Muir Woods National Monument in San Francisco

Muir Woods National Monument, Muir Woods San Francisco, muir woods, san francisco, sf, bay area, san francisco hikes, california hike, national park, california national park

Everything you need to know about visiting Muir Woods in San Francisco as of 2024, from reservations to the trails.

Why is Muir Woods famous?

This is the 10th national monument that was designated in 1906, and some of the redwood trees in this park are almost 1,000 years old. Muir Woods is also one of the easiest redwood forests to access, since you can drive up to it and immediately begin hiking.

Muir Woods Reservations:

You must reserve a park entry pass and a separate transportation (parking or shuttle) pass ahead of time from the GoMuirWoods website. Passes are available for up to 90 days in advance. It costs $15 per adult for a park pass. For standard sized vehicles, it costs $10 for regular parking. If you want to take the shuttle to Muir Woods instead of drive, it costs $4 per person for a roundtrip shuttle ticket.

Note: When you go to the Muir Woods website to reserve, you will only see a link to book transportation. Once you have chosen a transportation pass and have added it to your cart, you will then be able to select and add park entry passes.

Free Entry Days:

There are some days when you can visit Muir Woods and any other national park for free! Yes, free! For Muir Woods specifically, you still have to pay for a transportation pass but not park entry.

Here are the 2024 free entry dates:

~~January 15: MLK~~
April 20: National Park Week
June 19: Juneteenth
August 4: Great American Outdoors Act
September 28: National Public Lands Day
November 11: Veterans Day

When should I visit?

They are open year round, so come visit San Francisco’s national park whenever you’d like! In terms of weather: San Francisco is notoriously chilly all year, and Muir Woods will be especially chilly since the tall redwood trees block out sunlight. Summer is a great season to come visit since it will be warm and pleasant enough for your hike, but be aware this is also peak visitation time.

Driving to Muir Woods:

When purchasing a parking pass, select a time slot window for your arrival. I recommend being punctual because if you arrive late then they will grant you entry only if there’s enough parking left.

Set your destination to the Visitor Center. When you arrive, you will see staff direct you to the parking lot. Park then head back down the hill for a short 2 minute walk to reach the Visitor Center and begin your hike!

Shuttle to Muir Woods:

If you don’t want to drive to Muir Woods and would rather take a shuttle, they have two locations (in the cities of Larkspur or Sausalito) where you can get onto the shuttles. Check the GoMuirWoods shuttle website to see hours of operation for the shuttle.

When purchasing a shuttle pass, select a time slot window for your arrival. You must arrive at least 15 minutes before departure.

Should I take a rideshare to get there?

Absolutely not. There is no cell service in the park. You would only be able to order a rideshare into the park itself, but you will not be able to get any signal to request a rideshare to leave. The Visitor Center does have a payphone which you can use to call for a taxi, but you’re better off avoiding the hassle.

Hike Muir Woods:

Note there is no cell service in the national park. I highly advise you download or print your tickets in advance. I also advise that you download the National Park Service’s “AllTrails” mobile app to save maps onto your phone in advance.

If you’re starting your hike from the Visitor Center, there are many trails you can take and they range from easy to difficult levels. They also vary in length of time; you could hike anywhere from 30 minutes to an entire 8 hours depending on which path you choose.

Before you go, check the GoMuirWoods hiking website for exact details on each trail and screenshot the map trails onto your phone. If you have a subscription to the AllTrails app (called AllTrails+), then your app and trail maps will work offline; otherwise you will also want to screenshot your AllTrails maps. Depending on the trail conditions, the National Park Service may close off some trails so it’s always good to double check.

My Casual Hike Recommendations:

For easy, relatively flat, and accessible hikes, I recommend taking any of the trails from Bridges 1 through 4; after you pass Bridge 4, you can expect to see more inclines. Walking to Bridge 4 then turning back around on the other side will take roughly 1.5 hours total.

If you want more difficult or longer hikes, then continue past Bridge 4 and choose any trail such as Bootjack or Alice Eastwood or Ben Johnson. Be prepared for steep inclines and gaining elevation. As you hike, remain aware of what time the park will close on the day of your visit, so you can budget enough time to hike back to the Visitor Center. Closing hours depend on the season, but generally they close at sunset.