Kule Loklo means "Bear Valley." It's a replica Coast Miwok village in Point Reyes National Seashore, a short walk from the Bear Valley Visitor Center.
Who built it
The Coast Miwok lived in what is now Marin and southern Sonoma counties for thousands of years before Europeans arrived, the National Park Service says. Kule Loklo was created in the 1970s by the Miwok Archeological Preserve of Marin as a tribute to them, according to Wikipedia.
In 1992 an arsonist destroyed the ceremonial roundhouse. With community support, a larger one replaced it in 1993. Wikipedia notes the roundhouse was in disrepair as of 2022.
The walk
- Distance: 0.8 miles round trip, per the NPS. Allow about 20 minutes, plus time to look around or picnic.
- Trailhead: north end of the Bear Valley parking lot, about 110 yards from the visitor center
- Interpretive signs describe Coast Miwok culture and the village structures.
- You can return the same way or loop back on the Morgan Trail past the Morgan Horse Ranch.
- No pets at Kule Loklo or on the trails that lead to it.
The NPS asks visitors to check trail advisories and current conditions before heading out.
The Coast Miwok today
The NPS says the federal government terminated recognition of the Coast Miwok and many other tribes by 1958. After more than 40 years, legislation signed in December 2000 restored full federal recognition to the Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria, formerly the Federated Coast Miwok.