Muir Woods National Monument
(scroll to bottom for photo gallery)
Starting Point:
Reserved parking/shuttle: 1 Muir Woods Road, Mill Valley, CA 94941
Or for those who wish to hike in from above:
Parking area across the road near Mountain Home Inn, 810 Panoramic Hwy, Mill Valley, CA 94941
Location: Those using the parking reservation or shuttle system will start directly from the parking area on 1 Muir Woods road. For those who would rather hike in from above, the ridge top parking areas near Mountain Home Inn are the starting point for numerous hikes. To get to Mountain Home Inn, from US-101, Exit 445B connects to CA-1 N, which then connects to Panoramic Highway. Watch for the signs where Shoreline Highway (1) and Panoramic Highway split off. Panoramic Highway turns right up the hill, curving along a beautiful stretch of mountain ridges.
Mountain Home Inn is on the uphill side of the road, and the parking areas are across the road along the ridge edge leading downhill. If you find yourself at the Throckmorton Fire Station, you’ve overshot Mountain Home Inn and trailhead parking.
For all web links, if a link doesn’t jump directly, copy and paste into browser. (Information links may change. We do our best to update.)
Muir Woods National Monument info link (National Park Service):
https://www.nps.gov/muwo/index.htm
Muir Woods National Monument visit/reservations link (National Park Service):
https://www.nps.gov/muwo/planyourvisit/reservations.htm
Muir Woods National Monument trail options (National Park Service):
https://www.nps.gov/muwo/planyourvisit/hike.htm#:~:text=Muir%20Woods%20National%20Monument%20contains,surrounding%20Mount%20Tamalpais%20State%20Park
Mount Tamalpais State Park info link:
https://www.parks.ca.gov/pages/471/files/MountTamalpaisSPFinalWebLayout110816.pdf
Maps with trails:
http://www.friendsofmttam.org/wp-content/uploads/map-Mt-Tam-topo-600.png
http://www.onetam.org/map-and-trails
(The following link is the same link as the info link above: scroll to the bottom for a trail map.)
https://www.parks.ca.gov/pages/471/files/MountTamalpaisSPFinalWebLayout110816.pdf
Other good resources:
Mount Tamalpais Trails by Barry Spitz, a book including a description of every trail on Mt. Tam.
Any good old fashioned paper map of Marin and Mt. Tam that includes trail names and distances. I have multiple Mt. Tam maps and switch between different versions depending on the hike.
Distance:
For those visiting Muir Woods directly from the parking lot, there are several easy loop hikes from the visitor center to any of Bridges 1 to 4, with the longest loop hike to Bridge 4 and back being 2 miles. There are 6 miles of trails within Muir Woods, and many trails that allow visitors to hike down in from above, including several trails that start near Mountain Home Inn. See previous Hike Notes Fern Creek Trail-Muir Woods for specific notes on one hike down in from the Panoramic Highway, with a photo gallery showing the mountainside trails to Muir Woods. This photo gallery shows images within the part of Muir Woods easily accessible to those visiting from the official parking lot.
Note in light of Muir Woods parking restrictions: Muir Woods parking now requires reservations at all times, and there is a time limit. For those capable of doing a hardier hike, hiking in from above is a great option that does not have a time restriction.
Considerations:
• For those visiting from the parking area: Make sure to make your reservations and follow instructions on time limits (see visit/reservations link above).
• There are toilet facilities before the park entrance/visitor center, and also near the gift shop a short distance in from the entry gate.
• For those hiking in from the ridgetop: Maps, both for the roads and the hiking trails, are highly recommended for any Mt. Tam hikes. Hikers can get lost, and trails are steep. Rangers will search for a lost hiker if they know someone is missing, but lone hikers don’t have a way of letting someone know if they’ve slipped down a steep ridge or ravine.
• There is often little or no cell phone service in this area.
• The trailhead parking areas are in close access to multiple trail starts. I have been thrown off more than once starting this hike because I forget you have to walk about 0.2 miles on the road, backtracking south from the parking area. Keep an eye out along the right side of the road as you walk south on the shoulder of the road for some wooden structures that mark the start of the zigzag connection starting this hike.
• There are rustic toilet facilities at the trailhead parking areas.
• Mt. Tam is a popular spot for hikers. Trailhead parking is typically easier on weekdays or by getting an earlier start on weekends.
The trail:
Muir Woods from the reserved parking area involves a bit of a woodsy walk just to get to the entry gate and visitor center. There are several options for those with the time limits of the reserved parking. There are wooden boardwalks as well as relatively smooth trails that lead visitors past a series of bridges, from Bridge 1 through Bridge 4.
There are redwood trees throughout, but highlighted areas such as Cathedral Grove and Bohemian Grove are marked by signs. To see all of the main paths, visitors can walk from Bridge 1 to Bridge 3 on one side of the creek, then continue to Bridge 4. Walk back from Bridge 4 and cross Bridge 3 to return on the other side of the creek to see the other main path. We chatted with reserved parking visitors on a time limit who still explored some of the side trails.
There are so many trails cutting up, down, and sideways through Mt. Tam. I love the roots jutting out of the trail, patchy shadows of leaves, deep green moss and ferns, fallen trees, babbling creeks, steep ravines along narrow pathways, sharp turns in the trail, and then the occasional sudden open spaces. Starting at the top of the ridge you are under bright open sky, but as you get down deeper into the woods, sunlight has a harder time making its way past the dense canopy of redwoods and other trees. It’s always a surprise to hike back up to the top of a ridge and realize that it’s been sunny and bright all along.
Visiting Muir Woods is special whether doing the easier walks from the reserved parking lot, or having the extra adventure and challenge of hiking down from higher up Mt. Tam. It’s also beautiful in the rain as well as on clear days!
(Muir Woods National Monument Hike Notes were originally paired with the “Light Shines Through” Insights post.)
Check the Home page for the broader background story. Click Insights/Hike Update News for inspiring reflections. Browse hikes on the main Hikes page or on the Hike Search by Area page, and scroll to the bottom of each hike page to see full photo galleries.
If you’d like to support HikingAutism, check out the Support/Shop page! Check out selected articles and interviews under Media. Click World Walks to see or share favorite family-friendly walks! Stay in touch with Lisa Louis and HikingAutism via Contact. The Links page lists a loose collection of helpful information links. Feel free to share and follow on Facebook at HikingAutism, follow on Twitter at @HikingAutism and Instagram at lisalouis777
(scroll to bottom for photo gallery)
Starting Point:
Reserved parking/shuttle: 1 Muir Woods Road, Mill Valley, CA 94941
Or for those who wish to hike in from above:
Parking area across the road near Mountain Home Inn, 810 Panoramic Hwy, Mill Valley, CA 94941
Location: Those using the parking reservation or shuttle system will start directly from the parking area on 1 Muir Woods road. For those who would rather hike in from above, the ridge top parking areas near Mountain Home Inn are the starting point for numerous hikes. To get to Mountain Home Inn, from US-101, Exit 445B connects to CA-1 N, which then connects to Panoramic Highway. Watch for the signs where Shoreline Highway (1) and Panoramic Highway split off. Panoramic Highway turns right up the hill, curving along a beautiful stretch of mountain ridges.
Mountain Home Inn is on the uphill side of the road, and the parking areas are across the road along the ridge edge leading downhill. If you find yourself at the Throckmorton Fire Station, you’ve overshot Mountain Home Inn and trailhead parking.
For all web links, if a link doesn’t jump directly, copy and paste into browser. (Information links may change. We do our best to update.)
Muir Woods National Monument info link (National Park Service):
https://www.nps.gov/muwo/index.htm
Muir Woods National Monument visit/reservations link (National Park Service):
https://www.nps.gov/muwo/planyourvisit/reservations.htm
Muir Woods National Monument trail options (National Park Service):
https://www.nps.gov/muwo/planyourvisit/hike.htm#:~:text=Muir%20Woods%20National%20Monument%20contains,surrounding%20Mount%20Tamalpais%20State%20Park
Mount Tamalpais State Park info link:
https://www.parks.ca.gov/pages/471/files/MountTamalpaisSPFinalWebLayout110816.pdf
Maps with trails:
http://www.friendsofmttam.org/wp-content/uploads/map-Mt-Tam-topo-600.png
http://www.onetam.org/map-and-trails
(The following link is the same link as the info link above: scroll to the bottom for a trail map.)
https://www.parks.ca.gov/pages/471/files/MountTamalpaisSPFinalWebLayout110816.pdf
Other good resources:
Mount Tamalpais Trails by Barry Spitz, a book including a description of every trail on Mt. Tam.
Any good old fashioned paper map of Marin and Mt. Tam that includes trail names and distances. I have multiple Mt. Tam maps and switch between different versions depending on the hike.
Distance:
For those visiting Muir Woods directly from the parking lot, there are several easy loop hikes from the visitor center to any of Bridges 1 to 4, with the longest loop hike to Bridge 4 and back being 2 miles. There are 6 miles of trails within Muir Woods, and many trails that allow visitors to hike down in from above, including several trails that start near Mountain Home Inn. See previous Hike Notes Fern Creek Trail-Muir Woods for specific notes on one hike down in from the Panoramic Highway, with a photo gallery showing the mountainside trails to Muir Woods. This photo gallery shows images within the part of Muir Woods easily accessible to those visiting from the official parking lot.
Note in light of Muir Woods parking restrictions: Muir Woods parking now requires reservations at all times, and there is a time limit. For those capable of doing a hardier hike, hiking in from above is a great option that does not have a time restriction.
Considerations:
• For those visiting from the parking area: Make sure to make your reservations and follow instructions on time limits (see visit/reservations link above).
• There are toilet facilities before the park entrance/visitor center, and also near the gift shop a short distance in from the entry gate.
• For those hiking in from the ridgetop: Maps, both for the roads and the hiking trails, are highly recommended for any Mt. Tam hikes. Hikers can get lost, and trails are steep. Rangers will search for a lost hiker if they know someone is missing, but lone hikers don’t have a way of letting someone know if they’ve slipped down a steep ridge or ravine.
• There is often little or no cell phone service in this area.
• The trailhead parking areas are in close access to multiple trail starts. I have been thrown off more than once starting this hike because I forget you have to walk about 0.2 miles on the road, backtracking south from the parking area. Keep an eye out along the right side of the road as you walk south on the shoulder of the road for some wooden structures that mark the start of the zigzag connection starting this hike.
• There are rustic toilet facilities at the trailhead parking areas.
• Mt. Tam is a popular spot for hikers. Trailhead parking is typically easier on weekdays or by getting an earlier start on weekends.
The trail:
Muir Woods from the reserved parking area involves a bit of a woodsy walk just to get to the entry gate and visitor center. There are several options for those with the time limits of the reserved parking. There are wooden boardwalks as well as relatively smooth trails that lead visitors past a series of bridges, from Bridge 1 through Bridge 4.
There are redwood trees throughout, but highlighted areas such as Cathedral Grove and Bohemian Grove are marked by signs. To see all of the main paths, visitors can walk from Bridge 1 to Bridge 3 on one side of the creek, then continue to Bridge 4. Walk back from Bridge 4 and cross Bridge 3 to return on the other side of the creek to see the other main path. We chatted with reserved parking visitors on a time limit who still explored some of the side trails.
There are so many trails cutting up, down, and sideways through Mt. Tam. I love the roots jutting out of the trail, patchy shadows of leaves, deep green moss and ferns, fallen trees, babbling creeks, steep ravines along narrow pathways, sharp turns in the trail, and then the occasional sudden open spaces. Starting at the top of the ridge you are under bright open sky, but as you get down deeper into the woods, sunlight has a harder time making its way past the dense canopy of redwoods and other trees. It’s always a surprise to hike back up to the top of a ridge and realize that it’s been sunny and bright all along.
Visiting Muir Woods is special whether doing the easier walks from the reserved parking lot, or having the extra adventure and challenge of hiking down from higher up Mt. Tam. It’s also beautiful in the rain as well as on clear days!
(Muir Woods National Monument Hike Notes were originally paired with the “Light Shines Through” Insights post.)
Check the Home page for the broader background story. Click Insights/Hike Update News for inspiring reflections. Browse hikes on the main Hikes page or on the Hike Search by Area page, and scroll to the bottom of each hike page to see full photo galleries.
If you’d like to support HikingAutism, check out the Support/Shop page! Check out selected articles and interviews under Media. Click World Walks to see or share favorite family-friendly walks! Stay in touch with Lisa Louis and HikingAutism via Contact. The Links page lists a loose collection of helpful information links. Feel free to share and follow on Facebook at HikingAutism, follow on Twitter at @HikingAutism and Instagram at lisalouis777
