Muir Woods National Monument

Why go

Muir Woods National Monument is defined by coast redwood trunks, filtered light, ferns, and Redwood Creek. Another layer comes from boardwalk and trail choices that extend beyond the main grove. Plan Muir Woods National Monument by remembering to reserve parking or shuttle access and allow for cool damp conditions. After Muir Woods National Monument, choose Sausalito or Marin Headlands; this keeps Muir Woods National Monument geographically coherent and avoids forcing Muir Woods National Monument into an unrelated crossing.

What to look for

• Look closely at coast redwood trunks, filtered light, ferns, and Redwood Creek.
• Notice boardwalk and trail choices that extend beyond the main grove.

The full story

Muir Woods National Monument is a unit of the National Park Service on Mount Tamalpais near the Pacific coast, in southwestern Marin County, California. It is part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area, and is 12 miles north of San Francisco. It protects 554 acres (224 ha), of which 240 acres (97 ha) are old growth coast redwood (Sequoia sempervirens) forests, one of a few such stands remaining in the San Francisco Bay Area. The Muir Woods National Monument is an old-growth coastal redwood forest. Due to its proximity to the Pacific Ocean, the forest is regularly shrouded in a coastal marine layer fog, contributing to a wet environment that encourages vigorous plant growth. The fog is also vital for the growth of the redwoods as they use moisture from the fog during droughty seasons, in particular the dry summer. The monument is cool and moist year round with average daytime temperatures between 40 and 70 degrees Fahrenheit (4 to 21 °C). Rainfall is heavy during the winter and summers are almost completely dry with the exception of fog drip caused by the fog passing through the trees. Annual precipitation in the park ranges from 39.4 inches (1,000 mm) in the lower valley to 47.2 inches (1,200 mm) higher up in the mountain slopes.

Useful to know

• For Muir Woods National Monument, reserve parking or shuttle access and allow for cool damp conditions.
• Pair Muir Woods National Monument with Sausalito or Marin Headlands when the route and opening conditions align.

Your next visit

Estimated · Declared scenario and planning estimates; no live opening, weather, queue or booking service.