You will find a few options to travel between San Francisco and Muir Woods National Monument in Marin County.
Even though it's only about 16 miles from SF, the drive usually takes anywhere from 35 to 50 minutes.
What is the best way to get there?
You can take one of two Muir Woods shuttles, drive, or go on one of three unique guided tours. I've taken all of these options to help provide you with the best tips for each one.
They all offer you the chance to explore this fantastic coastal redwood forest about thirty minutes north of the Golden Gate Bridge.
Most of these transit options require that you pre-book and pay in advance. Some include an entrance ticket into the park, and others require that you pay when you enter.
If you have a National Parks Pass (also called America the Beautiful National Park Pass or the Interagency Pass), you can use that to enter the park for no additional cost.
The links below will take you to the section that interests you the most.
Muir Woods is a National Monument that sits within the Golden Gate National Recreation Area and is surrounded by Mount Tamalpais State Park.
It spans more than 558 acres and is home to dozens of coastal redwoods. Many redwood trees in this forest are around 600 years old, with the oldest recently being dated to be almost 800 years old.
They previously thought the oldest tree here was between 1,200 and 1,500 years old, but new dating techniques on the tree showed it was a bit younger.
Tree Dating Exhibit Redwoods" width="750" height="445" />
This is one of my favorite exhibits here to check out when I visit. It shows you what was happening in the world during specific times of this tree's life.
One thing to note is that these shuttles do not run year around. They mostly run during the busier times of the year. This is typically on weekends and holidays from early spring through October. They also run on certain busier weekdays from June to August.
current schedule for both ferries here. Also, double-check the service times for the day you plan to head over in case they make a last-minute schedule change or are running late.
This is what the bus looks like (all with different ads). This is the bus heading into San Francisco. The bus heading to Sausalito will say 130 but will say "San Rafael Transit Center" since this is it's last stop.
This Muir Woods Shuttle is a little further north and great for those coming from other locations in Marin County, Sonoma, or other spots in Northern California.
This shuttle runs just on busy weekend and holidays and a few weekdays from June to August.
This one is also great for those with a car as there is parking in this area, and you do not need to make a parking reservation to park near the shuttle stop.
Here are a few more details about this Muir Woods shuttle:
If you don't drive your own car, you can rent one at locations all around San Francisco. Find out more about car rentals in SF.
Comments? Questions? Suggestions?
I would love for you to join me in my private Facebook group !
It's a great place to interact with me and others who know the area well.
You can ask questions, get advice for your upcoming stay, and then share your photos and advice with others when you return home. It's a great community and the fastest way to get answers to those nagging questions about your visit!
