Muir Woods

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Location

Muir Woods is a National Monument that is located 12 miles North of San Francisco's Golden Gate Bridge, in Marin County, just East of Highway 1. To get there, follow Hwy 101 North to the Hwy 1 / Stinson Beach Exit. Continue for 1/2 mile, turning left at the light. Follow the winding road uphill for about 2.7 miles. At the top of the hill, a sign directs you right to Muir Woods. After 0.8 miles, turn left at a 4-way intersection. Continue downhill for 1.6 miles, until parking, at your right. The parking lots are SE of the visitor center, where the boardwalked Redwood Canyon trail begins. For directions, use Mapquest's Map of Muir Woods Natl Monument:415-388-2595 Mill Valley, CA 94941, US .

Attractions:

This area was proclaimed a National Monument in 1908.
A wide boardwalk extends along Redwood Canyon, making it a lovely, stroller-friendly hike!
The woods include old growth California Redwood and Douglas Fir trees.
Enjoy the beautiful undergrowth beneath the evergreen trees: ferns, mosses, mushrooms, sorrel, maples, bay laurels, trillum, violet, and clintonia.
Redwood Creek runs the length of the boardwalked trail, and you can see small fish in it.
Chipmunks, squirrels, birds, lizards, and banana slugs are commonly seen, but the woods are home to several other animals including deer, bats, owls, salamanders, and snakes.
The boardwalked hike is almost completely shaded.
Numbered signs are useful for people on self-guided tours, along the boardwalked hike.
Displays include pot of local plants as well as a cross-section of a redwood, with notes of important times in history.
Several trees show evidence of lightening strikes, showing charring and splitting at their bases.
The boardwalked trail is toddler-friendly, with fences bordering the trail.
There are bathrooms, cafe, gift shop, and visitor services, as well as an outdoor area for eating lunch or having a snack.
There are several benches along the trail.
There are several unpaved trails that begin from the boardwalked trail or parking areas.

Limitations:

The roads to reach Muir Woods are narrow and windy, so take your time and be careful!
No smoking on trails.
No bicycles except on fire roads (not evaluated here).
No dogs allowed.
There are several parking lots, but they fill up fast during vacation season and on weekends, when the weather is good.
Do not visit the park when winds are strong - there is risk of debris falling.
Poison oak, ticks, and nettles are risks; stay on the trail, to avoid exposure to them.

Season:

All year, 8 am to sunset.

Fees:

$3 per person, except people less than 16 years old enter for free. You can buy an annual pass for $15. National Passes (like America the Beautiful Pass) are applicable to this National Monument. Fees are scheduled to increase in October 2007 and January 2009. For more information, see National Park Website.

Maps & More Information:

Maps are provided in a leaflet, when you pay the entrance fee.
National Park Service Website for Muir Woods
National Park Service Trail Map of Muir Woods

Handicapped Access:

The entirety of the Redwood Canyon boardwalked trail is handicapped accessible. The cafe and gift shop have several stairs leading to them, but this area is accessible for wheelchairs via an alternate route NW of these stairs.

Recommended routes:

Redwood Canyon Loops: Icon Legend
Follow the paved path on the SW side of the parking lots, to each the visitor center, where you pay a small entrance fee for adults. The loops in this canyon overlap, following the wide boardwalk that parallels Redwood Creek. Restrooms, gift shop, and visitor center occur at the beginning of the trail, and benches occur regularly along its length. Turn at a half-way point in your hike by crossing any of four bridges along the trail's length. The trail after crossing bridge 4 runs along the hillside, rather than in the canyon, so may not be suitable for small-wheeled strollers, but if you determine this, it's easy to return the way you came, then cross one of the earlier bridges. Total distance is up to 2.2 miles for the longest loop.