Redwood Forests Other Than Muir Woods
Why look elsewhere
Muir Woods has old-growth coast redwoods about 12 miles from San Francisco, and with that come the conditions: every private car needs a parking reservation, shuttle riders reserve both legs, and there is no cell signal. A visitor who cannot fit those in, or who wants a different kind of day, has other forests to choose from. What follows is one line of fact on each; their access rules, hours and charges are set by the agencies that run them and are checked on their own sites, such as parks.ca.gov for the state parks.
In Marin County
Samuel P. Taylor State Park. West of Muir Woods in Marin County, with redwoods along Lagunitas Creek.
Roy’s Redwoods. A Marin County open space preserve with a redwood grove.
Mount Tamalpais State Park. Not a separate forest so much as the land around Muir Woods: the climbing trails leave the monument and continue into it, and a hiker can reach the canyon on foot from Panoramic Highway. The Mount Tamalpais hikes page lists the long routes, and the parking page covers the approach from the Mountain Home Inn trailhead.
In Sonoma County
Armstrong Redwoods State Natural Reserve. Near Guerneville in Sonoma County. Dave, on the roundtrip tour, reported that on a day Muir Woods was closed the team took the group to Armstrong Redwoods instead. The redwoods-and-wine day also heads north into Sonoma and Napa after its hour in Muir Woods.
South of San Francisco
Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park. In the Santa Cruz Mountains, south of San Francisco and on the far side of the city from Marin.
Big Basin Redwoods State Park. Also in the Santa Cruz Mountains, heavily burned in the 2020 CZU Lightning Complex fire. It is where Hitchcock filmed the redwood scene of “Vertigo”, set in Muir Woods on screen.
East Bay
Redwood Regional Park. In the Oakland hills, with second-growth redwoods: trees that grew back after logging, rather than the old growth of Muir Woods. For a visitor based in the East Bay it avoids crossing the Golden Gate Bridge, though the trees are younger than those along Redwood Creek, where the oldest are more than 1,100 years old.
The far north
Redwood National and State Parks. On the far north coast, about 300 miles from Muir Woods and a full day’s drive from San Francisco. The tallest known redwoods grow there. Muir Woods’ own tallest tree is about 258 feet; the coast redwoods page explains the difference, and why none of these forests has giant sequoias, which grow in the Sierra Nevada.
Matching a forest to a day
- Old growth close to the city: Muir Woods itself.
- Marin without the Muir Woods entrance: Samuel P. Taylor or Roy’s Redwoods.
- Redwoods with wine country: Armstrong Redwoods near Guerneville, or the wine day that pairs Muir Woods with Napa and Sonoma.
- Staying south or east of the city: the Santa Cruz Mountains parks or the Oakland hills.
- The tallest trees: the far north coast, a trip of several days.
A tour to Muir Woods needs no parking reservation, so for a visitor without a car the reservation system is not by itself a reason to choose another forest.
Frequently asked questions
Where can redwoods be seen instead of Muir Woods?
Samuel P. Taylor, Roy’s Redwoods, Armstrong Redwoods, Henry Cowell, Big Basin and Redwood Regional Park. The coast redwoods page explains the trees.
Where are the tallest redwoods?
In Redwood National and State Parks on the far north coast, about 300 miles north of Muir Woods.
What happens if Muir Woods is closed on a tour day?
Dave, a guest on the roundtrip tour, reported a tour going to Armstrong Redwoods instead. The roundtrip tour close-up has the itinerary.
Is Mount Tamalpais State Park an alternative to Muir Woods?
It surrounds the monument, and the long trails continue into it. The Mount Tamalpais hikes page lists routes.