Parking
Sky Trailhead on Limantour Road. The gravel lot holds about 10 vehicles; limited overflow is on nearby shoulders. Park with every tire off the pavement and do not block the westbound lane.
Overview
About Sky–Woodward Valley–Fire Lane Loop
Why go
- Woodward Valley opens to broad ocean views; Fire Lane looks toward Drakes Bay.
- Water and vault toilets are available at Sky Camp and Coast Camp.
Heads up
- Steep climbing and descending make the 9.5 miles strenuous.
- The small Sky Trailhead lot has limited overflow parking.
Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Point Reyes map
Full mapElevation74–1,091 ft
Plan your hike
Before you go
Parking
Safety
4 active Point Reyes alerts
- 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
- ClosurePalomarin Beach Trail closedPalomarin Beach Trail is closed to all visitors, employees, and residents until further notice; do not use the trail. - The trail is closed because unstable and failing sections have made it unsafe.Official details
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Point Reyes Tour Guide
Your drive to Sky–Woodward Valley–Fire Lane 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
Sky Trailhead and Mount Wittenberg0:00 / 0:20
“You're approaching Sky Trailhead, the gentler start for a five-mile loop over Mount Wittenberg, the peninsula's highest point.”
Plays near this trailhead in the Parkwolf Point Reyes Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- The Cone with a Mouse Tail
- When the Tide Returned
- The Winter Salmon Run
- Laguna Trailhead and Coast Loop
- 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 Sky–Woodward Valley–Fire Lane Loop
A coast-to-ridge loopThis 9.
This 9.5-mile loop starts at Sky Trailhead, follows Sky Trail south to Woodward Valley, descends to Coast Trail, then returns by Fire Lane and Sky. Allow four to six hours; five is a sensible plan. It is a strenuous circuit rather than a beach walk: much of the route is wooded, then the last half-mile of Woodward opens across coastal grassland to the ocean. Fire Lane brings views toward Drakes Bay on the long climb back inland.
Down through Woodward ValleyThe first 2.6 miles on Sky Trail stay mostly in the woods, with limited ocean views.
The first 2.6 miles on Sky Trail stay mostly in the woods, with limited ocean views. The northern 1.4 miles are a broad dirt-and-gravel road; farther on, the route narrows to old ranch road and single-track. Sky Camp is about 1.3 miles from the start and has potable water and vault toilets. Turn onto Woodward Valley for a steep, roughly 800-foot descent over two miles. It begins in forest and ends in open grassland and coastal scrub. Tall grass can cover parts of the narrow trail in season. At the last half-mile, the ocean-facing view is the standout: include some of the grass in the foreground to show how the path opens onto the coast.
Coast Camp and the climb backAt Coast Trail, turn north for about 0.8 mile to Coast Camp, then continue another 0.
At Coast Trail, turn north for about 0.8 mile to Coast Camp, then continue another 0.1 mile to Fire Lane. Coast Camp has water and vault toilets; there is no food stop on the loop. Fire Lane climbs through coastal scrub, with Drakes Bay views opening behind you. After about a mile, at the Laguna junction, bear right to stay on Fire Lane; the remaining 2.3 miles gain about 600 feet through denser forest before the trail rejoins Sky for the walk back to the trailhead.
Access and effortSky Trailhead is a small gravel lot with space for about ten vehicles and limited shoulder…
Sky Trailhead is a small gravel lot with space for about ten vehicles and limited shoulder overflow. If parking on the shoulder, keep every tire off the pavement and leave the westbound lane clear. No reservation is required for this day hike; a park entrance fee may apply. Pets are prohibited on the route. The climb and descent are steep, and narrow wilderness sections can be overgrown, especially in the growing season. Check the park's trail advisories before setting out for current conditions.
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.
