A Day in Muir Woods

Sergio and I took a day trip over to Marin this weekend to explore Muir Woods, since neither of us had ever been. It was a nice escape from the city for some fresh air.

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It’s crazy to think I had never been over to Muir Woods even though I basically live in San Francisco (visiting my partner Sergio on the weekends). Just a short drive across the Golden Gate Bridge and into the forest of Marin, Muir Woods National Monument boasts old-growth redwoods trees and trails with stunning views. It was founded in 1908 by President Roosevelt and named after famous naturalist and father of the National Parks System, John Muir.

A visit to Muir Woods in the current pandemic era requires a reservation, which can be obtained from the park’s website. You can reserve a shuttle pass or a parking pass, which comes with arrival time slots. I reserved our parking pass the day before our trip and snagged a 12:30pm arrival time slot. The morning to noon slots fill up rather quickly. Driving there from the Mission District of San Francisco took about 45 minutes and we were directed to overflow parking just a short walk away from the park entrance. At the entrance, you’ll find the ticket desk, a visitor center, and a gift shop/cafe. The cafe was closed due to COVID.

When entering Muir Woods, there are a series of loops, unpaved trails, and bridges which allow you to customize your path through the forest. Sergio and I went straight down the redwood creek trail to bridge four, then returned back on the hillside trail. Along the way, we passed the Pinchot Tree, a redwood named in honor of the first chief of the Forest Service, and the Cathedral Grove.

The Cathedral Grove is one of the pristine groves of Redwoods in the park and an absolute must for any visit to Muir Woods. Some of the trees in the Cathedral Grove are over 800 years old, and their height brings some shade and an added sense of tranquility. Signs displayed at the entrance read “enter quietly” and visitors looking for a peaceful retreat will find it here.

The entire Redwood Creek Trail was completely flat and paved. You pass by many bridges while walking down the trail (four in total), which allow you to turn back and head toward the park entrance. You can make your loop a half-mile, a mile, or two miles depending on which bridge you cross. There’s also some unpaved trails that head out in other directions away from the main loop. We got to bridge four, crossed it, and proceeded on the Hillside trail. This trail is unpaved and has some stairs. It is carved into the side of a hill (hence the name) and allows you to get a good look at the Cathedral Grove from up above.

Once we arrived back at the park gift shop near the entrance, we bought some souvenirs and headed out of the park. Overall, Sergio and I had spent just under two hours there on the one loop and there were so many other little trails we didn’t explore. We will definitely be back!

After Muir Woods, we drove for about ten minutes to get to Muir Beach. For a Saturday afternoon, there was surprisingly plenty of parking and the beach is just a short walk from the parking lot. After sitting down and taking in the sights of the ocean (and all of the dogs) for a bit, we headed out.

I highly recommend a day trip to Muir Woods/Muir Beach if you live in Northern California, especially the Bay Area! It was nice to get out into nature for a bit and get some fresh air.