Muir Woods: Worth It? An Honest Look
Muir Woods is worth it, but only if you treat the reservation system as part of the trip rather than an annoyance bolted onto it. Seventeen miles and about 30-35 minutes across the Golden Gate Bridge from San Francisco, it’s the closest genuine old-growth coast redwood grove to the city, and the one Northern California day trip that behaves like Alcatraz: book it or don’t go, there is no walk-up option, ever.
The key facts
| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Entrance fee | $15 per person, 16 and older; free for 15 and under |
| Reservation | Parking ( |
| Distance from San Francisco | ~17 miles, about 30-35 minutes |
| Time needed | 1-2 hours for the main loop; longer if you connect to a side trail |
| Booking lead | Reserve at gomuirwoods.com as soon as your dates are fixed; popular weekends fill first |
Is the reservation actually worth the hassle?
Yes, and it takes five minutes online once you know your date. The alternative is driving 30 minutes out and getting turned away at the gate, which genuinely happens to people who assume a national monument works on a walk-up basis. The reservation itself doesn’t add real cost beyond the parking or shuttle fee; the only cost is planning a day ahead instead of deciding that morning, and there’s no cell signal on site to book one once you’ve arrived without it.
Parking or shuttle, which should you pick?
Parking if you’re combining Muir Woods with a Sausalito lunch or continuing north afterward; a shuttle seat if you’re coming from the city without a car, since weekend and holiday service runs from Larkspur Landing and select summer weekdays run directly from the Sausalito Ferry Terminal. Either way, budget the separate $15-per-person entrance fee that catches people who only planned for the reservation cost.
What Muir Woods isn’t
It isn’t a substitute for the Redwoods further north or Sequoia’s giant sequoias; Muir Woods is smaller, closer, and genuinely crowded on weekends precisely because proximity to San Francisco makes it the easy choice. What it does better than either: you can walk the main loop, add Sausalito for lunch, and be back in the city for dinner, all in one unhurried day. Our Northern California day trips guide ranks Muir Woods against the other five worth planning around, and the 2-day itinerary builds a full short trip around this one stop.
Rent a car for the crossing (check current rates via Discover Cars ), or skip the driving entirely with a guided Muir Woods and Sausalito tour that includes a ferry back. Either way, book the reservation before you book anything else about this day.