Castle Rock Hike with Lunch at Alice's!

Join me for a pleasant Saturday morning hike in Castle Rock State Park, with an optional lunch at Alice's restaurant afterwards. We'll meet at 8:45 am in the main parking lot and start our hike at 9 am. This will be a mild to moderate hike, closed loop, along the Saratoga Gap and Ridge Trails in a counter-clockwise direction.

This is an absolutely lovely hike with a little bit of everything - tall trees, coastal views (including Santa Cruz Bay), a waterfall (hopefully not too anemic this time of year), tufa rock, and diverse flora and fauna. We might even catch a glimpse of the scruffy rock climbers native to the area.

Directions and Parking: Park in the main Castle Rock lot for $8.00, or in the overflow lot a quarter-mile further up the road. There’s also free parking along the highway just past the overflow lot. I personally am going for the free roadside parking.

Duration: the hike is a loop approximately 5 miles that will put us back where we started. Hike time ~ 2-2.5 hours. We should be wrapped up by 11:30 and appetites primed for lunch at Alice's Restaurant (optional).

To bring: Proper footwear for hiking, sunscreen, at least 1 L water, bug spray, snacks (fuel), binoculars. *There is a section of trail with some exposure requiring use of a cable hold, for this reason I recommend leaving trekking poles at home.

Weather: I'll post the forecast and clothing rec's closer to the event date. In the event of a high probability of rain, high winds, or poor air quality/visibility I will cancel the event, though I think this is unlikely.

Nonmembers, & Wait List: First off, YOU MUST be a member of RWC Social to attend so if you aren't already, join us! (it's easy) Second off, If there's a wait list please check with me first rather than just showing up.

DM me with any questions or concerns. Can't wait to see y'all there!