A casual stroll through mixed Douglas fir forest and along Bear Valley Creek to an open grassy meadow. Several benches along the way offer great resting spots in the shade. Divide Meadow is a nice place to picnic in the sun. The hike begins at the Bear Valley Trailhead, located at the south end of the Bear Valley Parking Lot. Mt. Wittenberg Loop. Twitter. Distance: approx. 8 km / 5 mi. Distance: 8 km / 5 mi. This hike features a steep 400 meter (1300 feet) climb to the highest point in the park (426 m / 1407 ft), with a few limited views of the seashore and Olema Valley near the ridge crest. The loop passes through a dense mixed Douglas fir and oak forest and several open meadows. Start at the Bear Valley Trailhead and follow the Bear Valley Trail south for 0.3 km (0.2 mi.). Turn right on to the Mt. Wittenberg Trail and climb all the way to the Z Ranch-Mt. Wittenberg trail junction along the ridge crest. From this junction, a 0.6 km (0.4 mi.) trail leads to the summit of Mt. Wittenberg. 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. From the Z Ranch-Mt. Wittenberg trail junction, one may turn north along the Z Ranch Trail and then follow the Horse Trail back to the trailhead. Or, if one continues along Mt. Wittenberg Trail to the junction with the Meadow and Sky trails, 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 to the Bear Valley Trail. Turn left to return to the Bear Valley Trailhead.
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