. But slowly got more difficult. Before we knew it we were climbing over big rocks. I have to hand it to my mom at 72yrs she was doing quite well. But there was a point on the trail where we had to turn around and head back. The rocks were just too big to make my mom climb. Had we known this we would have picked another trail. The park is beautiful and will give you that relaxed tranquil feel as you inhale that amazing outdoorsy smell, we all come to love. It so refreshing, it reminds me of summers passed and the family camping trips. Always make sure to carry enough water and a walking stick. Also be aware of you surroundings since this park is known for rattlesnakes. Yes they are there we had one pass in front of us on the trail we took. Luckily it didn't feel threatened and we kept our distance while it went on its way. We were sure to let other hikers know we saw one and where out of kind hiker etiquette. I will definitely be back and will conquer that trail hopefully the waterfall will be flowing then.
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