Muir Woods National Monument Mill Valley, California
Twelve miles north of the Golden Gate Bridge, tucked into a canyon on the flanks of Mount Tamalpais, is one of the last old-growth coastal redwood forests in the Bay Area. The trees in Muir Woods are up to 1,200 years old and as tall as 258 feet — ancient living organisms that predate European contact with the Americas by centuries. Walking among them produces the same quiet rearrangement of scale that the Sierra Nevada's sequoias do, but in a dramatically different environment: this is a fog forest, cool and dim and cathedral-like even on the sunniest San Francisco days. It's one of the most visited national monuments in the country and requires more planning than most people expect.
Cost $15 per person entrance fee, valid for the day. Children 15 and under are free. America the Beautiful Pass accepted for the entrance fee. Parking and shuttle reservations are additional — see below.
Reservations — This Is Non-Negotiable Reservations are required for all visitors, whether you're driving or taking the shuttle. You cannot simply show up. Book at gomuirwoods.com. Parking reservation fees are $10 for a standard vehicle, $30 for medium, $45 for large. Shuttle round trips are $4 per adult. Reservations open 90 days in advance and sell out quickly for weekends and summer. If you can't get a reservation, check back — cancellations open up.
Getting There The road to Muir Woods is narrow and winding. Driving is possible with a reservation, but the monument strongly encourages the Muir Woods Shuttle, which runs seasonally from multiple Marin County locations. Rideshare is technically possible but problematic — there is no cell service inside the monument, which makes calling for a pickup impossible. Arrange any rideshare pickup in advance or have someone waiting. Hiking in from Mount Tamalpais State Park via the Dipsea Trail from Mill Valley is a scenic 4-mile option for those who want to earn the redwoods.
Best Times to Visit Weekday mornings year-round are the quietest. Summer weekends are extremely crowded — the monument limits daily visitors specifically to manage this. Fall and winter offer better availability, cooler temperatures, and the fog-drip phenomenon that the redwoods depend on. The monument is open 365 days a year from 8 AM to sunset.
Cell Service None. Zero. This is a complete dead zone — no cell service and no Wi-Fi anywhere in or around Muir Woods. Download your tickets, maps, and any navigation before you leave. If you're getting a rideshare, arrange the pickup before you enter.
Food The Muir Woods Café serves simple meals and snacks with local ingredients, open daily 9 AM to 5 PM (hours vary seasonally). There's no bottled water for sale — bring a reusable bottle and fill it at the water stations near restrooms.
The Trails About 6 miles of trails total. The main loop through Cathedral Grove on the valley floor is flat, paved, and accessible — most visitors complete it in 45 to 90 minutes. This is where the oldest and tallest trees are. For a longer experience, trails climb out of the valley into Mount Tamalpais State Park, where views of the Bay, ocean, and surrounding hills open up. The Dipsea Trail and the Ocean View Trail are both popular uphill extensions. Pets are not allowed in the monument.
Don't Miss Cathedral Grove, about a half-mile from the entrance, is where the largest and oldest trees cluster. Standing in it quietly, especially early in the morning before the crowds arrive, is the reason this place has been protected since 1908.
