Muir Woods and Sausalito Day Trip from San Francisco

Every car needs a parking reservation for a set time slot. The same system books the seasonal Muir Woods Shuttle from Sausalito and Marin City, which runs mostly on weekends and holidays. Book through the site linked from nps.gov.

The entrance fee is separate unless your booking says otherwise. An America the Beautiful pass covers entrance but not the parking or shuttle reservation.

Cross the Golden Gate Bridge on US-101 north, exit onto Highway 1 toward Mill Valley and Stinson Beach, then follow Panoramic Highway and Muir Woods Road. It’s 30 to 45 minutes without traffic, and the last miles are narrow and winding.

Long RVs and oversized vehicles aren’t allowed on the approach roads; check limits on the NPS site.

Muir Woods was protected in 1908 after Congressman William Kent donated the land. The tallest redwoods reach about 250 feet, and many are over 600 years old. These are coast redwoods, taller and slimmer than the giant sequoias of the Sierra.

• Hillside Trail: short, gentle climb above the Main Trail
• Canopy View Trail: climbs toward Mount Tamalpais State Park for longer loops

Muir Beach is 10 minutes from Muir Woods via Frank Valley Road. It’s a small, often windy cove with a creek mouth and a footbridge from the lot to the sand.

The Muir Beach Overlook, just north on Highway 1, has a short path to a headland with World War II lookout stations in the cliff. On clear days you can see toward San Francisco. Gray whales pass in winter and spring.

Sausalito is 20 to 25 minutes from Muir Woods. Bridgeway, the waterfront street, has galleries, cafés and views of the San Francisco skyline.

Park in a city lot on Bridgeway, or take the ferry; the landing is downtown.

• Eat: Fish. on Harbor Drive for seafood by the water, or Sushi Ran for dinner
• Drink: a waterfront patio on Bridgeway at sunset
• Walk: the waterside path from downtown toward the houseboats

Golden Gate Ferry runs from the San Francisco Ferry Building, and Blue and Gold Fleet from Pier 41 near Fisherman’s Wharf. The crossing takes 25 to 30 minutes and passes Alcatraz and Angel Island.

A common version of this day: rent a bike in San Francisco, ride across the bridge to Sausalito and ferry back. Schedules change seasonally and last boats leave early, so check times.

The Marin side has the best bridge views, all a few minutes from Sausalito. The H. Dana Bowers Vista Point, at the north end of the bridge off US-101, is the easiest to reach and faces the south tower and the city.

Staying overnight gets you to Muir Woods before the crowds. The Inn Above Tide sits over the bay facing the city skyline. Cavallo Point, at Fort Baker below the bridge, and Casa Madrona Hotel and Spa, above Bridgeway, are other options.

Mill Valley Inn is in downtown Mill Valley, 20 minutes from Muir Woods. For more, see 3 days in San Francisco and the Northern California coast road trip north from Marin.