Two of the most visited spots in the Madrid mountains are rationed by car park rather than by ticket, and the two quotas work in opposite ways.
At La Pedriza the barrier at La Camorza lets private cars in until 270 are parked inside at once, first come first served and only in set windows. At Las Dehesas in Cercedilla the limit is 240 vehicles, and every one of them has to be booked and paid for in advance. The barrier sits in Manzanares el Real, about 700 metres from the edge of town, and from June to September it shuts overnight from 11pm to 7.30am because nobody may park inside after dark.
How does car access to La Pedriza work? The La Camorza barrier in Manzanares el Real lets private vehicles into La Pedriza until 270 cars are parked inside at the same time, with no booking. From 1 June to 30 September it only admits cars in set windows, such as 7am to 9.30am at weekends. Once it closes, a 75-space car park beside the barrier remains.
Do you need to book, La Pedriza or Las Dehesas
| Site | Vehicle cap | How a place is obtained |
|---|---|---|
| Las Dehesas, Cercedilla | 240 vehicles | Booked in advance, fee payable |
| La Pedriza, beside the barrier | 75 private vehicles | First come, then on foot |
| La Pedriza, inside the barrier | 270 parked at once | First come, first served, within the window |
The two big caps are close in size, and yet Las Dehesas is the harder to get into because it has to be booked. Booking in advance turns the visit into a decision made days earlier; arriving early turns it into a decision made at dawn.
Anyone planning a mountain day therefore needs to know which of the two regimes applies before leaving home, because nothing about them is interchangeable.
When the La Pedriza barrier lets cars in
Access for private vehicles is restricted for safety and conservation, and the instrument is physical: a barrier at La Camorza that, per the Sierra de Guadarrama National Park, admits cars until 270 are parked simultaneously inside. Parking anywhere other than the marked areas is banned, including the roads between the barrier and the town.
From 1 June to 30 September the barrier has four entry windows, and the evening ones are the longer pair:
- Weekends and public holidays, 6.30pm to 10.30pm — four hours
- Monday to Friday, 6.30pm to 10.30pm — four hours
- Monday to Friday, 7.30am to 10.30am — three hours
- Weekends and public holidays, 7am to 9.30am — two and a half hours
Cars can leave until 11pm. From 1 October to 31 May the rules relax: weekdays are unrestricted, and at weekends and on holidays entry is only closed from 10.30am to 4pm.
The practical effect is twofold. Arriving mid-morning in summer achieves nothing even if spaces remain, and arriving inside the window guarantees nothing either if 270 cars are already parked.
Where to park when the La Pedriza barrier is shut
The Comunidad de Madrid recommends leaving the car in the car park beside the barrier, which holds a maximum of 75 private vehicles, and walking up to Canto Cochino on the Quebrantaherraduras path. The other way in on foot is the Garganta de la Camorza from El Tranco.
That car park sits outside the 270-car count and is small, so treat it as a fallback rather than a promise. If you would rather not gamble, be at the barrier for the first morning window or walk in from the town.
How to get to La Pedriza by bus from Madrid
At certain times of year a shuttle bus runs from Manzanares el Real to Canto Cochino, stopping at the barrier, and it is the only way up that does not compete with the car count. The National Park lists it as not running in late September 2026, so check its calendar before relying on it.
Getting there from Madrid without a car means bus 724 from the Plaza de Castilla interchange to Manzanares el Real, with route 720 connecting Colmenar Viejo. From the town to the visitor centre is about 15 minutes on foot. The fare zones crossed on that trip are explained in how the Madrid transport zones work and the public transport guide.
Which park La Pedriza belongs to
La Pedriza lies inside the Sierra de Guadarrama National Park, which runs the barrier and sets its hours, and also inside the Parque Regional de la Cuenca Alta del Manzanares, declared by Ley 1/1985 of 23 January.
The two protection figures overlap here, each with its own rules. For a driver, what matters is the barrier regulation, which is why La Pedriza’s quota works unlike any other in the area.
All four access mechanisms the region uses are set side by side in how Madrid rations its countryside. The Comunidad runs other spaces with entry control on similar grounds, such as the Montejo beech forest, where places are allocated by draw rather than by arrival, as covered in how to book the beech forest walk. At the region’s five monitored bathing spots what is regulated is the season rather than the parking, as set out in where you can legally swim.
The quota and the visitor centre are different systems: La Pedriza’s three information points keep three timetables and one opens for 90 minutes a day, whether the road is full or not.
Canto Cochino is La Pedriza’s picnic area, with tables and paths, and it carries the same rule as the rest: no fire on any day of the year.
In the same municipality the village’s other draw cannot be visited at all, because the Mendoza castle has been closed to the public since January 2025, over a pending operating permit.
Frequently asked questions about reaching La Pedriza
Can you drive up to La Pedriza?
Yes, first come first served and with no booking. The La Camorza barrier lets cars in until 270 are parked inside at the same time, and only during its opening windows. If you miss out, a car park beside the barrier holds 75 private vehicles and you carry on to Canto Cochino on foot.
What time does the La Pedriza barrier open?
From 1 June to 30 September cars can enter from 7am to 9.30am and 6.30pm to 10.30pm at weekends and on holidays, and from 7.30am to 10.30am and 6.30pm to 10.30pm on other days. From 1 October to 31 May entry only closes at weekends and on holidays, from 10.30am to 4pm.
How do you reach La Pedriza without a car?
By bus. Route 724 leaves the Plaza de Castilla interchange for Manzanares el Real, and the visitor centre is about 15 minutes on foot from the town. At certain times of year a shuttle also runs up to Canto Cochino.
Is La Pedriza in the Sierra de Guadarrama National Park?
Yes. La Pedriza lies inside the Sierra de Guadarrama National Park, which regulates the barrier, and also inside the Parque Regional de la Cuenca Alta del Manzanares, declared by Ley 1/1985 of 23 January. The two protection figures overlap here.
Do you need to book parking at Las Dehesas in Cercedilla?
Yes. The Las Dehesas recreation area takes a maximum of 240 vehicles and requires a space to be booked in advance plus payment of the corresponding fee, unlike La Pedriza, which works first come first served.
At La Pedriza your place is won by timing, not paperwork, and the car park outside the barrier is the fallback.