Castle Crags State Park in
Castella (CA)

Beautiful area and nice little campground with self service kiosk

We never went into the park but was able to drive around and get some cool pictures of the granite peaks. This is a very unique and interesting place.

A hidden gem. This hike offers amazing views of the Crags, Mt Shasta and the general horizon. Slope of the trail cam get slightly steep, but with hiking poles, the hike was very doable. Although, we didn't hike to the very top due to time constraints, we got far enough to feel accomplished. Trail is well marked and easy to navigate.

A fun hike to the top! Keep in mind this is all uphill one way and all downhill the other, so it’s more than just a stroll. But wow, what a great hike! A few downed trees were on the trail and there was some rock scrambling as you get closer to the top, but all are doable. It’s amazing to be able to see the dome and Mt. Shasta at the same time. Great day!

Camped and hiked here in October. Temps were dropping and it was rainy part of the time but still a lovely place. Pros: -Upper Sacramento River trail was gorgeous (leaves starting to turn color!) -Campsites were aesthetically nice. Not ultra-private, but some screening from woods -helpful staff -nearby Castle Lake hike Cons: -campground is right by the highway, so traffic is very audible (unless that was the river?!). Not ideal for tent camping if traffic noise bothers you. -there is a very bright light near the bathrooms/late check-in sign. Shines right towards site 22 and maybe others

Lots of variety on this trail. Just as you get tired of the forest, you get a climb of a rocky pathway and then a sunny flat spot to chill at the end. Yes, it's hard but well worth it. Took me 4.5 hours. Very peaceful and outstanding mountaintop views.

I haven't been to Castle crags since I was very little so it was definitely a nice experience to come back

Nice state park with trails and beautiful views of the vista. The rangers were super friendly and helpful.

I enjoyed my short visit, and the view fron the Vista Point trail. This dirt trail is very short and easy. Best to go on a clear day. There are about 20 parking places at the Vista Point trailhead after a one mile drive up a very narrow road.

Great trails. We took the Vista Point and Castle Crags trail. The first one was quite easy for everyone to do it. The second one was invredible. There are some difficulties but doable. It is quite steep in certain areas and you are all the goind up. Close to the end it gets harder. The view is incredible beautiful.

Went for the Castle Dome hike, which is a strenuous hike, but has a rewarding view Take plenty of water

Usually, because I'm cheap, at least for myself, I avoid parks with fees, but this was well worth the $8. Unbelievably cool hike to Castle Crag - nice quick vertical to the top. I did it barefoot up and then put my shoes on for the way back down and talked about Jesus with a wonderful woman who ended up giving me some awesome hiking recommendations

Amazing hike and views ???? .. as some of the other reviews say .. it ends in a bit of frustration ? .. top of the Dome cannot be climbed by average Joes, no grips and the 1200 foot drop gives the term slip&fall a whole new dimension ? Worth every drop of sweat and every wobbly step ????

Well worth the stop! I have been wanting to stop and visit Castle Crags for a very long time. We drove a quarter mile up to the scenic view point. It was probably the scariest drive I've ever taken. It was a windy narrow one lane road. Met up with oncoming car and luckily they had a little room to let us go by. Many places did not. Luckily it wa not far. Driving down was even scarier, but luckily my husband drove that part. When we got to the parking lot, there was a short hike to the view point. So worth it! Beautiful hike, yet a bit scary looking down. I would not recommend little kids unless you held their hand the whole way. Once at the viewpoint, you will see 2 telescopes. It was so cool to be able to see Crag mountain up close! We also were treated to a great view of Mount Shasta!! So happy that we stopped! I got to check that one off my bucketlist!

Great park. We did not have time to do the longer hikes but did the easy Indian Creek loop and it was good.

It was windy at the Vista, but we'll worth the visit. I will return. At the viewing area, they've installed some telescopes to see the peaks of Shasta and Castle Crags. There is an automated ticket machine at the front of the park. $8 for day use. There are vault restrooms at the front and at the viewpoint parking area. The trails are well maintained and easy to climb.

Enjoyed going to the viewpoint (though the shingle lane, winding road was a little daunting). Enjoyed the Indian Creek Nature trail as well. We camped here many years ago in summer when it ended up being 106 degrees so it was nice to return in pleasant fall weather.

Beautiful vista, lots of hiking trails. Campgrounds are nice. Lowest campsite numbers (1-10) have the loudest i5 traffic noise. Restrooms are older but work sufficient. They have showers as well. No hook-ups for RV's except the sites I think they designated to park hosts.

There was plenty to see here. The vista point is worth the drive up to it. The road gets narrow with only room for one car at some points. The staff at the entrance station was very helpful and friendly. Plenty of trails to hike if you have time.

Great trip! The view from the vista point is great. Missed the seasonal waterfall, so we'll have to be back. Rangers were friendly and helpful, though their idea of easy differs from mine. They recommended the Indian Creek Nature Loop. Much together than expected though the creek and bridges were as advertised and made the hike worth it. It was my wife's first encounter with a rattlesnake in the wild desire or interest in the great outdoors. It should be noted, my wife was recovering from surgery and me from a tree limb falling on me, so we were not up to par at the time.

Beautiful park, vista point and root creek parking area is small so get there early. The staff was super friendly. We had a beautiful hike and loved the area! Keep it beautiful and pack out what you pack in!

Gorgeous scenery and nearly deserted trail. Strenuous, rocky climb to start but levels or after about 1km. The climb from lower to upper Burstarse Falls is slightly technical - steep, narrow and rocky partly over loose scree - and not for the inexperienced or hikers with unsure footing (or footwear). The result is well worth the effort, though! Update for June 2024: we hiked from the ranger station up Bob's Hat Trail to connect to the Crag Trail because the Vista Point parking was full. It turned it into an 8mi round trip hike with about 2800' of elevation. Much of the last mile is rock scramble with marginally marked trail. You won't get lost but you will consistently wonder "is that the trail?". I hiked with kids aged 7, 13, and 15. The older two had no trouble and it was a casual hike, but the youngest turned around with me about 1/4mi from the end because the Rocky trail was becoming more climbing than hiking. This is a great trail, but not one for folks without decent conditioning or with mobility challenges.

Crag Dome is, by far, one of my favorite hikes in the entire country!! Yes, it's hard, yes, your legs will hurt the next day, YES the payoff is 1000% WORTH IT!!! Go here every time I'm in the region. There is an unmarked sign at the end, it signals the end of the path. But it does not end there. Only there the scramble to the top begins, turn to your right, and locate the scramble part of the walk. Which, after walking uo 2,300ft, yes is tough. But again, the pay-off!!! Keep going!!! All the best views are ahead!!!

We came here on a Saturday morning in early May and did the castle dome trail. It was excellent hiking and the views were incredible at the top. We saw a baby rattlesnake towards the top as well. Trail would definitely be more challenging based on difficulty in footing and the steep hike to the top, but worth it. Bring plenty of water, sunglasses, hat, and sunscreen. Prepare yourself to wear good shoes and know how to stop blisters by wearing two sock layers or other methods.

It's not a good idea to hike when the temperature is over 100 degrees. The dome resembles a smaller version of Half Dome. While you can venture around the large rock to some extent, there are no official trails beyond the "trail end" sign. The Indian Spring located halfway is a lifesaver if you run out of water. The view of Mt. Shasta alongside the dome is truly breathtaking.

We got lucky and got a tent campsite right next to the river and privacy, it was beautiful. All the sites are a little close together so, mind your own. The sites had a table, fire pit and a lock box to store food or ect from wild life. The restrooms, trash cans and recycling bins were in a convenient yet safe distance from the campsite. The showers and restrooms were very clean and most of the crew members were very pleasant and welcoming. The trails are pretty moderate for hiking. Beware there is poison oak in a lot of places. Overall the park was definitely a nice weekend getaway. We'll definitely return to this area.

Saw the Crags on the way to a different hike, which ended up being inaccessible due to snow, so we turned around and did this one. GET THERE EARLY! We had to park at the bottom, and hiked up Bob’s Hat trail to meet the Crag Trail. This adds two miles to the trip and another 750’ to the hike over all. It’s not that bad as it is mostly an old service road. I do recommend All Trails or some sort of map to make sure to make the right turns, but it is marked so don’t worry if you do not. The hike is an amazing trail, and I would not say it is hard, but challenging. The last mile and a half is rocky and larger step up but we did meet an amazing family from Texas who was carrying their baby in a Bjorn. Glad to see folks getting the little ones out early! Overall, what a great day! There is so much to explore up here and the views are breathtaking. Enjoy!