A scenic round trip at Point Reyes National Seashore: Bear Valley Trail, Coast Trail, Sky Trail, and Old Pine Trail

View of cliffs and Drakes Bay from Coast Trail

If you are planning a round trip from the Bear Valley Visitor Center that includes forest meadows, coastal landmarks as well as a mountain ridge, the Point Reyes trail network provides various options. 

Inverness Ridge, having Mount Wittenberg (elevation: 1407 ft, 428 m) as its highest point, stretches from the north-west of the Point Reyes peninsula to the south-east, such that the visitor center is located north of the ridge and the coast on its southwest side. Therefore, any round trip requires traveling a certain section along the ridge trail, named Sky Trail.  

Inverness Ridge: Sky Trail

At the end of October this year, I hiked south on Bear Valley Trail to Divide Meadow (1.6 miles from the visitor center).

Divide Meadow

At Divide Meadow, I started the round trip by continuing south on Bear Valley Trail (for 2.4 miles)—a riparian trail with tree tunnel sections.

Lots of shade along Bear Valley Trail

Where the Bear Valley Trail meets the Coast Trail, I was going north on a short section of the Coast Trail (for 0.5 miles)—arguable the most picturesque section of the loop hike with its views of endless coastal cliffs and sea rocks.

Coastal features around Drakes Bay

Fire recovery on Inverness Ridge

To complete the round trip from the Sky Trail/Coast Trail junction, you want to cintinue north on the Sky Trail (for 2.8 miles) and then returning to Divide Meadow via the Pine Trail (1.9 miles). With the loop total of  7.6 miles and forth-and-back to Divide Meadow adding 3.2 miles, the overall hike takes 10.8 miles. 

Old Pine Trail

View of Bolinas Ridge from Old Pine Trail

In case you are including a side trip to Kelham Beach (0.5 miles one-way, start at Sky Trail/Coast Trail junction), your grand total will almost be 12 miles. A wonderful day hike with plenty of time to relax at and explore sites of interest and inhale at ease while resting at selected vista points. 

“Busy” Kelham Beach and Drakes Bay 

Kelham Beach Trail, Point Reyes National Seashore

Kelham Beach with Drakes Bay and whale bone explorers

Kelham Beach Trail is a short trail that connects the Point Reyes Coast Trail with a scenic beach on the east side of Drakes Bay in California. On your way north from the Sky Trail/Coast Trail junction, you can't miss the “lonely” eucalyptus tree. That is from where a short path and steps lead down to Kelhalm Beach.

Kelham Beach is a 0.9-mile-long strip of sand between cliffs and ocean water. Looking around, you will find evidence of cliff crumbling, sliding, and falling rocks. Water is seeping or dripping down at wall sites. A short walk from the trail access point (apparently the only point of refuge when high tide water or giant waves are coming in) to the south brings you to a small waterfall. 

When I was visiting Kelham Beach on a beautiful day at the end of October in 2023, I found a gray whale skull and various bones on the beach. Not being a biologist, I only assumed those to be whale bones. Asking a ranger at the Bear Valley Visitor Center, I was told they are gray whale bones. The exhibit area in the visitor center actually features a gray whale skull und bones, which looked similar to what I had seen at Kelham Beach.   

Kelham Beach with gray whale skull and sea birds

Close-up look at gray whale skull

Gray whale bones as seen when coming down the trail

Gray whale bones neatly arranged

Point Reyes is roughly located mid-way on the migration route of the Eastern Pacific Gray Whale between the Bering Sea and Cabo San Lucas at the “entrance” to the Gulf of California.

Gray whale migration map at the Bear Valley Visitor Center in the Point Reyes National Seashore preserve

Further reading and exploring

[1] Kelham Beach. National Park Service. URL: https://www.nps.gov/places/point-reyes-kelham-beach.htm.

[2] Kelham Beach Trail. Point Reyes Nature. URL: https://www.pointreyesnature.com/kelham-beach.