Visitors can climb this historic landmark through a looped, single-track trail. From these trails, hikers can reach the base of The Rock and are afforded panoramic views of Downtown Castle Rock, the Interstate 25 corridor, Pikes Peak and the Front Range. 

Please use caution when navigating the uneven terrain of this relatively short but steep climb. There is a 370-foot elevation difference from bottom to top (6,220 feet to 6,590 feet). Visitors should also be aware of the possibility of falling rocks and rockslides. 

The picnic pavilion at Rock Park is available for rental. There are also additional picnic tables dispersed within the Castle View Picnic Area. For information, call 720-733-2260. 

The main trailhead parking lot, with a portable restroom, is located on Front Street. Additional parking is available at Castle North Park. On-street parking is allowed on Canyon and Sunset drives.

Pavilion Rentals

Electricity: No

Tables: Eight

Pavilions are open for general use November through February. Rental requests will be accepted starting Feb. 15 of each year for March through October of that current year.

Alcohol permits

An approved alcohol permit allows for possession and consumption only; it does not allow for service or selling of alcohol. No glass containers are permitted. When requesting an alcohol permit, please request this in the comments section on the online request form. Approval will show on the rental confirmation.

Inflatable structures

Inflatable structures shall be inspected and will need to be anchored to the ground or other ballast by the industry's best standards. Before your event, contact the Fire Department at 303-660-1066 to schedule an inspection to verify if everything is anchored appropriately. Driving on grass or paths is prohibited and caution needs to be used to avoid sprinklers and irrigation during set up and tear down. 

The contractor will need a generator and insurance that additionally insures the Town as below:

Please note

• Requesting the park pavilion does not reserve the athletic field as well. 
• All other park amenities may be used on a first-come, first-served basis.
• Gas grills are allowed, however, charcoal grills are not. Also, at times, Town fire restrictions may prohibit the use of all grills. Visit the Town’s fire restrictions website for more information.

History

Our beloved Town monument has always been a part of the community's history. For years, the Town along with dedicated residents have helped acquire land around the Rock that would honor the surrounding natural area.

The current Rock Park site of 62.3 acres consists of eight previously separate parcels, acquired as public open space between 1947 and 1991. The prominent Rock received its Castle Rock name in 1859 from David Kellogg, a gold seeker, due to its resemblance to a castle.

The Town of Castle Rock was settled and grew around the Rock from its early settlement days in the 1870s, beginning with the Craig and Gould addition in 1874. The area on the south side of the base was claimed and platted by Philip Wilcox in 1871, but the top of the Rock was originally claimed in 1875 by one of the first European settlers to Castle Rock, William Cantril. The land patent was transferred to Daniel Fitch in 1890, then George Stewart purchased it in 1922, and he retained ownership until his death in 1943. At one time, George Stewart owned part, if not all, of what is now Rock Park and other areas in Castle Rock. In 1947, George Stewart’s heirs deeded the Town 20 acres north of the Rock, and in 1953 they conveyed the top of the Rock to the Town. 

In 1957, a trustee conveyed the lots surrounding the top of The Rock. In 1987, the Town acquired approximately 24.4 acres north of the Rock from Columbia Savings & Loan by waiving development fees for 14 single-family home lots. Shortly afterwards, that agreement was extended to include 3.6 acres on the east side for $123,000 (compensation for tap fees from the originally proposed 14 homes). There are two platted tracts on the east side of the park that were acquired by the Town through plat dedications in 1977 and 1991 and a small strip acquired in 1978 from an access easement.

Becoming a Park

The acquisition of the 24.4-acre and 3.6-acre parcels in 1987 to create this public open space parcel was partly encouraged by two local residents, Paul Hill and John Emerson, along with other residents and the Town Board of Trustees. Paul Hill was an adjacent landowner and John Emerson was an active volunteer community member. Both individuals were also instrumental in the creation of a special advisory committee in 1988, the Rock Park Committee, which developed funding methods to manage the park and supervised the initial planning and management of the site and its trails. 

In recognition of Paul and John’s service and dedication to Rock Park, the two main trails on the property were renamed in their honor.

Part of the evolution of Rock Park includes the creation an all-volunteer group that dedicated themselves to the care, upkeep and improvement of Rock Park. Initially maintained by the Castle Rock Ministerial Alliance, the Keepers of the Rock was founded on July 12, 2004, by project leader Harry Shea.

Keepers of the Rock work in partnership with the Town’s Teen Court and POST Partners Volunteer programs as a way for juvenile offenders to give back to their community through service. Through volunteer maintenance of the Town’s namesake, Rock Park, behavior is redirected to prideful accomplishment and recidivism reduced. The Town funds crew leader training for the program through Volunteers for Outdoor Colorado. This program has been recognized by trade associations and publications for its dedication to positively influencing and improving the quality of the community through parks, recreation and service.

Keepers of the Rock conducted restoration outings on the 1.5 mile loop trail from April through November 2020 in partnership with POST Partner’s Teen Court program. Trail repair, corridor vegetation clearing, brush fence repair, Knapweed abatement and control, trash collection and ongoing social trail closures are some of the issues they address. Since the group’s 2004 inception, volunteers have contributed 13,196 hours equating to $323,697.88 in labor value.