Parking
Use the free gravel Trailhead and Picnic Area lot beside Bear Valley Trailhead, on the east side of the access road. The park asks visitors to use it instead of the paved visitor-center lot.
Overview
About Bear Valley Forest Loop
Why go
- Shaded forest, a ridge crossing, and open Divide Meadow
- Restrooms and water at the trailhead
Heads up
- A sustained climb before the ridge views
- Dense firs block views from the separate summit spur
Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Point Reyes map
Full mapElevation105–1,263 ft
Plan your hike
Before you go
Parking
Safety
4 active Point Reyes alerts
- CautionMount Wittenberg Trail closed to equestriansMentions Mount Wittenberg Trail, referenced in this guideMount Wittenberg Trail is closed to all equestrians until further notice; keep stock off the trail. - The closure is due to a failed retaining wall damaged during the Woodward Fire that needs repair.Official details
- ClosureOld Tocaloma/Platform Bridge closed to vehiclesDo not drive across the Old Tocaloma/Platform Bridge; it is closed to all vehicular traffic until further notice.Official details
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Point Reyes Tour Guide
Your drive to Bear Valley Forest Loop, narrated.
Parkwolf is a GPS audio tour guide for Point Reyes National Seashore. As you drive, it chimes in with what’s ahead: hidden gems, upcoming stops, history, geology, and wildlife, right through your car’s speakers.
Recorded for this area
Bear Valley Visitor Center0:00 / 0:32
“You're coming up on Bear Valley Visitor Center, a useful place to sort out your day before heading to the outer coast.”
Plays on the road 0.1 mi from the trailhead in the Parkwolf Point Reyes Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- The Horses That Still Work Here
- The Ocean's Hidden Food Supply
- The Beads That Traveled Inland
- A Tree Full of Acorns
- 61 audio storiesacross Point Reyes’s roads, triggered by GPS as you drive
- Wildlife heatmapsfor Northern Elephant Seal, Grey Whale, Humpback Whale, and 13 more
- Works offlinemaps, 65 trails, 41 places, and audio download before you lose signal
- CarPlay readysimple controls built for the drive
“Fantastic app with many points of information… It’s great to just turn on while you’re driving and it gives you an audio tour of the national Park. We love it!!!!”
Trail guide
Hiking Bear Valley Forest Loop
A wooded ridge loopThe 7.1-mile Bear Valley Forest Loop makes a full circuit from Bear Valley Trailhead.
The 7.1-mile Bear Valley Forest Loop makes a full circuit from Bear Valley Trailhead. Follow Bear Valley Trail for 0.2 mile, climb Mount Wittenberg Trail to Inverness Ridge, then turn south on Sky Trail and descend Old Pine to Divide Meadow before returning on Bear Valley. Allow about four hours. This is the longer Old Pine version; a 4.9-mile option uses Meadow Trail instead.
Climb, crest, and descentThe opening Bear Valley section is broad and mostly gentle, but Mount Wittenberg is a…
The opening Bear Valley section is broad and mostly gentle, but Mount Wittenberg is a sustained, forested climb. The route reaches its high point near Z Ranch junction at about 1,270 feet. A separate 0.3-mile spur goes to Mount Wittenberg’s summit, where dense firs block most views. The ridge itself can open west toward the peninsula and Pacific when visibility allows. Old Pine drops through forest, with moss and mushrooms in its moister stretches, then reaches the grassy clearing at Divide Meadow. Expect compacted dirt and some ruts, exposed roots, and rocks.
Starting detailsUse the free gravel Trailhead and Picnic Area lot beside Bear Valley Trailhead rather than the…
Use the free gravel Trailhead and Picnic Area lot beside Bear Valley Trailhead rather than the paved visitor-center lot. Restrooms and potable water are at the trailhead; Divide Meadow has a vault toilet but no potable water. Dogs aren’t allowed on the park’s hiking trails.
Wildlife
Wildlife in Point Reyes
2,552 sightingsNorthern Elephant SealMost seen around 11 AMSighting map
127 sightingsGrey WhaleMost seen around noonSighting map
109 sightingsHumpback WhaleMost seen around 10 AMSighting map
29 sightingsSteller Sea LionMost seen around noonSighting map
203 sightingsCalifornia Sea LionMost seen around noonSighting map
352 sightingsHarbor SealMost seen around 7 AMSighting mapSighting maps show where each species has been reported across Point Reyes. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.
