The Skyline-to-the-Sea trail is one of the most popular backpacking routes in the Bay Area. It starts from Castle Rock State Park, courses through the Santa Cruz Mountains, and ends at Waddell Beach on the Pacific Ocean. The trail usually takes 3 days to complete. It passes through forests, redwood groves, waterfalls, and ends with a dip in the ocean.
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ABOUT THE SKYLINE-TO-THE-SEA TRAIL
LOCATION: Castle Rock and Big Basin Redwoods State Parks, Santa Cruz Mountains, Bay Area, California
DISTANCE: 28 mile
MAX ELEVATION: 2623 ft
TYPE: Thru-hike, point-to-point 1-way shuttle
DURATION: Typically 3 days
DIFFICULTY: Moderate
RESERVATIONS REQUIRED: Yes, California Department of Park and Recreation carries them, and they can be difficult to secure. $38 for up to 6 people, including one car at main castle rock lot
FUN FACTS: Trail is mostly downhill, dogs are not allowed on trails, bring some extra cash for the Big Basin Campground store
BEAR CANISTER is required
RATING: ♥♥♥
Big Basin Park is indefinitely closed due to the lightning fire in August 2020
The Skyline-to-the-Sea Trail is one of the most popular backpacking trails because of it’s location, scenery, and it is one of the best beginner backpacking trips. The biggest challenge for this trip is securing reservations, due to its popularity.
Castle Rock State Park is where the route usually starts. The park was established in 1968. Named after a sandstone formation called Castle Rock. This area is a popular rock climbing area, so you are likely to see climbers along the way. There are 2 other walk-in campgrounds for overnight backpacking located in the park that make nice short trips.
Big Basin Redwood State Park is the stopping point for the second night. It is California’s oldest state park, established in 1902 and is a California historical landmark. The beautiful redwoods are what the park is known for. There are old growths, some 1,000-1,800 years old, and second-growth trees. The campground has cabins, developed campsites, and trail camps. There are 146 individual campsites, 36 cabins, five trail camps, 5 backcountry trail camps located inside the grounds.
OUR STORY
It had been awhile since I had been backpacking, and I was a little nervous. This was going to be a practice run to shake off the cobwebs. After an ACL knee injury the winter prior, I was nervous to be getting back out on a long trail. There were a few great things about this trail. It was conveniently located close to the bay area, it didn’t require a lot of steep climbing, and midway you stay at Big Basin Redwood State Park. Being at the campgrounds was like a safety net, it had amenities, people, showers, food, and if I really wasn’t rising to the challenge, an ability to bail out early (although I tried not to think of it that way).
Hiking a trail that is mostly downhill has advantages, but it doesn’t exactly mean that it’s easy. There is still a lot of distance to cover and a decent amount of climbing. Downhill can also be rough on weak knees, prior to going on this trip I picked up some hiking poles (from Costco), and they did help in some of the steeper sections.
Getting to the Big Basin Campground on the second night was an odd, but exciting treat for a backpacking trip. It was kind of strange to feel like you were walking back into civilization part way through, but I quickly got over it. I mean, they had ice cream!!! We got ice cream and beer from the general store, and roasted marshmallows around a campfire hosted by one of the rangers. As far as backpacking trips go, this was definitely glamping, but I never complain about getting ice cream.
Aside from the sweet treats, my favorite part of this trip was the redwoods. Growing up, we spent summers in Humboldt and I was absolutely in awe of the redwoods. My brother, forever the city kid, thought they were terrifying. The size and presence of them was what made them so spectacular though. They hold so much history, have survived so much, and still stand strong. There is something truly special about redwood forests and the sheer magnificence of them.
To close out the trip, you get to curl your toes in the sand and take a dip in the Pacific Ocean. Another good thing about having your wallet with you is being able to grab a bite along the coast before heading back. A fresh cup of chowder melts the heart after a few days of meals in a bag.
GETTING THERE
This is typically done as a thru-hike, which requires some coordination. I recommend shuttling cars. It is about an hour drive to Waddle Beach, drive two cars and leave one at the end of the trail. When we got there we had to open a gate to take the road to the Ranger Station. You need to reserve a permit with the ranger station in order to leave a car there in advance of the hike. We got lucky and there was someone there and we were able to do get one same day, but to avoid problems I would call in advance.
There are two places you can start the trail from: Saratoga Gap or Castle Rock. Because overnight parking is only available at Castle Rock, this is where most people start. Park in the Castle Rock lot, leaving the second car there. Another option would be to lyft to either Saratoga Gap or Castle Rock trailhead. Usually taking lyft is not recommended because there is no cell reception around the park, but in this case you won’t be needing to call for a ride home.
Another option is to arrange for someone to pick you up at Waddle Beach. If you meet people for a day on the beach it will probably work out just fine. However, there isn’t cell coverage in Big Basin Park so getting a lyft or calling from the end of the trail is pretty sketchy. There was a pay phone near the ranger station, but I don’t know if it is still there or works now.
HIKING SCHEDULE
Day 1 – Castle Rock to Watermap Gap Trail Camp (9 miles)
There are two starts to this trail. The first starts at Saratoga Gap parking lot; however, there is no overnight parking at this location so most people start from Castle Rock State Park. Follow the Saratoga Gap Trail. It takes you past a waterfall and you can get a good view looking down at the fall. Make sure to follow signs, we ended up veering to the right and ran into a fence, had to do a little backtracking on the first day. The first day offers stunning vista views of the Santa Cruz mountains. There is a little scrambling over rocks in the early section. In one part there are some steps cut into the rock, otherwise the trail is really easy to follow. There is a lot of gunfire sounds in the distance from the nearby gun range. Pass through the castle rock trail camp and continue on. This part was somewhat confusing because the trail goes in multiple directions. Stay on the Saratoga Gap Trail. The trail leads to a river valley, which is pretty and lush. Continue down the Saratoga Road Trail, then climb the Beekhuis Road Trail to the Skyline-to-the sea trail.
It is 9 miles to Waterman Gap Trail, where most make camp for the first night. It is a large open area with 6 sites. There is a toilet and water on site, we had no problems, but I have read that the water is not always dependable.
Day 2 – Waterman Gap Trail Camp to Big Basin Redwood Park (9 miles)
The early part of day 2 was my least favorite part of the trip. The trail crosses SR9 and parallels state route 236, crossing the road a couple times. There was lots of traffic, car noise, and it was not as scenic as other areas. You will encounter the longest stretch of climbing during this time. From the China Grade crossing and onward, you start doing steep descents, this was when I really appreciated having my hiking poles. The scenery abruptly changes and it is bright, vibrant, green, and there is lots of sunlight that filters through. After the morning session, this really helps to lift the spirits. As you move into Big Basin Park there is a higher density of redwoods, everything is towering and magnificent in scale and in beauty.
Then the trail descends to Opal Creek, which has a cloudy luminescence. It then continues along Opal Creek in what is a very magical mile before coming to the road. When you get to the road you will be in the Big Basin Campground. Continue along the road past a number of campsites until you get to the Park Headquarters and General Store. Jay Trail Camp is located on the other side of the store. The campground is very convenient, water and showers are available (bring quarters if you want to shower), hot foods, beer, snacks, camping supplies, and of course there is ice cream. Check the schedule for events, there was a campfire that night, with a large fire pit, roasted marshmallows and a talk by one of the rangers.
The best part of this trip may have been that we got ice cream and toasted marshmallows. When I signed up for backpacking, I was expecting to be roughing it. This is how I got suckered in. I can’t say I’ve regretted a moment of it since then.
Day 3 – Big Basin Redwood Park to Waddell Beach (10 miles)
In the campgrounds is the Redwood Loop Trail, it has the biggest redwoods in the park and is a short nature walk with really interesting facts about the different redwood trees, including the chimney tree. I recommend walking around before leaving the campgrounds.
Take the skyline-to-the-sea trail as it traces through the redwood forest. Early on in day three, you will do the second section of steep climbing of the trip, but it is not very long. The trail is lush and green with vibrant colors, and it is much cooler here than other parts of the trail. The time spent in Big Basin Redwood Park is my favorite of this trip, from Opal Creek through the early part of Day 3, the redwoods are really unlike anything else. As the trail descends into Waddell Creek Canyon, there is some impressive redwood forest.
At the 19mi mark, there is a side trip to Berry Creek Falls. I recommend taking the trip, it adds 2 miles, but is well worth it. It is an out and back side trip, so we tucked our bags off to the side and left them near the junction so that we didn’t have to carry them with us while we went to the falls. We did bring our lunches, which paid off since it was the perfect lunch break spot.
Once you are back on the skyline-to-the-sea trail the redwoods will soon end at a logging road, relatively flat and easy to walk along, especially after the long descents. Continue on the road to a campground where it splits to the right for hikers. Stay on the dirt road, it passes over a stream, and eventually leads to ocean views. From here you can see where you’re headed. The trail will takes you down to the ranger station, and ends at Waddell Beach.
HIGHLIGHTS
The best parts of the trip were Castle Rock Park and Big Basin Park. If you are not interested in thru-hiking it to cross it off your list, then I would really recommend backpacking to Castle Rock Trail Camp, setting up and doing some side hikes around that area, you can get some great vista views, check out the rock climbers, do some scrambling. Then drive to Big Basin, hike out to Berry Creek Falls, you can either do it as an out and back, or go out to Sunset Trail Camp. I would also recommend the Redwood Loop Trail and hiking out towards Opal Creek as an out and back.
Any way it is approached, this is a really convenient trip from the bay area with absolutely beautiful scenery. It offers some incredible views of redwoods. And it is very beginner friendly.
