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Muir Woods National Monument

Frank Valley Road, Mill Valley, California

Description

Muir Woods National Monument is located on Mount Tamalpais in Marin County, about 20 kms north of San Francisco. It covers 224ha, of which 97ha are old growth coast redwood (sequoias) - the fog providing much needed water for the trees, even during the dry summers. The tallest tree in the Muir Woods is 79m.

Access & Transport

From San Francisco, take the US-101N / CA-1N and exit onto Panoramic Hwy. Marin Transit operates a shuttle on all weekends and holidays and during select peak weekdays, providing service to Muir Woods from Sausalito, Marin City, or Mill Valley. Additional info: https://www.nps.gov/muwo/planyourvisit/directions.htm Accessibility info: https://www.nps.gov/muwo/planyourvisit/accessibility.htm

Instructions & Recommendations

Parking Reservations are required for all vehicles and shuttle riders visiting Muir Woods National Monument. Please visit gomuirwoods.com for parking reservations. Note that there is no cell phone service so plan accordingly if you are going to use a ride-sharing service.

Meta review

This park is a favourite among San Francisco and Marin County residents who enjoy the beautiful environment and awe inspiring trees but note that it can be crowded on some day and that even with a reservation, one may need to park some distance from the entrance. Those who have visited other redwood parks in the State are definitely less impressed: it is smaller, busier and not as spectacular according to them.

Environmental & Social

Green activity but with a large impact on surrounding communities: tourism brings in a lot of economic activity and significant traffic congestion

Conclusion

The Muir Woods are one of the best outdoor options less than 1h drive away from SF - just make sure you book ahead of time. For those with more time in hand or looking for the great outdoors, then some of the parks in the Sierra Nevada and Northern California are an order of magnitude better and less crowded.

Key positive

Impressive redwood grove

Proximity to San Francisco

Key negative

Advanced booking required & parking issues

Can be busy

Suitability

The Redwood Creek Trail is accessible to wheelchair users

About this Rating

TYPE

Desktop

RESEARCHED IN

Updated in July 2023

PROVIDER

Koreval

Included Items
None
Timing
Duration of visit
Closing time is around sunset. The visitor center closes 30mins earlier than the park.

av. transport time:0h 45m

est. visit time:2h 15m

Regulated hours

Start of Season 1:Mar, 01

Season 1

MONDAY08:00 - 19:00

TUESDAY08:00 - 19:00

WEDNESDAY08:00 - 19:00

THURSDAY08:00 - 19:00

FRIDAY08:00 - 19:00

SATURDAY08:00 - 19:00

SUNDAY08:00 - 19:00

Start of Season 2:Nov, 01

Season 2

MONDAY08:00 - 18:00

TUESDAY08:00 - 18:00

WEDNESDAY08:00 - 18:00

THURSDAY08:00 - 18:00

FRIDAY08:00 - 18:00

SATURDAY08:00 - 18:00

SUNDAY08:00 - 18:00

Pricing
Age band
Age band
Regular price / pers.
Senior
65 - 99
US$15
Adult
16 - 64
US$15
Child
3 - 15
US$0
Infant
0 - 2
US$0

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