STATE OF CALIFORNIA - RESOURCES AGENCY
DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION
P.O. BOX 942896
SACRAMENTO 94296-0001
March 3, 1998
To: Castle Rock Advisory Committee Members
From: Castle Rock Planning Team, Dave Keck, Project Manager
Subject: Castle Rock State Park General Plan, Clarification of Planning
Proposals
Wildland Values
The State Park Classification emphasizes the protection of significant
natural resources. The General Plan, through its Purpose, Vision and
Management statements, reinforces the goals of preservation and
management for natural processes and the recovery of valuable habitat.
While the General Planning Team believes that Castle Rock State Park is
not a true wilderness, we agree that the term "wildlands", if
adequately defined, should be include into the statement of Purpose for
the park.
The General Plan will also emphasize, in the Interpretive themes, the
recovery of natural processes and the park as a component of the Santa
Cruz Mountains ecosystem and its evolutionary processes.
Natural Preserve
Approximately 50% of the park is proposed for subclassification as a
Natural Preserve. Most of this area includes special wildlife habitat
and plant communities on slopes 30% or greater. Department policy limits
development within the natural preserve to trails and interpretive
signing. Roads, parking, restrooms, and other structures are placed
outside natural preserves. The Superintendent has the authority to
regulate use and prohibit certain activities in the park. The General
Plan will make recommendations and provide justification for limited
access and use of the proposed natural preserve (please refer to the
attached issue paper on the natural preserve). The General Plan will
recommend that bicycles, horses, and rock climbing activities not be
allowed in the natural preserve.
The issue of "free-roaming" in the natural preserve is not specifically
governed by official policy, other than for protection of natural and
cultural resources. This is an operational issue regarding resource
management and potential impacts from increasing numbers of people in
remote areas of the park. These issues will be guided by the unit trails
plan and future management plans to be prepared by the District.
Old logging roads will not be restored for purposes of preserving
cultural features. Old road alignments (where they present erosion and
other problems) will be surveyed and removed, and the native landscape
restored.
Ridge Trail Cliff is a climbing rock that is located within the proposed
Natural Preserve and a significant distance from other climbs. This is
one of a few sites along the Ridge Trail (in addition to Lion Caves)
that the General Plan will recommend be closed to climbing. The purpose
is to restore impacted areas and provide what we perceive as a manageable
climbing area within the Castle Rock Ridge RMZ. A comprehensive Climbing
Management Plan will guide low impact use in the climbing area.
Travertine Springs is a special habitat located outside the natural
preserve boundary. This special habitat will be protected through sound
resource management efforts, including proper trail construction and
interpretation. Travertine Springs is separated from the proposed natural
preserve by a powerline corridor, the management of which doesn’t fit
within the philosophy of a natural preserve. Therefore, the preserve
boundary will not be proposed to include Travertine Springs.
Multi-agency Visitor Center
This visitor center concept should be a multi-agency planning effort,
that serves more than Castle Rock State Park. The general planning team
recognizes that Saratoga Gap location is a good candidate for this type
of facility, but recommends doing a feasibility study to evaluate traffic
conditions and potential environmental impacts. This study should
include other interested agencies and consider alternative sites
outside Castle Rock State Park.
The General Plan will identify the needs of State Parks and the
appropriate functions that could be served by a Saratoga Gap Visitor
Center. However, Castle Rock State Park, without multi-agency
participation, could not justify this type of facility for visitor
contact or interpretive purposes. A visitor center complex at the
Gap should not provide long-term visitor parking for day use visitors.
Administrative, Maintenance, Headquarters & Public Contact
Facilities
The General Plan will indicate that the Caltrans site would be a good
location to establish park administrative, maintenance, and storage
functions. This site will require specific studies and investigations
prior to State Parks acquisition. The planning team has concluded that
the Caltrans site should not be considered for a park headquarters
office, or public use, citing potential conflicts with private
property access and adjacent residential land use.
Tin Can Ranch will be considered as an alternative site for park
administrative and maintenance functions if Caltrans site is not
available.
The Park Headquarters and primary public contact are recommended for
Partridge Farm. The Limits of Acceptable Change (LAC) process will
determine to what degree this use, in conjunction with other uses, is
compatible with protecting resource values. Visitor contact can range
from kiosk operation to park headquarters office, with either adaptive
use of Partridge house or a new structure. The park entry experience,
transitional space into the wildland areas, and low intensity
development concepts shall guide development and uses at Partridge Farm.
Natural and cultural resources will be protected and interpreted to the
public.
Visitor Parking Location and Capacity
Prior to establishing parking at Partridge Farm, the Department shall
determine the Limits of Acceptable Change (LAC) for the surrounding
areas (Lion Caves, Black Oak Woodland, and Castle Rock Ridge RMZ). The
purpose of the LAC is to establish a baseline for monitoring change,
evaluate causes and effects, and make necessary adjustments, including
visitor and facility capacities. The LAC will be the primary
determining factor in future project plans and implementation.
Adjustments on capacity may go up or down based on resource conditions
and impacts caused by initial development and use. Park interpretation
should include discussions of the purpose and methods of monitoring use
and determining acceptable change.
The General Plan will propose phasing the parking lot development at
Partridge Farm and define visitor parking in other areas.
Phase 1
 | Develop 50 car parking lot at Partridge Farm
| Request Caltrans to post "no parking" along Highway 35
| Keep existing main parking lot (50 cars)
| Total of 100 car parking capacity for combined parking areas
| | | |
Phase 2
| If the LAC process supports the initial parking capacity in phase 1,
then an additional 50 cars could be developed at Partridge Farm and the
main parking lot removed (no net increase in overall parking).
Alternatively, the parking arrangement could vary between the two
parking areas, based on the outcomes from resource monitoring and
established limits for acceptable change.
| Additional parking will be needed for overnight use (20 -30 cars).
Walk-in campsites are considered low impact development and compatible
with other objectives at Partridge Farm. The General Plan will propose
20 campsites, initially, with a few campsites designed for people with
disabilities. Parking and lighting shall not prohibit dark sky viewing
by amateur astronomers.
| |
Highway 9 parking
Focus on a few improved parking lots near trailheads, with interpretive
and information panels and restrooms. Possibilities include
Sempervirens Pt., Red Mountain, Oil Creek, and Waterman Gap. Tin Can
Ranch could serve for trailhead parking if compatible with other uses.
The primary intent for Tin Can Ranch is for an Environmental Living
Program. Other smaller roadside parking areas should be removed (requires
further evaluation and coordination with Caltrans). The amount of
parking available will also establish a basis for managing a carrying
capacity for the park.
Horse trailer parking should be accommodated. Parking location along
Highway 9 with good access to horse trails - example at Oil Creek
parking lot.
Highway 35 parking
Coordinate parking management and use of Summit Rock parking lot
(Sanborn Co. Park) and Vista Point parking (Caltrans).
Astronomy
The "Dark Sky" will be identified as a resource in the Resource Summary
of the General Plan, although no specific resource directives will be
proposed. Provisions will be considered in the development of Partridge
Farm for accommodating this activity. Lighting, campsite location,
parking, etc. should not impact the dark sky resource. Resource
management practices will not be changed to perpetuate sky viewing
(tree removal, etc.)
