Parking
Use the gravel Trailhead/Picnic Area lot on the east side of the access road, close to Bear Valley Trailhead. The paved visitor-center lot is farther up the road.
Overview
About Woodpecker Nature Trail
Why go
- Meadow-to-forest variety in under an hour
- Look for acorn woodpecker granary trees
Heads up
- Narrow dirt tread with stairs and exposed roots
Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Point Reyes map
Full mapElevation107–270 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 Woodpecker Nature Trail, 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 Woodpecker Nature Trail
A short sampler of Bear ValleyWoodpecker Nature Trail is a roughly 0.
Woodpecker Nature Trail is a roughly 0.8-mile loop from Bear Valley Trailhead, crossing an open meadow before winding through forest beside a willow- and alder-lined creek. Allow 25 to 40 minutes. It’s a good nature break when you want more variety than a flat stroll: the meadow opens across fault-shaped hills, then the trees close in.
Meadow first, forest afterHead west from the trailhead, away from the southbound Bear Valley Trail.
Head west from the trailhead, away from the southbound Bear Valley Trail. The path climbs through grass to a broad Bear Valley view, then winds under Douglas fir and California bay laurel. Roots interrupt the narrow dirt tread, and there are some stairs. Willows and alders mark the creek before the trail emerges near Morgan Horse Ranch. Look for acorn woodpecker granary trees: the birds drill holes in Douglas fir to store acorns, and one tree can hold tens of thousands. At the meadow opening, keep some grass in the foreground against the hills for a photo with depth.
Access and footingUse the gravel Trailhead/Picnic Area lot on the east side of the access road, close to Bear…
Use the gravel Trailhead/Picnic Area lot on the east side of the access road, close to Bear Valley Trailhead; the paved visitor-center lot is farther up. The mapped Morgan Trail connector brings you from the ranch side back toward parking to complete the loop. The path is narrow and uneven, with exposed roots; poison oak, stinging nettle and deer ticks occur in this area. Pets are prohibited.
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.
