A Walk in the woods at Muir Woods National Monument

Some posts on this site contain affiliate links, meaning if you book or buy something through one of these links, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you!.

Giant Coastal Redwoods rise up around me.  I stand in awe that less than 30 minutes ago I was standing among the skyscrapers of San Francisco. A short drive across the Golden Gate Bridge is a wilderness oasis near one of the US’s largest cities in the most populous state.  These coastal redwoods aren’t a hidden.  They stand proudly in the Muir Woods National Monument.

I didn’t know what to expect when I finished work early and made the decision to drive to the Muir Woods.  The quickest way route from San Francisco to Muir Woods National Monument is across the Golden Gate Bridge.    This drive was my first trip across the Golden Gate Bridge.  As an engineer, the Golden Gate Bridge is has a fascinating history as an engineering marvel.  I was really impressed driving over this marvel.

Learn more about how to get the best views of San Francisco.

As I got to Tamalpais-Homestead Valley, I realized I might have an issue.  There are signs for a shuttle and off-site parking for Muir Woods.  I followed the signs to Muir Woods.  I discovered that Muir Woods National Monument has a small parking lot near the visitor center as well as a slightly bigger overflow lot.  Neither lot is particularly large.  I found a parking spot easily but I arrived at 3:45 pm on a weekday afternoon.

Travel Tip:  If going on a weekend, I would get there early so I can park in the main lot.  The park is generally open between 8:00 am and 5:00 pm (closing time may stay open late seasonally)

I stopped by the visitor center and showed my national park pass.  The pass saved me on the $10.00 on the entrance to the park and headed down the boardwalk and into the coastal redwoods forest.

The Coastal Redwoods are one of the tallest and oldest trees on the planet.  They can live for more than one thousand years and grow up to 379 ft high and 29 feet wide.  These massive trees are fragile.  Most of the hiking in the redwood forest is on a boardwalk. Walking around the base of the redwoods can damage the root systems.  So the boardwalk is designed all the visitors close to the redwoods with out damaging the root system.

Travel Tip: There is no cell service in Muir Woods.

There are 6 miles of hiking in Muir Woods National Monument but many of the trails connect with trails in Mount Tamalpais State Park.  The Main Trail takes one on a walk along Redwood creek and thru the old growth coastal redwoods.  There are four bridges across the creek.  The bridges allow one to create different length trails depending on time.    Option 1 is to turn around at Bridge 2 and creates a 0.5-mile loop that takes about 30 minutes to walk.  Option 2 is to turn around at Bridge 3 and is a 1-mile loop that takes about an hour.  Option 3 is Bridge 4 which combines the Main Trail with Hillside Trail.  This takes about 2 hours and is 2 miles.  Option 1 and Option 2 are handicap accessible.

With my limited time, I was planning to do Option 2 and maybe push to Option 3 if I had time.  I had to make sure I got back to my car by 5:00 pm.  The rangers lock the gates about 15 mins after closing time and will issue tickets to anyone found there after hours.

I headed out along the boardwalk.  I headed into the Bohemian Grove.  Most of these trees are considered to be mid-sized old grown redwoods.  These are some of the oldest trees in the San Francisco Bay area. If hiking into Mount Tamalpais State Park, it is possible to see some young redwoods due to turn of the centrery logging in the area.  These magnificent trees were saved by a savvy politician.  William Kent bought the Muir Woods from a logging company. A few years later, a water company was going to build a dam and flood the valley.  Rather than fight it in court.  Kent donated the land to the federal government.  A year late, President Theodore Roosevelt had it declared a National Monument.  At Kent’s insistence, the monument was named after his good friend, John Muir.

The trail is flat and is a nice stroll thru the woods.  I took my time and stopped and listen.  I could hear the water of the stream.  The rustling of the squirrels.  The chirping of the crickets.  I couldn’t hear the sounds of cars or cities.  It was a relaxing experience.  Standing by the massive Redwood trees, I can only lament the millions of old-grown tree that were lost to logging.  Each redwood stands proudly over the forest floor.  The redwood canopy blocks out much of the light but moss and ferns are found in abundance on the forest floor.

Everywhere I looked there was new flora to discover.  I forgot about the time and just enjoyed my walk.  Around 4:30, I got to Bridge 3.  I decided that I would rather enjoy the walk back to the rush and try to get out to Bridge 4.  I crossed Bridge 3 and started back.I took my time and enjoyed exploring.  There are a few section on the way back where you can get close to the base of a few trees and explore the area further.

Have you been to Muir Woods National Monument?  Can you believe that these massive trees survived less 30 miles from San Francisco?

20 thoughts on “A Walk in the woods at Muir Woods National Monument”

  1. Visiting the redwoods has always been a dream of mine! Your description of stopping in the woods and listening to the sounds of the forest is exactly what I envision. I hope I’m able to visit soon!

  2. I have fantastic memories about Muir Woods National Monument. I agree with you that it is unbelievable that these majestic trees are just a short drive from San Francisco. We managed to get there on a hot sunny day and did quite a lot of hiking beyond redwood trees area. On the way back, it was so nice to get under those giants again where it was much colder.

  3. I haven’t been to Muir Woods but I’ve been further north to see the Redwoods. They’re amazing! I love it, though, when a city has such natural beauty within easy reach. What a perfect way to leave the skyscrapers behind and reconnect with the sights and sounds of nature, even if only for a quick visit. 🙂

  4. I love the fact that you can get into the wilderness after a day at work. That is also what I love about where I live in Sheffield. I am only about 8 miles from the city but within minutes am in the woods outside my house. So nice.

  5. Great article and I actually like the fact that there is no cell service in the park. That forces you one to enjoy nature’s splendor. It’s amazing that the trees are that old and still standing. Exploring Muir Woods is a must for my next trip to San Francisco!

  6. I went here on a whim when I went to San Francisco a few years ago, and we loved it! We were just in total awe at how giant the trees are- so incredible!

  7. This looks like a fabulous walk. The redwoods are beautiful. I love the fact that there is no cell phone service in the area. What a treat to get back to nature and away from technology.

  8. It’s so impressive that those trees can get more than 1000 years old! I’m really glad they were saved from the flood. It’s somehow really cool that there is no cell service in Muir Woods. Thank you for introducing this place to us 🙂

  9. I’ve been to San Francisco three times (love that city), but didn’t make it beyond the city limits. I know there are so many beautiful places to escape, including Muir Woods. Hiking through those massive redwoods looks like an incredible experience. You can bet I’ll do this the next time I’m in the Bay Area.

Comments are closed.