Top Three Best Ways to Visit the Muir Woods

The Muir Woods Redwood Forest near San Francisco is an all-around beautiful place to explore. It’s a great place for hiking, and the trails are mostly well-marked. The San Francisco Redwoods are giant and really old! You probably have a lot of questions about the Redwood Forest near San Francisco like why is the Redwood Forest famous. We get it, below you’ll discover more about the San Francisco Redwoods, why you might want to explore them, and, most importantly, how to get there!

Top Three Best Ways to Visit the Muir Woods

Discover Muir Woods, the incredible Redwood Forest near San Francisco. The park is full of well-signposted trails and provides a unique opportunity to connect with the San Francisco redwoods. You can even combine a Muir Woods Tour from San Francisco, with a Golden Gate Bridge tour or a visit to the charming Sausalito.

In 1908, using the powers of the Antiquities Act, then-President Theodore Roosevelt established Muir Woods a National Monument. The conservation area – donated by Congressman William Kent – is maintained by the government and is one of the best places to see Redwood Sequoias just outside of San Francisco.

Seeing a giant millenary tree up close is an unforgettable experience. While the redwoods near San Francisco found in Muir Woods are not as wide as the Giant Sequoias in Sequoia National Park or Yosemite Park – they are taller and even more impressive. These trees are why the redwood forest is so famous!

What’s so special about Muir Woods?

Muir Woods is not just another place of natural beauty – The Redwoods trees found in the park and along the coast of California are the tallest living on Earth.

The average age of the coastal redwoods at Muir Woods is between 600 to 800 years – the oldest is at least 1200 years old – and the tallest one is about 258 feet. Sequoias can live up to 2200 years and, due to their size and long-lived trees, they play an essential role in the maintenance of plant and animal life.

With all this grandeur you will feel small amidst the immensity of the San Francisco redwood forest and privileged to live a unique and special experience.

How to get to Muir Woods?

Visiting Muir Woods requires minimal transportation planning, especially during the summer and weekends. Driving to the park can be a little chaotic since parking spots are super limited, the roads are winding and practically non-existent internet signal.

But these are no reasons for you to give up visiting the park! Here are the options of transportation we recommend:

1. Muir Woods & Sausalito Tour

This enthralling half-day Muir Woods Tour from San Francisco takes you across the Golden Gate Bridge to the Bay Area’s most popular national monument and Sausalito, the prettiest village in California. The tour duration is approximately 4.5 hours.

Includes:

– Transport by luxury air-conditioned coach with a professional tour guide who will tell you interesting facts about the history of the park.
– Driving across Golden Gate Bridge
– Admission to Muir Woods ($15 value)
– 90 min free time in the Muir Wood National Park to explore the giant redwood trees
– 60 min free time for shopping and browsing in Sausalito
– If you’d like, stay longer in Sausalito, and take the ferry back to San Francisco (if the option is selected).

You can also extend your day by choosing one of our Muir Wood Packages to enhance your experience. Choose from a 4h bike rental option to discover San Francisco on your own, a Bay Cruise ride to gaze at the San Francisco Skyline, or the Escape of the Rock Experience if you missed the opportunity to get an Alcatraz ticket.

2. Drive to Muir Woods

Driving to Muir Woods is a possibility, but make sure you follow these tips, so you don’t get ripped off and end up returning home without seeing the park.

– There is NO cell phone service or Wi-Fi at or around Muir Woods National Monument. Download your parking reservation, entrance fees, and route map to and from the park.
– Reservations for parking spots can be made 90 days in advance. Remember that the park has a limited number of spots, so reserve yours as soon as possible. For parking spot reservations, visit https://gomuirwoods.com/. Costs will vary according to the size of your vehicle ($9-$45)

You need to select the number of cars, the arrival time (you have a 30 min window to arrive). Entrance fees may be purchased in advance with your reservation or upon arrival at the park.

3. Shuttle to Muir Woods

– Shuttles need to be booked in advance online with Go Muir Woods.
– The cost is $3.50 per adult and free for those 15 years old and under.
– Shuttle rides only run on weekends and holidays.
Hot Tip: There is no phone signal in Muir Woods, so be certain that you download your tickets on your phone before starting the tour.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION:

– Opening hours:
– The park is open every day from 8:00 am to 6:00 pm.
– The cafe is open from 10 am to 4 pm.
– Pets are not permitted in Muir Woods.
– It bears repeating: There is no cell phone service at Muir Woods.