Michael’s Summit Loop, Castle Rock State Park

➤ Hike Description: Embark on a 9.2-mile journey with 2,100 feet of elevation gain, weaving through Big Basin Redwoods and Castle Rock State Parks. This moderate hike begins at the storied Skyline to the Sea Trail as it crosses Highway 236 through ancient redwood groves. We’ll transition to the Cableway Trail, entering Castle Rock’s second-growth forests, where the Gentle Giants grove stands as a testament to nature’s resilience. After crossing the murmuring San Lorenzo River, we’ll tackle the 4.9-mile Michael’s Summit Loop, navigating rustic trails with natural obstacles like fallen trees that add a touch of adventure. At the summit, we’ll pause for lunch, where the past and present converge in a landscape reborn.

Michael’s Summit bears the name of Michael Myers, who met his end collecting abalone along California’s wild coast. His loss echoes the fall of the old-growth redwoods, once felled by logging’s relentless hand. Yet, from such endings, new life emerges. The second-growth forests of Castle Rock, preserved through the Sierra Club’s advocacy in the 1960s, rise from the ashes of clearcuts, their green spires a hymn to renewal.

The Michael’s Summit Loop, carved from this reborn land, mirrors this cycle, born from loss, it invites us to tread softly, honoring Myers’ memory and the forest’s quiet triumph. As we rest at the summit, let the whispering winds and distant ridges remind us: from every end, a new beginning grows.

➤ Post-Hike Potluck: Join us for a tailgate potluck at the trailhead. Share a dish, swap trail stories, and celebrate among the redwoods’ embrace. (vegan, gluten-free options welcome) A microwave oven will be available for reheating or keeping dishes warm, so feel free to bring something that might need a quick warm-up. As a special thank-you for staying, we’ll distribute unique group patches to commemorate this journey through Castle Rock’s reborn forests and your support of Loma Prieta Sierra Club and Sierra Pathfinder outings.

➤ Route:
· Skyline to the Sea Trail: 0.1 miles
· Cableway Trail 0.3 miles
· Skyline to the Sea Toll Road Interconnector Trail 1.5 miles
· Saratoga Toll Road 0.2 miles
· Michael’s Summit Loop Trail 4.9 miles
· Saratoga Toll Road 0.2 miles
· Skyline to the Sea Toll Road Interconnector Trail 1.5 miles
· Cableway Trail 0.3 miles
· Skyline to the Sea Trail: 0.1 miles

A route map and scouting photos from 6/08/2025 are in the photos section. If you have an account you can view and download the route on GAIA GPS or AllTrails.

➤ Directions/Parking: We meet at the Highway 236 roadside turnout area 0.8 miles south of the junction of upper Highways 9 and 236 (Waterman Gap).

· GPS: 37.20451, -122.15798
· 37°12'16.2"N 122°09'28.7"W
Google Maps - Apple Maps

➤ Restrooms: No restrooms at the trailhead or along the route.

➤ Exposure: 90% covered under second growth redwoods, 10% exposed on ridgetop fire roads. Weather forecast at WeatherForYou.

➤ Cell Phone Coverage: Poor coverage through most of the route.

➤ Carpools: Requesting a carpool in the comments is okay. Replies to the initial request are to be through private message to the sender only.

➤ Attendance: This is a Sierra Club backcountry outing requiring a completed paper Outings Medical Form. This form can be downloaded from the Sierra Club. Bring this form with you. Please arrive by 8:45 to sign the waiver and be ready to hike at 9:00 AM. You can sign in here on Meetup or on the Sierra Club Calendar. For questions, contact the hike leaders:
· Joan Freed
· Kurt Leal

➤ Park website:

• Castle Rock State Park

➤ Bring: Completed medical form. Snack, water, something to sit on for the snack break (sit pad), warm layers, sturdy boots, personal first-aid kit and poles if you use them. A camp chair and culinary masterpiece to share along with your sparkling personality for the potluck if you’re staying.

➤ Safety: We will hold a safety meeting prior to the hike. Nearest emergency services are from the Boulder Creek Fire Department 9 miles south on Highway 9. In case of emergency, call 911.

➤ Sierra Club Guidelines: We adhere to Leave No Trace principles to protect this sacred land. No vaccinations or masks are required, but if you have COVID symptoms, are sick, or recently tested positive, please do not join. Report any symptoms post-hike to the leader for group notification.