Hike the Sky–Bear Valley Loop

Tall Douglas Fir trees lined the Sky Trail before the Woodward Fire.

NPS/A. Kopshever

Distance: 10.8 miles (17.4 km) total

This varied hike takes you through dense forest, meadows, coastal scrub, and coastal grasslands, starting with an uphill climb on the east side of Inverness Ridge to a ridgetop with ocean views. Follow the forested ridgeline to the coastline, and return on a mostly flat trail through Bear Valley. This area was burned in 2020, when lightning strikes in the Woodward Valley started what became the Woodward Fire.

Start at the Bear Valley Trailhead and follow the relatively flat Bear Valley Trail south. A short distance beyond a sign indicating you are entering the Phillip Burton Wilderness, you will get to choose between two routes that will lead you to the Sky Trail along the crest of Inverness Ridge.

1. Turn right on to the Mount Wittenberg Trail 0.2 miles (0.3 km) from the trailhead if you want a more strenuous ascent of about 1,130 feet (~340 m) over a distance of 1.8 miles (2.9 km). While the Woodward Fire burned along most of the length of the Mount Wittenberg Trail, it primarily burned in the understory and left most of the canopy of the Douglas fir forest intact. As a result, there are very few far-reaching views from this trail until you reach the ridge crest. Remain on the Mount Wittenberg Trail at the Z Ranch Trail junction, which is located at the highest point along this route with an elevation of 1270 feet (385 m).* From the crest of Inverness Ridge along the western 0.4 mile-long (0.6-kilometer-long) leg of the Mount Wittenberg Trail, you may be rewarded (weather dependent) with views looking west across the peninsula to the Pacific Ocean. The Mount Wittenberg Trail intersects with the Sky Trail 0.4 miles (0.6 km) beyond the Z Ranch Trail junction and 2.4 miles (3.8 km) from the Bear Valley Trailhead.
   *From Mount Wittenberg–Z Ranch Trail junction, the 0.3-mile-long (0.5-kilometer-long) Mount Wittenberg Summit Trail leads, as its name suggests, to the summit of Mount Wittenberg (elevation 1407 feet (426 m). The once unobstructed views from near the summit have, since 2000, become obstructed by dense Douglas fir thickets that sprouted shortly after the 1995 Vision Fire. While the 2020 Woodward Fire burned through much of the forest around Mount Wittenberg, the view-obstructing Douglas fir thickets were largely left unscathed. So, without being rewarded with views for their effort, many hikers pass on ascending the Mount Wittenberg Summit Trail.
2. Turn right on to the Meadow Trail 0.8 miles (1.3 km) from the trailhead if you want a slightly easier climb over Inverness Ridge. Similar to the Mount Wittenberg Trail, the Woodward Fire mostly impacted the understory of the forest along the Meadow Trail. While the trail does pass through a fairly large meadow (after which the trail was named), views from the meadow are of forested hillsides less than a mile distant. The Meadow Trail ascends about 840 feet (~255 m) over a distance of 1.6 miles (2.6 km) before intersecting with the Sky Trail 2.4 miles (3.8 km) from the Bear Valley Trailhead. The elevation at this intersection is ~1080 feet (~327 m).

Both the Mount Wittenberg Trail and the Meadow Trail intersect the Sky Trail at the same large trail junction. Turn left (south) on to the Sky Trail and follow it for 3.9 miles (6.2 km) to its junction with the Coast Trail. Once hemmed in by a ~six-foot-tall (~two-meter-tall) hedge of huckleberry bushes, the Woodward Fire cleared out most of the shrubs and a lot of the lower branches of the trees in this area so that this section of trail feels a bit more open than it did before 2020. And, as a result of the fire, there are many more far-reaching views from the Sky Trail.

Turning south on to the Coast Trail leads in 0.5 miles (0.8 km ) to the Coast Trail-Bear Valley Trail junction. Turn left on to the Bear Valley Trail and follow it 4 miles (6.4 km) east and north back to the Bear Valley Trailhead parking lot. The Bear Valley Trail has a gentle grade as it first follows Coast Creek to Divide Meadow and then gradually descends along Bear Valley Creek for the final 1.6 miles (2.6 km) of this hike. The trail passes through a beautiful forest of buckeyes, oaks, and Douglas firs, aside from the large meadow at Divide Meadow.

Restrooms and water are available at the Bear Valley Trailhead parking lot. Otherwise, there are no other facilities along this route until you reach Divide Meadow, at which there are vault toilets, but no potable water.

This route description alone is not a substitute for a trail map. Print out the Point Reyes National Seashore's South District trail map (3,422 KB PDF) before your visit, or pick one up at the Bear Valley Visitor Center on your way.

Always check current conditions before heading out into the park and familiarize yourself with park regulations. Please practice Leave No Trace principles.

Visit the park's Hiking at Point Reyes National Seashore page for hiking tips and information about trail etiquette and safety.

Visit the park's Trail Advisories and Closures page for current information about closed trails, trails blocked by trees, or other temporary hazards or advisories.

Details

Duration

4-6 Hours

Allow four to six hours to hike the Sky–Bear Valley Loop.

Activity

Hiking

Age(s)

All ages.

Pets Allowed

No

Pets are prohibited on all of the trails that are described on this page. Visit the park's Pets page to learn where pets are welcome at Point Reyes National Seashore.

Activity Fee

No

Entrance fees may apply, see Fees & Passes information.

Location

Bear Valley Trailhead, Point Reyes National Seashore

The Bear Valley Trailhead is located at the southwest corner of the Trailhead and Picnic Area parking area at Bear Valley in Point Reyes National Seashore.
Directions to Bear Valley

To help reduce traffic congestion in the paved parking lot adjacent to the Bear Valley Visitor Center, please park your vehicle(s) in the gravel, trailhead/picnic area parking lot on the left (east) side of the access road close to the Bear Valley Trailhead. Parking is free. Download the Bear Valley Area Map (427 KB PDF), which shows the location of the trailhead parking lot relative to the Bear Valley Visitor Center.

Reservations

No

Season

Year Round

Winter

The heaviest rainfall occurs in the winter months. Come prepared for rain and drizzle to possibly last for several days. In between winter rains, it is often sunny, calm, and cool.

Spring

Most spring days are windy. Expect cool temperatures in March. By late May and early June, temperatures can be quite pleasant.

Summer

Although there is very little rain during summer months, there is often dense fog, which tends to burn off by mid-day. Afternoons are often sunny and warm to hot with a light breeze.

Fall

Point Reyes experience some of the clearest days in late September, October, and early November. The occasional storm will start rolling through in late October, bringing clouds, wind, and rain. The strongest winds occur in November and December during occasional southerly gales.

Time of Day

Day, Dawn, Dusk

Point Reyes National Seashore is open daily for day-hiking from 6 am to midnight. Overnight parking and camping is only permitted with a valid backcountry camping permit.

Accessibility Information

The Bear Valley Trail is wide, mostly flat, and has a substrate of dirt and gravel. The other trails described on this page vary in width from two to six feet (0.6 to 1.8 meters) and have surfaces of mostly compacted dirt that may be rutted and have exposed roots and rocks in places.The total elevation change from Bear Valley to the crest of Inverness Ridge is about 1200 feet (360 meters) over a distance of 1.6 to 1.8 miles (2.6 to 2.9 km), depending on which route one follows. The vault toilet building at Divide Meadow on the Bear Valley trail does not meet accessibility standards.