Muir Woods

[disny_luvr]

We are wanting to visit Muir Woods this summer while in San Francisco. What is the best way to get there from the Fisherman’s Wharf area? We will have a rental car and can drive if that’s the easiest. We looked into Dylan’s Tours but it’s $129/person and we don’t want to spend that much. Is there any kind of public transportation that would get us there? Also, we’d like to go in the morning and only have about two hours at the most. Is that enough time?

 

[teawar]

We have driven from fisherman’s wharf over the GG bridge in the morning to do the woods. We kept it short, doing one walking trail. It was beautiful and then we drove up the coast to see some other beaches.

 

[mdmost]

Driving might be the easiest but I'd imagine there are tours that take you there. I would drive as part of the fun is getting there. If you do choose to drive, make sure to prepay for parking as the spaces are all reserved.

https://gomuirwoods.com/

 

[wabbott]

Two hours will be tight on time. Traffic on the Golden Gate is always busy, as is Hwy 101. After you turn off on Hwy 1, you'll be in a town for a bit (red lights, etc) and then the road is winding all the way to to Muir.

But the rewards are great, as the redwoods are spectacular. Myself, I would forgo some of the tourist traps at Fisherman's Wharf (junk stores, etc) and spend the time driving the coast hwy along Mt. Tamalpas. From the Muir Beach Overlook, you can almost see Hawaii.

 

[China Expat]

AGree two hours is not enough time

 

[disny_luvr]

Hi, OP here. I should have probably been more specific. We have about two hours to spend at Muir Woods. The two hours does not include travel time. We could stay longer, but there are some things we'd like to see in SF before we head to the Giants game.

Also, we want to go first thing in the morning and I hope to get there by 8:00, but 9:00 at the latest (I have two teens I need to get up and moving, lol). How is parking that time of day? I've read that finding a parking spot can be difficult.

 

[mdmost]

2 hours is enough time to do the main trail round trip, IMO. You won't have time to do the upper trails but you'll hit the best parts. You will have to book your parking in advance or you won't get to access the park without getting on a shuttle. They are available 90 days in advance but you may want to check on that.

https://www.nps.gov/muwo/planyourvisit/know-before-you-go.htm

 

[WebmasterMaryJo]

I think two hours is enough time. I went a couple of years ago and had to make reservations to park there. I made them for 8am, and really enjoyed being there in the morning.

 

[bcla]

They require reservations now at Muir Woods, including for taking public transportation. There's no reservations needed if you walk or bicycle in, and I think it's possible to just drop off passengers if you have someone who doesn't want to go. Maybe Uber, although the big problem might be lack of cell phone service at Muir Woods to get a ride back. But my thinking is maybe park in Mill Valley and get an Uber ride there and hope there's a way to connect to get a ride back. There is a pay phone in Muir Woods, so it could be possible to get a taxi ride.

If you have more time, up or down the coast is usually a better experience. Less crowds and a better experience (bigger trees if you're going north). There's an excellent state park near Santa Cruz. They charge for parking, but they don't require reservations.

https://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=546

I think the best place to view old growth redwoods is Redwood National and State Parks, which are jointly operated by the National Park Service and California State Parks. They cover a lot of areas and each stop is easily a better experience than Muir Woods. And you can actually drive through roads cutting through old growth redwoods.

Don't get me wrong - I like Muir Woods but the logistics for visiting are insane these days.

 

[bcla]

I think two hours is enough time. I went a couple of years ago and had to make reservations to park there. I made them for 8am, and really enjoyed being there in the morning.

They pretty much had to go to reservations because it got so bad. I had an annual pass ($20 if you can believe it) that allowed four adults or any number of adults traveling in the same private, noncommercial vehicle, although at times I had a federal recreation pass and entered with that (same rules). We took out of town visitors there, although it could get crazy. Once I ended up dropping off our group and parking almost a mile away on the side of the road and walked in, although I had to wait for my wife to come back to let me in with the pass.

They currently don't allow parking on any of the roads nearby. Part of it was that residents in the area complained, which is where the reservations come in.

 

[bcla]

I know I've suggested maybe going further north (Avenue of the Giants or Redwood National and State Parks), but that's not really a day trip from San Francisco. It was a bucket list item for me and well worth it, but may not be that convenient if it's just a side trip.

There's another option closer to San Francisco - Armstrong Redwoods State Natural Reserve in Sonoma County west of Santa Rosa. It might take 80 minutes to get there, but . It won't be as crowded and the only fee is for parking.

https://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=450
https://www.google.com/maps/dir/Fis...2m2!1d-123.0063252!2d38.5370031!3e0?entry=ttu

It could also be combined with a trip back to San Francisco along California State Route 1 - perhaps to Bodega Bay, Marshall (several oyster farms and restaurants), Point Reyes National Seashore, etc. The scenery is really nice with coastal views and several cattle ranches.

 

[bcla]

Hi, OP here. I should have probably been more specific. We have about two hours to spend at Muir Woods. The two hours does not include travel time. We could stay longer, but there are some things we'd like to see in SF before we head to the Giants game.

Also, we want to go first thing in the morning and I hope to get there by 8:00, but 9:00 at the latest (I have two teens I need to get up and moving, lol). How is parking that time of day? I've read that finding a parking spot can be difficult.

I haven't been there in a while, and not since they went to a reservation system. I do remember getting there really early once for a guided ranger walk and talk, where I was able to park right near the entrance. However, since they've gone to reservations, the arrival window is 30 minutes and you might not be able to get a slot that early in the morning on your preferred time. I've heard finding parking is a lot easier now with the reservation system. Before reservations it got pretty crazy, where I circled around the lot waiting for someone to leave, or else drive further out where it was 20-30 minutes to walk in.

As far as baseball goes, are you thinking of a day game or a night game? If it's a night game and you have plenty of time to get back, I'd recommend Armstrong Redwoods.

Muir Woods is a victim of its own popularity. And honestly it's not that great an experience. Nearly everything is fenced off and the crowds (even with reservations) can negatively impact the experience. There are superior alternatives if you're willing to go out further from San Francisco.

 

[disny_luvr]

I haven't been there in a while, and not since they went to a reservation system. I do remember getting there really early once for a guided ranger walk and talk, where I was able to park right near the entrance. However, since they've gone to reservations, the arrival window is 30 minutes and you might not be able to get a slot that early in the morning on your preferred time. I've heard finding parking is a lot easier now with the reservation system. Before reservations it got pretty crazy, where I circled around the lot waiting for someone to leave, or else drive further out where it was 20-30 minutes to walk in.

As far as baseball goes, are you thinking of a day game or a night game? If it's a night game and you have plenty of time to get back, I'd recommend Armstrong Redwoods.

Muir Woods is a victim of its own popularity. And honestly it's not that great an experience. Nearly everything is fenced off and the crowds (even with reservations) can negatively impact the experience. There are superior alternatives if you're willing to go out further from San Francisco.

I will look into Armstrong Redwoods. The Giants game is at night, so we do have most of the day; however, there are a few places in SF we’d like to visit, too.

 

[bcla]

I will look into Armstrong Redwoods. The Giants game is at night, so we do have most of the day; however, there are a few places in SF we’d like to visit, too.

Sure. I just hesitate to recommend Muir Woods these days. It's kind of the bottom of my list of any place I'd recommend to see old growth redwoods, but the places I recommend are further away from San Francisco. Muir Woods is basically what's left of old growth redwoods within maybe 25 miles of San Francisco (due to timber cutting to rebuild after the 1906 Earthquake) and I mentioned the crowds. The tallest redwood there is about 250 feet tall, but up the north coast of California it's easy to find trees that are over 300 feet tall (possibly 350 feet) and much wider. I used to go there a lot, but it just doesn't seem as impressive any more after finally seeing redwoods further north around Eureka and Crescent City.

There is a small set of old growth redwoods in Marin County where no reservation is needed. There is a parking fee though, but no entrance fee. I used to drive by the area when I went to Point Reyes National Seashore.

https://www.redwoodhikes.com/Taylor/Pioneer.html

That being said, I looked at the reservation system and at least this week it's not so bad. Not sure what it's going to be like during the peak summer season, but I could get a parking reservation for tomorrow and this weekend at any time. Reservations are available 3 calendar months in advance for $9.50 per car. If you're really looking to do it, I'd think you shouldn't have too much problem getting a reservation if you get it early. The other thing is that they now have a $15 per adult (16+) entrance fee and a $45 annual pass (allows up to 4 adults). Then there's the $80 federal lands pass, which can make sense if you're visiting other areas (mostly national parks) in the next 12 months.

This is the official website for the reservations provider and the entrance fee information.

https://gomuirwoods.com/muir/buy
https://www.nps.gov/muwo/planyourvisit/reservations.htm
https://www.nps.gov/planyourvisit/passes.htm

Have fun. I know I'm kind of a downer about Muir Woods, but it's kind of been loved to death. When I was finally able to visit Redwood National Park, Muir Woods just wasn't as nice. for various reasons including crowds and the overall experience.

There are other areas too, such as in San Mateo County. This is a pretty good resource.

https://www.redwoodhikes.com

There are some really nice redwood groves more than 50 miles south of San Francisco, so distance might be a deterrent. The advantage of going south would be that you don't need to worry about bridge toll on the Golden Gate Bridge.

This one doesn't seem to bad - a county park in San Mateo County. But it's not easy to get to and almost on the border with Santa Cruz County. Most of the redwoods aren't going to be old growth, but they have some left.

https://www.smcgov.org/parks/sam-mcdonald-park-natural-features

 

[Psymonds]

I know I've suggested maybe going further north (Avenue of the Giants or Redwood National and State Parks), but that's not really a day trip from San Francisco. It was a bucket list item for me and well worth it, but may not be that convenient if it's just a side trip.

There's another option closer to San Francisco - Armstrong Redwoods State Natural Reserve in Sonoma County west of Santa Rosa. It might take 80 minutes to get there, but . It won't be as crowded and the only fee is for parking.

https://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=450
https://www.google.com/maps/dir/Fisherman's+Wharf,+San+Francisco,+CA/Armstrong+Redwoods+State+Natural+Reserve,+17000+Armstrong+Woods+Rd,+Guerneville,+CA+95446/@38.1660798,-123.3686264,9z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m14!4m13!1m5!1m1!1s0x808580fa79aee3b9:0xd0ce5b8bf914906a!2m2!1d-122.4125282!2d37.8085771!1m5!1m1!1s0x80841edd0ec50c27:0xbccdbc978cbc9652!2m2!1d-123.0063252!2d38.5370031!3e0?entry=ttu

It could also be combined with a trip back to San Francisco along California State Route 1 - perhaps to Bodega Bay, Marshall (several oyster farms and restaurants), Point Reyes National Seashore, etc. The scenery is really nice with coastal views and several cattle ranches.

Armstrong redwoods also has the benefit of not being as hilly a hike. I was there in November and it was gorgeous.

coming from the east bay we also like the stream trail in Redwood reginal park in Oakland. If you can't get a reservation and just want a gorgeous hike, there you go. The trees are not as ancient though: the scale of the larger trees in Muir woods or Armstrong are unmatched outside of Sequoia or Yosemite.

 

[bcla]

Armstrong redwoods also has the benefit of not being as hilly a hike. I was there in November and it was gorgeous.

coming from the east bay we also like the stream trail in Redwood reginal park in Oakland. If you can't get a reservation and just want a gorgeous hike, there you go. The trees are not as ancient though: the scale of the larger trees in Muir woods or Armstrong are unmatched outside of Sequoia or Yosemite.

There are several redwoods in my neighborhood, but they’ve all been pruned at one time or another. I’m pretty they were all deliberately planted. One is pretty unique where there’s burl at the base, but where it’s growing at the side and my neighbor trims it flat like a hedge.

Still, I don’t think anything quite compares to North Coast old growth.

 

[Psymonds]

There are several redwoods in my neighborhood, but they’ve all been pruned at one time or another. I’m pretty they were all deliberately planted. One is pretty unique where there’s burl at the base, but where it’s growing at the side and my neighbor trims it flat like a hedge.

Still, I don’t think anything quite compares to North Coast old growth.

agree. I have one in my backyard, but as far as I can tell it's from 1948 or so, not 1648...