Z Ranch Trail
Trail length: 0.7 miles
Terrain: oak, fir, bay forests, mostly level, soft path with pine needles
Restroom? No
Parking: Closest is Sky Trailhead
Kid friendly? Yes
Dates visited: 11/6/18, 4/11/20
Favorite plants on this trail: Douglas Fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii)
Favorite things:
Walking in the gray mist through Douglas Fir trees dripping with green lichen.
Peeks of Tomales Bay in the distance
Walking on level soft ground covered in pine needles.
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 first time I hiked the Z Ranch Trail, it didn’t stand out as particularly special. The last time I visited was on a misty spring day and it was lushly green and intensely beautiful. The trail cuts through the side of Mt Wittenberg so you are looking up slope at towering firs on one side and sharply downslope at firs on the other. The path is mostly level and easy to hike; it’s covered with a soft layer of pine needles providing soft footing.
The trail is filled with Evergreen Huckleberry (Vaccinium ovatum), Western Sword Fern (Polystichum munitum), Trailing Blackberry (Rubus ursinus), and Red-berried Elder (Sambucus racemosa). On the day I last visited, the grass and shrubs were covered in moist, glistening spider webs.
Misty and clear: the view through the trees
It’s magical hiking among the trees in the mist. Everything feels close and soft, like a veil softly covering the land. When the fog lifts, the view is spectacular and reveals Tomales Bay in the distance.
April mists and autumn dryness
It’s amazing how different a trail can be depending on the time of year! The misty, green photo on the left was taken in April 2020 nearly at the end of the Z Ranch Trail. You can see the trail marker at the left. The photo on the right was taken in early November from the end of the Mt. Wittenberg summit trail. You can see the thinner Z Ranch Trail on the right and the trail marker is just visible in the center where the trails meet.
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.