Mount Wittenberg from Bear Valley

Distance: 4.8 to 6.5 miles (7.7 to 10.4 km) roundtrip, strenuous The hikes described on this page featuresteep 400 meter (1300 feet) climbs to Mount Wittenberg, the highest point on the Point Reyes Peninsula at 1407 feet (426 meters) in elevation, with a few limited views of the ocean and Olema Valley near the ridge crest. These routes passthrough a dense mixed Douglas fir and oak forest and a few open meadows. These routes are alsomostlywithin the Phillip Burton Wilderness . Please practice Leave No Trace principles. Start at the Bear Valley Trailhead and follow the relatively flat Bear Valley Trail south through a meadow for 0.2 miles (0.3 km), passing into the Phillip Burton Wilderness. Turn right on to the MountWittenberg Trail and ascendthrough the forest, passing through a few meadows, for a distance of 1.8 miles (2.9 km)to the MountWittenberg-Z Ranch trail junction, which is located in a meadow along the ridge crest. From this junction, the 0.3-mile-long (0.5-kilometer-long) Mount Wittenberg Summit Trailleads, as its name suggests, to the summit of MountWittenberg. The once unobstructed views from near the summit have, since 2000, become obstructed by dense Douglas fir thickets that sprouted shortly after the 1995 Vision Fire . While the 2020 Woodward Fire burned through much of the forest around Mount Wittenberg, the view-obstructing Douglas fir thickets were largely left unscathed. Return back to the Mount Wittenberg-Z Ranch trail junction where there are a few options to return to the trailhead: Retrace your route back to the Bear Valley trailhead for a total of 4.8 miles(7.7 km)roundtrip. Returnvia the Meadow Trail for a 5.4-mile-long (8.6-km-long) loop. From the Mount Wittenberg-Z Ranch trail junction, continue westalong the Mount Wittenberg Trail for 0.4 miles (0.6 km) to its junction with the Meadow and Sky trails. Along this section of trail, one may be rewarded (weather dependent) with views looking west across the peninsula to the Pacific Ocean. From the Meadow-Sky trail junction, descend the Meadow Trail through forest and a couple meadows for 1.6 miles (2.6 miles) to the Bear Valley Trail. Turn left and follow Bear Valley Creek downstream for 0.8 miles (1.3 km) to return to the Bear Valley Trailhead. Returnvia the Horse Trail for a 6.5-mile-long (10.4-km-long) loop. From the Mount Wittenberg-Z Ranch trail junction, turn north and follow the Z Ranch Trail through a thicket of Douglas fir for 0.7 miles (1.2 km) to the Horse Trail. Turn right and follow the Horse Trail downhill for 2.4 miles (3.8 miles) to its junction with the Morgan Trail. Along this section, there are a few gaps in the forest canopy that provide views to the north of Inverness Ridge and Bolinas Ridge and just a little bit of Tomales Bay. Turn right and follow the Morgan Trail around the west side of the Morgan Horse Ranch to return to the Bear Valley Trailhead. This route description alone is not a substitute for a trail map. Print out the Point Reyes National Seashore's South District trail map (3,422 KB PDF) before your visit, or pick one up at the Bear Valley Visitor Center on your way. Always check current conditions before heading out into the park and familiarize yourself with park regulations . Please practice Leave No Trace principles. Visit the park's Hiking at Point Reyes National Seashore page for hiking tips and information about trail etiquette and safety. Visit the park's Trail Advisories and Closures page for current information about closed trails, trails blocked by trees, or other temporary hazards or advisories.