Castle Rock Trail 1W03 — Attraction in Big Bear Lake

I gave this four stars instead of five mostly because the parking situation is a little dicey. However, that is to be expected given the limited space available there really isn't a place to put a substantial parking lot without destroying some of the wilderness. The trail head is marked by a sign that can be easily missed while driving from the road. (What would we do without GPS?) We did have to park a little ways away and walk back to the trail, it was a fairly easy distance to walk as traffic on a Tuesday morning was practically non existent.

You don't have to be an athlete for this hike, but it is far from a gentle stroll along a mountain path. There is a bit of a steep climb up well positioned rocks and railroad ties that help you ascend the trail. There are rocks, boulders and the occasional bench to rest upon, which if you aren't used to hiking at higher elevations you will feel it. The view is pretty awesome, and there is more than one point from which you can appreciate the beauty along the way.

Also, there are no facilities on this trail, just like minimal parking to whatever you can snag on the side of the road there are no trash cans, no bath rooms, no water fountains. So come prepared to haul out what...

Best amazing short hike I've experienced so far! I was looking on yelp for a hike to do before leaving big bear on Sunday. Based on the great reviews, my boyfriend and I decided to go with this one. We were a little afraid of getting lost because of all the comments but once we got there, we were able to follow some people in front of us. We got there around 9am and was lucky to find a parking spot on the street right in front of the trail... Most spots were already filled. The trail starts off pretty steep ascending for about half hour... Then we veered left still hiking upward until we see boulders..and then played around and took bunch of photos. The Lakeview was spectacular... depending which boulder you sat on...the higher the better obviously. You can hike as far into the boulders as you want and then just go back the way you came. I would say it's a bit strenuous for beginners or people with joint problems especially going up but you can take your time since it's a pretty...

The hike itself could be ten times better if Big Bear actually put some better markers around. If you truly want to grow as a travel destination, improve on the little things like at least investing more trail markers. It doesn't seem like it'd be a big investment, but it would make the experience that much better for visitors. And heck, last time I checked we help bring money into this city. C'mon! Anyhow, the trail itself has tons of other trails that go if in tons of different directions. They invested in blue paint and ocassionnaly paint a 24 inch blue line on the beautiful trees. So much for protecting the environment. The blue line looks like graffiti, seriously, and that's what you have to go by to finish the trail to the top. Big Bear Lake City... Hope...