If you like seeing some of the tallest trees on earth, pristine hiking paths, and stunning redwood forests with ferns and all sorts of unique flora… then absolutely! If you prefer a little more space to yourself while forest bathing amongst redwoods, there are plenty of other redwood forests in Northern California to choose from.
However, having been to nearly all the redwood forests in the greater San Francisco area , I can acknowledge Muir Woods is truly something special. Depending on traffic conditions, it usually takes about one hour to get from downtown San Francisco to Muir Woods. It could be less if you are visiting on a weekday during a non-trafficky time, when it would take about 45 mintes. This entirely depends on what you plan on doing, and what else you have on your itinerary for the day!
In general, you could do a loop of the main hiking trail of Muir Woods and a few little side loops quite easily with an hour or two. However, since getting to Muir Woods can be a bit of a pain due to parking and shuttle reservations, you probably want to make the most of it with a longer day.
If you do some other longer hikes, like the Bootjack Hike or the difficult but beautiful Dipsea Trail, you could easily spend all day in Muir Woods! Tamalpais hikes! If you have your own car, that is the easiest way to get to Muir Woods, especially if you can go on a weekday when there are more spots available in the park.
Parking on the weekends can be a hassle, as your reservation does not necessarily guarantee you a fixed parking spot — you must wait to find an open one and snag it. If you do not have access to a car, then I would suggest a guided tour if you want to visit on a weekday, and the shuttle bus if you plan to visit on a weekend.
The shuttle bus only runs on weekends, so if you want to visit Muir Woods without a car on a weekday, a guided tour is your only option.
Muir Woods now charges an entrance fee at the park entrance it used to be free, but no longer! However, if you have an America the Beautiful Park Pass which I strongly recommend if you visit one or more national parks per year!
In the case of Muir Woods, since you do not drive into the park, an America the Beautiful pass grants entry to the one pass holder plus three others in their party.
Note that there is no WiFi or cell service in Muir Woods. Muir Woods is all about the coastal redwoods Sequoia sempervirens! This is not to be confused with the giant sequoia, the Sequoiadendron giganteum. If you are traveling with an oversize vehicle like a campervan or RV, there are limited spots available for these types of cars. There are medium spots for cars feet and large spots feet.
Cars longer than 35 feet are not able to park here. A quick note about parking: your Muir Woods parking reservation does not actually mean that you have a dedicated spot waiting for you at your specific time. Bridge 3 Loop : Take the main trail all the way to Bridge 3. Cross the bridge and head to your left. You will again walk all the way to the end, cross Bridge 1 and return to the main trail.
This loop is about 1 mile and takes about an hour. Bridge 4 Loop : Walk the main trail all the way to end which is where you will find Bridge 4. Walk across the bridge and take a left to head back to the entrance. After that, you will along this second path all the way to Bridge 1. After you cross this bridge, you will be back on the main trail near the park entrance. This loop is about 2 miles and takes about one and a half hours. Other Redwoods Near SF : Are you looking for additional options to check out the redwoods during your visit?
Check out my list of other options nearby including what to expect from your visit and how far away they are from SF. In addition to the flat, wooden walking paths, there are also several great hiking paths within the park. The acre park has a total of 6 miles worth of trails. The four additional miles are unpaved routes that take you up and down hills. Once you reach the edges of the park, many of these trails link up with longer trails on Mount Tamalpais.
If you want to learn more about these routes, you can pick up a hiking map at the entrance to Muir Woods National Park. It's the perfect place to relax or fuel up either before or after your hikes. There are picnic tables outside it. The retail store hours are from 9 am and also close 1 hour before the park closes. Everyone 15 and under gets in free. The park is open every day of the year including holidays. The park's hours change based on the season and when the sun goes down.
It's currently open from 8 am to 6 pm daily. Many people opt to take a tour to Muir Woods National Park. This option saves you the hassle of renting a car for the day and dealing with bay area traffic. It also means you don't have to fight for parking, which is really difficult here on the weekends and during the busy summer months. Since Muir Woods isn't that far from SF, most people stop in Sausalito either before or after their visit.
This tour combines a trip to both. It also includes a minute narrated cruise around the bay. This full day tour lasts around 9 hours and is full of activities. The next best option aside from the tours to get to Muir Woods National Park is to drive. This place offers over 6 miles of hiking trails some of which connect with the neighboring Mt. Tamalpais State Park. The trails throughout Muir Woods are flat and super easy, so you will be fine even if you are not a very advanced hiker.
If you simply want to see the redwoods, you can walk around Redwood Creek Trail. However, if you want to avoid the crowds and are not afraid of a more strenuous hike, take Canopy View Trail. Taking a guided tour of Muir Woods or combining it with other landmarks in the Bay Area is a great idea for those who want to avoid the traffic.
While all hiking trails at Muir Woods begin at the wooden boardwalk, you can easily recognize Canopy View Trail by the set of wooden stairs that snakes uphill. The meandering dirt trail has a steep incline at the beginning and takes you along the beautiful landscape.
The Lost Trail also provides access to Mt. As you reach the bottom of Fern Canyon, you will have an option to hike along with the log that sits above the creek and provides access to Redwood Canyon. If you decide to continue your hike without going to Redwood Canyon, you will simply follow the creek downstream.
If you decide to hike along Redwood Creek Trail, the most popular destination, you will have a chance to visit several groves located along the way: Founders Grove with the biggest tree along the whole trail; Cathedral Grove and Bohemian Grove all of which are populated with amazing redwood trees.
As you walk along Redwood Creek Trail, you will pass four bridges that feature mile markers and tell you exactly where you are. Accessible as part of the main trail are a half-mile loop, one-mile loop, and two-mile loop. Bridge 2 Loop will take you to Bridge 1 and set you a little bit back exactly where you started. This hike will take you around the path where you will find the Bridge Tree. This is a perfect photo spot, so make sure to keep your eyes peeled for those hollow redwood trunks!
This trail is pretty flat so if you are not a very advanced hiker, this is a perfect opportunity to take some cool photos and get some exercise. Bridge 3 Loop will also take you to Bridge 1 if you walk to the end. Since Bridge 3 is located further along the main walkway, it will take you about 1 hour to complete.
This is hands down one of the most popular Muir Woods hiking trails if you want to enjoy these majestic trees. To do this hike, you will need at least a couple of hours. To do Bridge 3 Loop, go along the wooden boardwalk for about 10 minutes after you have paid the entrance fee. Bridge 4 Loop starts at the end of the main trail. The loop is about 2 miles and will take you between 1 and 1,5 hours to complete depending on your pace. This is the longest trail within Joh Muir National Monument and compared to the two previous trails it offers plenty of physical challenges.
Since the trail goes up to Mount Tamalpais, I would personally recommend this trail over the other two, since it boasts the most scenic route.
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