Muir Woods National Monument
About 30 minutes from the city of San Francisco, and across it’s famous Golden Gate Bridge, is a place you’d hardly expect to find so close to a bustling metropolis. Tucked between a mountain and the coast of the Pacific Ocean, lies a quiet grove of old-growth, coast redwood trees, and one of America’s first national monuments dedicated to a natural area: Muir Woods.
When to Visit
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Late May through early September are the most popular times to visit, so if you find yourself venturing to Muir Woods during this time frame, expect crowds. As for the weather, this area rarely sees hot temperatures, even in the summer, ranging from 40 degrees in the morning to highs of 70 degrees later on in the day. Fog will be present to start most days, but will usually burn off later on. While summer is dry and busy, fall through early spring brings rain, but less people. The thing with Muir Woods though is that it can only be accessed with a pre-reserved ticket, so there is a cap on how many people can visit in a day–but more on that below.
How to Get There
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Found within the Golden Gate National Recreation Area, Muir Woods is a relatively short drive from the city of San Francisco. If you don’t have a car, or the thought of driving the slanted streets of San Francisco terrifies you (this is me), there is a shuttle service from the city to the monument. Regardless of how you get there, you’ll need to book a reservation time in advance: reservations and shuttle tickets can be purchased here–be sure to print or screenshot your ticket too: there’s no cell service in Muir Woods.
Things to Do in Muir Woods National Monument
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Redwood Creek Trail
Time: 1 - 2 hours.
Distance: .5 - 2 miles.
The main trail through Muir Woods, this trail is a loop that goes directly through the center of the monument, with paths on either side of Redwood Creek, and a series of four bridges along the way that cross it. So, it's up to you just how far you want to go: it's .5 miles to the first bridge, and then back to the start, and two miles to the very last bridge and back to the start. I highly recommend doing the entire thing, it's a flat trail with some spectacular views along the way.
The Redwood Creek/Main Trail goes directly through the redwood grove of Muir Woods.
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It doesn't take long for the famed redwoods to make themselves known on this trail (or honestly, when you first walk through the gate to the monument). Either side of the trail is surrounded by the towering trees, creating a dense canopy over the forest floor. Lush green plant life is abundant on the ground, interrupted only by the flowing waters of Redwood Creek, or the giant trees themselves. It's the perfect introductory hike, and the further back you go, the thinner the crowds will become.
Jurassic Park-vibes along the main trail.
Hillside Trail
Time: 30 - 45 minutes.
Distance: .8 miles.
The Hillside Trail runs parallel to the Redwood Creek Trail, and is reached by crossing bridge one near the beginning and taking the Bohemian Grove Trail for about half a mile, until you see the Hillside Trail's start on your left--take it, and after minimal elevation gain, you'll be on a ridge line with a great view of the creek and forest floor below.
Taking the Hillside Trail.
Just doing banana slug stuff.
Muir Woods Cinematic Video
Curious to see a banana slug in action? Is that the only reason you're here? Kind of weird, but anyways, see the slugs, the stunning redwood trees, and quiet solitude of Muir Woods in this cinematic video!
Cathedral Grove entrance.
Mount Tamalpais State Park
Time: Varies.
Distance: Varies.
There’s six total miles of hiking trails in Muir Woods, though many lead out of the monument itself and into Mount Tamalpais State Park. Emerge from the tree line of the redwoods for sights of the California coast and the Pacific Ocean. If you don't feel like hiking, many of the views can be driven to instead, including a spectacular overlook of Muir Beach--a great place for whale watching.
Muir Beach Overlook.
While generally a little quieter up here, the Hillside Trail is a great place to see some of Muir Woods' most famous residents: the banana slug. Growing up to six inches long and bright yellow, these gigantic slugs act as the cleaners of the forest, feasting on dead and decaying vegetation.
The Hillside Trail eventually winds it's way back down to the forest floor, meeting up with the main trail near the back of the park and not far from bridge four. An ideal route is to take the Hillside Trail to start, and then the Redwood Creek Trail back to the beginning.
Cathedral Grove
Time: 10 - 15 minutes.
Distance: N/A.
Marked by sign, a small turn off just past bridge three on the main trail leads through Cathedral Grove--known for having some of the tallest trees in Muir Woods, and for it's quiet peacefulness. Most of the trees in the park are between 500-800 years old, and while tall (between 200-250 feet), they're actually not the tallest redwoods: those are found in the far north of California, and can reach almost 400 feet! Nonetheless, Cathedral Grove is a worth the quick trip, if not to stop and appreciate some of the largest trees in this area.