Become a Woodward Fire Trekker!

Go on an adventure AND help the park monitor ecosystem recovery after a wildfire? Sounds like a win-win!

In 2020, the Woodward Fire burned just over 5,000 acres of Point Reyes National Seashore. In the year following, five photo monitoring points were installed throughout the burn zone at sites that differ in habitat and burn intensity. When you come across one of these points, you are invited to take a photo and submit it to the email listed on the sign. Your photo will be added to all the others taken at this site. You'll receive an email with more information about the site and a timelapse video of the fire recovery, including all the photos taken by community scientists just like you!

Left image
Looking up at the Woodward Valley Trail in December 2020.

Right image
Looking up at the Woodward Valley Trail in April 2023.

Participating is easy! Just follow the simple steps below:

How to Become a Woodward Fire Trekker!

1. Stop by the Bear Valley Visitor Center to pick up a special hiking map with the photo monitoring sites marked on it.
   
   Alternatively, download the NPS App! In the Point Reyes National Seashore section of the app, under Self-Guided Tours you'll find a tour called "Become a Woodward Fire Trekker". Each photo monitoring point and it's coordinates are already available to you [a paper map is still recommended for this option, as in-app directions are insufficient for navigation].

2. Choose your adventure! Feeling hard-core? Make a 15-mile loop and hit all five sites in one hike! Don't want to have all your fun in one day? Break it up into multiple trips to the park.

3. When you arrive at a site, place your smartphone or camera in the gray bracket on top of the post.

4. Snap your photo!

5. When you're back in service, email the photo to the address provided on the signpost. 

6. Enjoy looking at the timelapse and learning about the fire ecology and recovery of that location. 

7. When you've hiked to all five sites, bring your photos to the information desk at the Bear Valley Visitor Center to recieve a limited-edition Woodward Fire Trekker patch! 

Be safe, have fun, and don't forget to stop by the Bear Valley Visitor Center for your limited-edition Woodward Fire Trekker Patch!