Old-growth coast redwoods in a hushed canyon, 30 minutes from the Golden Gate.
Photo: Matthew Dillon from Hollywood, CA, USA · CC BY 2.0 · via Wikimedia Commons
Just twelve miles north of the Golden Gate Bridge, a fern-lined canyon shelters one of the most accessible old-growth coast redwood forests on Earth. Muir Woods is the easy redwood day trip — the valley floor is flat, the loops are short, and anyone can stand beneath trees that average 600 to 800 years old, with the oldest at least 1,200. The tallest tree here measures 258 feet. Cathedral Grove, where the park asks you for silence, is the emotional center; longer trails climb the canyon walls into adjacent Mount Tamalpais State Park for those who want more.
The forest exists because of conservation, not luck. William and Elizabeth Kent bought the canyon in 1905 for $45,000, and when a water company moved in 1907 to dam it for a reservoir, the Kents handed the land to the federal government — which ended the lawsuit. Theodore Roosevelt proclaimed the 295 acres a national monument on 9 January 1908, the first monument ever created from land donated by private citizens, and named it, at Kent's insistence, for naturalist John Muir. Endangered coho salmon still spawn in Redwood Creek each winter.
The single most important thing to know: if you are driving, you cannot just show up and park. A parking reservation is required in advance, year-round, seven days a week, at GoMuirWoods.com — no walk-up parking is sold on-site, and shuttle riders need a reserved seat too. The approach road is narrow and winding, and there is no cell service at the monument, so download your reservation before you leave the highway. The canyon stays cool and often foggy even in summer, so bring a layer. Dogs aren't allowed.
The road in is most of this monument's character. You leave US-101 almost immediately, climb the shoulder of Mount Tamalpais on pavement barely wide enough for two cars, then drop into a canyon so deep and so shaded that the temperature falls as you descend. It is a lovely stretch of road and a demanding one, and not a trip you want to make twice in a day — which is why the parking or shuttle reservation gets booked before you turn the key.
Off US-101 north of the Golden Gate and up over the shoulder of Mount Tamalpais on narrow, winding roads with limited passing. It is a good drive and a slow one, and it is not the sort of road to be reversing on. Length matters here: no vehicle over 35 feet is allowed in at all, and buses over 30 feet have to come the long way, in from CA-1 on Frank Valley Road, because Muir Woods Road itself is too tight for them.
The coast highway runs past the turn-off and on to Stinson Beach and Point Reyes. Coming in from the coast rather than the freeway makes the monument part of a day rather than an errand.
The park's own warning is that these roads are steep with sharp turns — tight enough that they cap the size of bus allowed in. There are no bike lanes either, so expect to meet cyclists in your lane on blind corners. Take it slowly; there is nothing to gain by hurrying the final stretch.
TipBook the shuttle rather than a parking space if you can — it runs from the Larkspur Ferry Terminal on weekends and takes the narrow road out of the equation entirely.
The road past the monument carries on over the ridge and drops to the ocean, which turns a one-hour visit into a proper day. Mount Tamalpais State Park is on the same roads.
TipGo early for your reservation slot and head coastward afterward. Fog is normal on this coast in summer, and the canyon floor stays cool whatever the forecast says.
The flagship walk — flat paved and boardwalk loops along Redwood Creek, turning back at Bridge 2 (half a mile), Bridge 3 (1 mile) or Bridge 4 (2 miles). The easy, accessible way to stand beneath the old-growth giants.
Insider tipFour of the trail's aging footbridges are being replaced between 2026 and 2028, so a given loop can be detoured — check the park's alerts page the morning you go.
Plan a trip to this spot →The hushed signature grove about half a mile up the trail, home to the tallest and oldest redwoods in the monument. The park manages it as a silent preserve.
Insider tipKeep voices low and phones away; the stillness is the point.
Plan a trip to this spot →The stretch of forest that shows you how a redwood actually lives — fire-scarred trunks, burls, and a nurse log feeding the next generation. One tree's fire scar is big enough to stand inside, which is why everybody stops here for a photo.
Insider tipNamed for the San Francisco Bohemian Club, a group of newspapermen, artists, actors and musicians who camped in these woods in September 1892.
Plan a trip to this spot →Endangered coho salmon push up Redwood Creek to spawn from about December into January, with steelhead following from late January into early March. Very few salmon runs left in California sit this close to a major city.
Insider tipWatch from the footbridges, and look one to three days after a rainstorm. Don't disturb fish on the gravel; those are nests.
Plan a trip to this spot →For more than the valley floor — the Hillside Trail runs the east wall above the crowds, while the steeper Ben Johnson and Dipsea trails climb into Mount Tamalpais State Park. The Ben Johnson–Dipsea loop is about 4 miles and 3 hours in summer, and a mile longer in winter.
Insider tipThese turn to dirt, narrow, and steep — wear real shoes and expect a workout for the views.
Plan a trip to this spot →Where you learn how the grove was saved — bought by the Kents in 1905, handed to the government in 1907 to stop a reservoir, and proclaimed a monument by Theodore Roosevelt in January 1908.
Insider tipStart here for orientation, current trail conditions, and the seasonal salmon updates. Loaner wheelchairs are available first-come, first-served.
Plan a trip to this spot →Cool coastal California — mild, damp winters (nearly all the rain falls November–March, peaking around 9 inches in December and January) and a bone-dry summer. But the highs you'll read for Marin overstate the canyon: Muir Woods sits in a deep, shaded gorge under a closed redwood canopy that holds cool, moist air all day, and summer coastal fog rolls in often. Bring a layer even on a warm day.
The reservation is the whole game — no walk-up parking, ever. Book parking or a shuttle seat first.
About 12 miles / 30–45 minutes north of the Golden Gate Bridge via US-101 and CA-1; the final road is narrow and winding. Book at GoMuirWoods.com, where spaces are sold by vehicle length: standard under 17 ft ($10), medium 17–22 ft ($30), large 22–35 ft ($45). Nothing over 35 feet is allowed in at all. Your slot carries a 30-minute arrival window, so leave margin for the last few miles, and oversized spaces are capped at one hour forty-five minutes from arrival to departure.
The shuttle now runs from one place only — the Larkspur Ferry Terminal — on Fridays through Sundays and federal holidays from early spring into September, then Saturdays and Sundays in October. The old Sausalito departure was cut for 2026. It's $4 round trip for adults, free for kids 15 and under, and the seat has to be reserved at GoMuirWoods.com like everything else. Pair it with the Golden Gate Ferry from San Francisco to Larkspur for a genuinely car-free day.
No lodging — strictly a day trip.
The most common launch point, ~30–45 minutes away by car, or by ferry to Larkspur plus the reserved shuttle.
Booking tipEasy to pair with a Marin or city day.
Charming Marin towns minutes from the canyon road — Mill Valley sits right at the foot of Mount Tam.
Booking tipBoth are short drives to the monument, but note the shuttle no longer picks up in either one — it runs from Larkspur.
What's the entrance fee?
$15 per adult (16 and older); children under 16 are free, and the America the Beautiful pass is accepted. A Muir Woods annual pass is $45. This is separate from the parking or shuttle reservation fee.
Do I really need a reservation?
If you're driving or riding the shuttle, yes — absolutely. Parking starts at $10 for a standard vehicle and must be reserved in advance at GoMuirWoods.com, seven days a week, year-round; your slot comes with a 30-minute arrival window. No walk-up parking is sold on-site — this is the most common way visits go wrong. There are EV charging spaces ($13 plus a $3 charging fee) if you book one.
How do I get there?
About 12 miles / 30–45 minutes north of the Golden Gate Bridge via US-101 to CA-1; the final road is narrow and winding. Or go car-free: Golden Gate Ferry to Larkspur, then the reserved seasonal shuttle. Download your reservation and your map before you go — there is no cell service at the monument, which also means you can't call a rideshare for the trip back.
When should I go to beat the crowds?
Weekdays and the off-season are quietest, and the first slot after the 8 a.m. opening is the calmest hour of any day. Late afternoon works too, though the park closes around sunset.
Is it accessible?
Largely, yes. There's a raised accessible boardwalk from the entrance through Founders Grove, and nearly two miles of firm, flat trail on the valley floor, with a second boardwalk section past Cathedral Grove. The asphalt stretch between them has cracks and potholes from tree roots. Accessible parking and restrooms are at the entrance, and the visitor center loans wheelchairs first-come, first-served. The hillside trails are not accessible.
Can I bring my dog?
No — only service animals are allowed in Muir Woods. Bikes aren't permitted on the trails either, and eating is limited to the plaza before the forest entrance or the cafe patio, so there's no picnicking among the trees. Muir Beach and the Bootjack picnic area have tables if you want one.
Pick your vehicle, line up the stops on the way in and out, and carry the whole route in your pocket.
