Mt Wittenberg Trail
TEMPORARILY CLOSED TO HORSES due to damage and safety concerns from the Woodward Fire. Check current conditions on the NPS website.
Trail length: 2.2 miles
Terrain: slope, oak, fir, bay forests, meadow
Restroom? Yes, at Bear Valley Visitor Center and parking lot
Parking: large parking lot at Bear Valley Visitor Center
Kid friendly? Yes, but the trail has a steep incline
Dates visited: 11/6/18, 4/11/20
Favorite plants on this trail: Douglas Fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii)
Favorite spots:
Walking in the gray mist through Douglas Fir trees dripping with green lichen.
Overlooking the ocean and Drakes bay toward the end of the trail.
Meadow areas at the top of the trail are perfect for stopping to watch the buzz of insects and birds.
Mt. Wittenberg Trail is a steep ascent to the highest point on the Point Reyes peninsula at 1407 feet. Look for the sign to the summit near the intersection with the Z Ranch Trail. The summit is a short hike (0.4 miles) off of the main trail. Mt. Wittenberg summit is covered in fir trees allowing only filtered views through the dense foliage. It doesn’t feel like you’re at the highest point in Point Reyes and it’s unclear exactly where the summit is — many unmarked foot paths circle through the trees of the summit.
The trail is mostly shaded, passing through dense fir, bay and oak forests. The most spectacular part of the Mt Wittenberg Trail is the half mile (0.4) segment running parallel to the Sky Trail toward the Meadow Trail. It’s mostly flat with panoramic views of the ocean to Drakes Bay. When it’s foggy (which is often), the trees appear majestic and surreal as if from a dream. Draped in long strands of green lichen they reveal themselves through the mist. It’s a vision you will not easily forget. See the photo above in the banner at the top of this page, taken near the end of the Mt. Wittenberg trail on March 27, 2015 at 11:44am.
Many loop trail options from Mt. Wittenberg
The Mt. Wittenberg Trail ends at the Sky Trail. Depending on how much time and energy you have, there are a number of trails you can take to return back to the Bear Valley Trail: Meadow (4.6 mile loop), Old Pine (6.8 mile loop), Baldy (9 mile loop). Or, you can follow the Sky Trail until the end where it meets the Coast Trail and take the Coast Trail back to the Bear Valley Trail (10.8 mile loop). Alternately, you can start with one of these trails and end with the Mt. Wittenberg Trail, making it a steep downhill hike rather than a steep uphill one. That said, you will be walking uphill at some point, but the Mt. Wittenberg Trail is the steepest of these trails.
Another option is to head the opposite direction (east) and return to Bear Valley via Z Ranch and the Horse Trail, a 5.7 mile loop; however, you will miss the final scenic 0.4 mile segment of the Mt. Wittenberg trail.
Volunteer Opportunity for Families: Native Plant Seed Collection
Help park staff in collecting native grass seed for use in park restoration and conservation projects. Open to kids age 7 and older accompanied by an adult. You’ll learn to identify native plants and learn when it’s time to collect the seeds.