Sky - Z Ranch Loop
Trail length: 4.1 miles, lollipop loop (in the shape of a deflated balloon)
Terrain: forest
Restroom? No
Parking: Very small parking lot
Dates visited: 11/6/2018
Favorite plants on this trail: Douglas Fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii)
Trails: Sky, Horse, Z Ranch, Mt Wittenberg
Park at the Sky Trailhead off Limantour Road
Hike Sky Trail 0.8 miles to the Horse Trail
Take Horse Trail 0.4 miles to Z Ranch Trail.
Turn right and hike the entire Z Ranch Trail 0.7 miles to Mt Wittenberg Trail. It’s uphill for about two-thirds of the way.
Turn right and hike Mt Wittenberg Trail toward Sky Trail for 0.4 miles.
Turn right on the Sky Trail and return 1.8 miles to the trailhead.
The hike is level or downhill from the last third of the Z Ranch Trail to the end. Alternatively, reverse the loop for more rigorous ups and downs throughout the hike.
On a misty day, this hike is a transcendent experience. On a clear day, the views are extraordinary. On a perfect day, you would experience fog on the Sky, Horse and Z Ranch Trails clearing to blue sky as you reach the Mt. Wittenberg Trail allowing you to enjoy views all the way to the ocean.
About the trails
Sky Trail is the misty spine of Bear Valley. It's a gorgeous, forested trail and connects with many popular trails such as Woodward Valley, Bear Valley, and the Coast Trail. On most days, you'll be treated to shrouded misty views through towering firs and bay trees, and you'll likely get wet from the dripping fog in this verdant rainforest.
The Horse Trail parallels Limantour Road and has peeks of the rolling hills looking toward Point Reyes Station. This shaded forest provides a home to moisture-loving mushrooms and lichens as well as hazelnuts (Corylus cornuta), Red-berried Elder (Sambucus racemose), and barberries (Berberis).
The Z Ranch Trail runs parallel to the Sky Trail between the Horse Trail and the Mt. Wittenberg Trail. It’s a lovely, shaded trail with a mostly level fir-lined path. The trail is filled with Evergreen Huckleberry (Vaccinium ovatum), Western Sword Fern (Polystichum munitum), Trailing Blackberry (Rubus ursinus), and Red-berried Elder (Sambucus racemosa).
The Mt Wittenberg 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.
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 since 2017. It's a great experience to work with other facilitators and get to know the amazing field institute instructors.