How to Get a Waterman Gap Permit
Six sites on the Skyline-to-the-Sea Trail west of Castle Rock, and the smallest of the two camps in Castle Rock State Park.
Check Waterman Gap permit availabilityTrail camp fees are $15 per site, per night, with a maximum of six people per site. There is an $8 non-refundable reservation fee. Vehicle day use at the park is $10.
Permit Cost
1-2 nights
Duration
moderate
Difficulty
About Waterman Gap
Waterman Gap Trail Camp is one of four backcountry trail camps still operating in the Santa Cruz Mountains state parks, alongside Castle Rock, Waterman Gap and Butano or Slate Creek. All trail camps in Big Basin Redwoods State Park remain closed due to extensive fire damage from the CZU August Lightning Complex fires, which is why these four carry the whole of the Bay Area's state park backpacking demand. ReserveCalifornia lists six sites here. Waterman Gap has no first-come pool. Castle Rock Trail Camp is the only camp in the system that keeps sites available first-come, and those are registered in person at the Robert C. Kirkwood Parking Lot on Highway 35. Everything at Waterman Gap goes through the request form. Booking does not go through ReserveCalifornia. Submit a Backcountry Trail Camp Request Form online up to 60 days in advance. Staff process requests Monday through Friday from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. An approved request is held only until 5 p.m. the following business day pending payment, which is taken by phone on (831) 338-8867, and the permit is emailed once paid. Sending a request is not a reservation - it becomes one when it is paid. Changes and cancellations must be made a full 48 hours in advance on the same number. Fees are $15 per site per night with a maximum of six people per site, plus an $8 non-refundable reservation fee. You may reserve up to two campsites per reservation. For groups of 13 or more the non-refundable reservation fee is a flat $25 no matter how many campsites are booked, and group reservations are allowed Sunday through Thursday only, not on weekends. The camps are primitive: bring your own water, and treat any surface water before drinking it.
Waterman Gap is the next trail camp west of Castle Rock along the Skyline-to-the-Sea Trail, which makes it the second night of the classic Bay Area two-night traverse - or a quieter first night than Castle Rock for anyone who wants six sites instead of twenty. It has no first-come pool, so unlike Castle Rock, everything here is booked in advance through the request form.
The Experience
Deeper into the woods than the Castle Rock ridge and correspondingly quieter. Six sites in redwood and mixed forest, no phone signal, and the trail closing at sunset - which means that by dark the only people out here are the ones with permits.
Waterman Gap sits along the Skyline-to-the-Sea Trail in Castle Rock State Park, west of Castle Rock Trail Camp. ReserveCalifornia lists six sites. The Skyline-to-the-Sea Trail is open from Castle Rock State Park to the Big Basin Redwoods day-use area, so this camp is on the walkable section - all of the trail camps inside Big Basin itself remain closed due to extensive fire damage. Overnight parking for backpackers is only in designated trailhead parking lots.
What to Expect
six sites, with a maximum of six people on each
A 60-day booking horizon through a request form, not ReserveCalifornia
Requests processed weekdays 1 p.m. to 5 p.m., paid by phone, permit emailed
No drinking water - the camps are primitive and surface water has to be treated
No mobile coverage in the backcountry
A sunset deadline for being off the trails, enforced at the trailhead
No dogs, on trails or in camp
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Permit Requirements
Trail camps are open by reservation only and no dispersed camping is allowed; camp only in your assigned trail camp
A maximum of six people per site, and you may reserve up to two campsites per reservation
Group reservations for 13 or more are allowed Sunday through Thursday only, not on weekends, arranged on (831) 338-8867
Overnight parking for backpackers is only in designated trailhead parking lots - do not park along highways or in undesignated areas
Hikers must be off trails by sunset; arriving after sunset means you will not be permitted to start your trip
No ground fires of any kind. The only exception in the whole system is the designated metal fire rings at Castle Rock Trail Camp during the rainy season
Backpacking stoves may be used for cooking in all trail camps except in cases of extreme fire danger
No smoking on any trail or in any trail camp
Do not wash dishes or clothing in creeks, and do not bathe in creeks
Never feed wildlife or allow wildlife to access your food
No dogs are allowed in the trail camps or on the trails, and no horses are allowed in the trail camps
No bikes on single-track; bikes are permitted on fire roads only
Campers must display permits when parking and carry their backcountry permit at all times
Campers under 18 must provide written permission from a guardian or be accompanied by one
Hammocks may be used with tree straps only and must not be attached to any redwood trees
Gear & Preparation
Required Gear
- •All your drinking water. State Parks says the trail camps are primitive and to bring your own; surface water must be treated before drinking
- •A backpacking stove, which is permitted in all trail camps except in cases of extreme fire danger
- •A headlamp - you must be off the trails by sunset, so camp chores happen after dark
- •Rain gear through the wet season, which in the Santa Cruz Mountains is most of the winter
- •Tree straps if you are hanging a hammock, and never on a redwood
Hazards & Safety
No mobile coverage. In an emergency, call 911 from a pay phone near a ranger station or a call box on Highway 1 or Highway 9 and a ranger will be dispatched
A sunset trail deadline that is enforced at the trailhead - late arrivals are not permitted to start
Fire danger, which closes even the one permitted fire location in the system
Poison oak throughout the Santa Cruz Mountains understory
Creek water that must be treated if you use it at all
Best Time to Visit
Spring and autumn. Winter is the rainy season here, which is when the creeks run and the camps empty out, but it is also short days against a sunset trail deadline. Summer is dry, busy and under fire restrictions - and unlike Castle Rock, Waterman Gap has no fire rings even in the rainy season.
Pro Tips
Submit the request form the day your dates come inside 60 days. A request is not a reservation until you pay by phone.
Requests are only processed weekdays between 1 p.m. and 5 p.m., so anything sent on a Friday evening waits for Monday.
Plan to reach camp well before sunset. Hikers must be off trails by sunset and a late arrival is turned back at the trailhead.
Carry all your water and a way to treat creek water as a backup.
Do not count on a phone. State Parks says it is unlikely your mobile will have coverage in the backcountry.
Groups of 13 or more can only book Sunday through Thursday, so plan a midweek trip rather than fighting for a Saturday.
Changes and cancellations need a full 48 hours notice on (831) 338-8867, which is also when someone else's cancellation appears.
100+ wilderness permits, extensive backcountry experience
This guide is based on personal experience obtaining wilderness permits and is regularly updated to reflect current policies and strategies.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I get a Waterman Gap permit?
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Waterman Gap permits require advance reservations. Book online as soon as reservations open for your desired dates.
When is the best time to visit Waterman Gap?
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Spring and autumn. Winter is the rainy season here, which is when the creeks run and the camps empty out, but it is also short days against a sunset trail deadline. Summer is dry, busy and under fire restrictions - and unlike Castle Rock, Waterman Gap has no fire rings even in the rainy season.
How difficult is Waterman Gap?
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Bay Area backpackers, first-timers included, and anyone walking a section of the open Skyline-to-the-Sea corridor.
What gear do I need for Waterman Gap?
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Essential gear includes: All your drinking water. State Parks says the trail camps are primitive and to bring your own; surface water must be treated before drinking, A backpacking stove, which is permitted in all trail camps except in cases of extreme fire danger, A headlamp - you must be off the trails by sunset, so camp chores happen after dark, Rain gear through the wet season, which in the Santa Cruz Mountains is most of the winter, Tree straps if you are hanging a hammock, and never on a redwood.
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