Sky–Bear Valley Loop

The 10.8-mile Sky–Bear Valley Loop is a demanding circuit from Bear Valley Trailhead: climb Mount Wittenberg, follow Sky Trail south to Coast Trail, then return north and east through Bear Valley. It moves from dense forest to the more open ridge and back into creekside woodland, making it a good choice if you want one substantial, varied hike. The full circuit takes about four to six hours; five hours is a sensible target before breaks. The line mapped here uses the steeper Mount Wittenberg ascent. Meadow Trail is a separate, slightly easier climb to the same Sky Trail junction.

Bear Valley Trail starts broad and mostly level. After about 0.2 mile, turn right onto Mount Wittenberg Trail and settle into the main climb: about 1,130 feet over 1.8 miles. The Douglas-fir canopy stayed largely intact in the 2020 Woodward Fire, so this stretch is mostly wooded and gives few long views until you reach the ridge. At the Z Ranch junction, stay on Mount Wittenberg Trail; 0.4 mile farther west it meets Sky Trail, about 2.4 miles from the trailhead. The 0.3-mile Mount Wittenberg Summit Trail is an optional spur, but dense Douglas-firs now block the former summit views, so adding it for a panorama is a poor bet. If you would rather ease the climb, take Meadow Trail 0.8 mile from the start. Its 1.6-mile ascent gains about 840 feet and passes a broad meadow, though its views are of nearby wooded hillsides rather than a big overlook.

Turn left onto Sky Trail for 3.9 miles south along Inverness Ridge. The ridge was once hemmed in by huckleberry shrubs; the Woodward Fire cleared much of the brush and lower branches, leaving longer sightlines and a more open walk. Tread narrows in the wilderness section and is mostly compact dirt, with ruts, roots and exposed rocks in places. The west-facing Mount Wittenberg crest can look across the peninsula to the Pacific when skies are clear. For a photo, include a stretch of trail or a tree in the foreground to give the layered ridges scale; do not detour to the summit expecting an open panorama. At the southern junction, turn onto Coast Trail for about half a mile to Bear Valley Trail.

Bear Valley Trail brings you back over a gentle four miles. It first follows Coast Creek to Divide Meadow, where vault toilets are available but there is no potable water. The last 1.6 miles gradually descend along Bear Valley Creek through buckeye, oak and Douglas-fir forest. Water and restrooms are at the trailhead lot, and there are no other facilities before Divide Meadow. Day hikers need no reservation. Pets are not allowed on park trails. Winter is the wettest season; summer fog often lingers into midday, while late September through early November is usually clearer. Keep the park trail map handy: this is a circuit through several named trails, and the junction choices determine whether you complete the loop.