Whether your eye naturally seeks out the deep green of a conifer or the fresh brightness of new growth or something in between, Greenpicker Trail has the green for you. Thanks to abundant fog enveloping Inverness Ridge, which Greenpicker traverses, the trail also takes users through a fantastical world of forest and fern that lifts the spirits as the path climbs upward to the aptly named Firtop.
To enjoy the seven-mile Greenpicker/Stewart Loop, start at the Five Brooks Trailhead just off Highway 1. Take the wide and generously proportioned Stewart Trail upward about 1.2 miles. Along the way, watch for wildlife, including what seemed to be an entire village of chipmunks searching for snacks in the trailside grasses. When you reach the fork offering a choice between Stewart and Greenpicker, take Greenpicker to the right, a single track clearly marking a road less traveled.
Along the path through ferns and Douglas fir (and the usual abundance of poison oak), the “less traveled” aspect of Greenpicker does include areas prone to deep mud. The stables near the trailhead give a hint of what to expect on trails in the area, and horses are common here. That means a lot of their, well, byproduct and some churn of the substrate from their hooves. Add in moisture from rain or fog, and the result can be a muddy slog.
At about the 3.2-mile mark and the hike’s peak elevation near Firtop of about 1,300 feet, the path reconnects with the Stewart Trail. The rest of the loop is an easy downhill trek back to the trailhead.
Just past the start of this balloon-loop hike, you’ll see a pond. It’s a former mill pond associated with local logging operations, but it’s now a great site for birding and spotting other animals. Those logging operations were part of the Sweet Lumber Co., which took trees in the area during the 1950s and ’60s. Greenpicker itself was once an old logging road that ran steeply and somewhat treacherously down Inverness Ridge. The designation of the Point Reyes National Seashore in 1962 put an end to the logging, and in 2009, the National Park Service reconstructed some of the old road into a trail with a much gentler grade.
On foot, it might not seem that gentle at some points. The elevation gain on this hike is about 1,100 feet, and although low-key switchbacks ease the journey, glutes and quads will report for duty on a couple of stretches.
We loved it, but mud-caked shoes and the occasional muddy slip and slide might not be for everyone. We did not especially love the two occasions where we had pick our way in between the poison oak threatening us trailside to get out of the way of oncoming horses. We did especially love the variegated greens all around us, from the towering canopy of firs to the bright delicately veined maple leaves beneath.
But as that limited number of encounters — only two — implies, this trail was almost devoid of other people (or horses). We had the space to enjoy to ourselves the varied hues of green, with the occasional pop of pink from morning glories and even a peek through the trees at the golden hillsides around us.
Getting there: The Five Brooks Trailhead is just off of Highway 1, about 4.4 miles south of Bear Valley Visitor Center. Dogs are not allowed on the single-track Greenpicker. There are vault toilets at the trailhead, a few picnic tables and what was ample parking the day we were there.
There also seems to have been a car break-in that day, based on window glass and trash on the ground when we returned from our hike, so as always, be sure your valuables are stowed out of sight.
Emily Willingham is a Marin science journalist, book author and biologist. You can find her on Bluesky @ejwillingham or Instagram at emily.willingham.phd.
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