It's like Stairway to Heaven for people who love travel, art, nature, music, and getting outside for sweet adventures. Not much is better than an epic roadtrip and we've got just the ticket to get you ready.
Top 5 Hits for Family Adventures
- Canopy View Trail to Fern Creek Trail Loop, 3 mile loop
- Take pictures at the metal bridge on the Fern Creek Trail
- Redwood Trail, 2 miles round trip
- Play at Muir beach
- Muir Beach overlook - .1 mile short trail overlooking the beach and coast.
Pro Tips
- Season: October - May, For less crowds
- Difficulty: Easy- Moderate, Some steps and uphill hiking.
- Time Needed: Day Trip
- Parking Reservation: $9- $45 depending on vehicle size
- Cost: Ages 16- adult $15, ages 15 and under FREE, or FREE with NP Pass
- Need to get a Parking Reservation before you visit.
- There is a shuttle service on the weekends for $3.50 ages 16-adult and free for ages 15 and under, park at 100 Shoreline Hwy, Mill Valley, CA 94941
- Download directions to Muir Woods and directions from Muir Woods to the beach BEFORE you go. There is no cell service at Muir Woods so you will pass the beach as you leave the woods if you don’t know where you are going.
- The Redwood trail is an ADA accessible wide boardwalk that follows Redwood Creek. You can walk this loop trail on both sides of the river. Also look for Steelhead Trout swimming up Redwood Creek.
- The Redwood trail is the busiest trail and connects you with all the other trails. Take the side trails such as the Canopy View trail to get away from the crowds.
- Take the Canopy View Trail to Lost Creek Trail to Fern Creek Trail for a fun kid friendly loop. Canopy View trail is uphill, Lost Creek Trail takes you back down hill then Fern Creek trail is flat. At the end of the Fern Trail walk the Redwood Creek Trail to the park entrance. Full Loop to the park entrance is about 4 miles.
- Take the Canopy View Trail to the top to see the view above the trees before heading back down the lost trail.
- Fern Creek trail is a flat trail with lush green ferns, trees and a large metal bridge. The bridge is located where the trail connects to the Lost Trail. It’s a great spot to touch the water, have a snack or take a family picture.
- Muir Woods can be done in the morning leaving the early afternoon open for playing Muir Beach. This is a beautiful black sand beach next to wetlands.
- Visit the Muir Beach Overlook at sunset to finish your day.
Muir Woods National Monument was the first National Monument to be created after its 295 acres of land was donated to the United States. Congressman Willaim Kent donated the land in order to protect the redwoods from the logging industry and asked that it be named after John Muir. About 1 year before Muir Woods became a National Monument %80 of the City of San Francisco had burned down and the people were needing to rebuild. Because of the need for wood, redwoods were being logged to make new homes. By donating the land of Muir Woods 800 year old Coastal Redwoods, the tallest trees in the world, were preserved for future generations. Â
Today Muir Woods is a treasured escape from the hustle and bustle of the Big City. This area is so pristine that not even cell phones can penetrate the beauty and peace of this Redwood Forest. This is a place where you can immerse yourself in the sounds, sites. and smells of the ferns, creeks, large redwoods and colors of the forest. You can experience salmon and trout swimming up river, and enjoy the luscious green ferns and mosses that cover the ground and trees making it a wonderland of green. There are even trails that will lead you to views above the Redwood Canopy to see the sky and world above the forest.