Bear Valley Sky Loop
Trail length: 10.8 miles, loop (11.8 miles total with optional hike out and back to Kelham Beach)
Terrain: Riparian; Douglas Fir/Mixed Evergreen Forest; Coastal Scrub; gravel and dirt trails
Restroom? Yes, three. One at the Visitor Center, one at the edge of the parking lot near the Earthquake Trail, and one at Divide Meadow.
Parking: large parking lot
Dates visited: 6/19/18, 11/6/18, 4/13/19, 3/27/20, 4/11/20, 5/7/21, 5/21/21, 8/17/21
Hike this loop in the spring for lush greenery and a vibrant profusion of shade-loving wildflowers on the Bear Valley Trail including magenta Pacific Trillium (Trillium ovatum), deep pink Pacific Bleeding Heart (Dicentra formosa), and cheerfully pink Red-flowering Currant (Ribes sanguineum).
Point Reyes is the second foggiest place on earth so you can enjoy the beauty and drama of fog all year round, however, March and April are particularly good times to hike the Mt Wittenberg trail to enjoy the mist.
Although the August 2020 Woodward Fire destroyed the wispy blanket of hanging moss and canopy of flowering berries on the Sky Trail, this flora will surely return with time and bring magic back to the Sky Trail.
Loop: Mt Wittenberg, Sky, Coast, Bear Valley plus optional Kelham Beach
Start at the Bear Valley trailhead
Hike a short distance to Mt Wittenberg Trail (0.2 miles). Hike rigorously uphill (1.8 miles) and continue parallel to the Sky Trail until you meet the Sky Trail (0.4 miles). On a foggy day, enjoy the Douglas Firs dramatically shrouded in mist. On a clear day, enjoy views to the ocean.
Continue on the Sky Trail to the end where it meets the Coast Trail (3.9 miles). The Woodward fire burned much of this area in August 2020.
Optional hike out and back to Kelham Beach. Turn right on Coast Trail and hike to the Kelham Beach Trail (0.5 miles). It’s easy to miss the trail marker. Instead, look for the big Eucalyptus tree. The trail to the beach has 141 steps.
Return on the Coast Trail (0.5 miles) to the Bear Valley Trail.
Follow the Bear Valley Trail back to the trailhead in an easy mostly-flat stroll (4.0 miles). The first mile is less traveled and peaceful. It begins with a bishop pine tunnel and goes through deep, shady forest with a profusion of ferns on the left and a creek on the right.
For a shorter loop, return on Baldy Trail (9.0 miles), Old Pine Trail (7.0 miles), Meadow Trail (4.8 miles) or simply hike out and back on Bear Valley to Divide Meadow (3.2 miles).
Volunteer Opportunity: PRNSA Field Institute
The Point Reyes National Seashore Association needs assistants for their Field Institute classes. You will spend a day training with PRNSA staff, then a couple of times a year you'll select the classes you'd like to help with. Shortly afterwards, you'll receive a confirmation of which ones you've been assigned. As a facilitator, you get to take the class for free. Normally, two facilitators help with every class. Duties include signing in class participants, making coffee (for indoor classes), talking briefly about PRNSA, and generally helping out as needed. I've been volunteering for about a year. It's a great experience to work with other facilitators and get to know the amazing field institute instructors.