A Short History of Muir Woods

Before the monument

The Coast Miwok are the original people of this area. Muir Woods protects one of the last old-growth coast redwood forests in the Bay Area, and the canyon along Redwood Creek was under threat of logging when it changed hands.

The Kents and the gift

William Kent, a congressman, and his wife Elizabeth Thacher Kent bought the canyon to keep it from being logged. They then donated 295 acres of it to the federal government. It was the first national monument created from land given by private owners.

1908 and the name

On 9 January 1908 President Theodore Roosevelt proclaimed the land a national monument. Kent insisted that it carry the name of the naturalist John Muir rather than his own. The name has led to a common misreading: John Muir did not own the forest and did not buy or save it. The Kents did; Muir is the man it honours. The monument now covers 554 acres. Theodore Roosevelt’s birthday, 27 October, is one of the national fee-free days, and the free entry days page lists the 2026 dates.

1945: the United Nations in Cathedral Grove

President Franklin D. Roosevelt died on 12 April 1945. On 19 May 1945 more than 500 delegates of 46 nations at the United Nations Conference on International Organization in San Francisco came to Cathedral Grove to hold a memorial service for him. A plaque in the grove records the day. Cathedral Grove is on the Main Trail, inside the Bridge 3 loop, and it is now signposted as a quiet zone where visitors lower their voices. The Cathedral Grove page describes the spot.

The Dipsea

The Dipsea Race, a trail race from Mill Valley over the ridge to Stinson Beach, is run each June and crosses the Muir Woods canyon. Hikers walk the Dipsea Trail on the Ben Johnson and Dipsea loop and on the long round trip to Stinson Beach.

On screen

The forest has also been used as a setting in films. Alfred Hitchcock’s “Vertigo” (1958) has a scene set in Muir Woods, though it was filmed in Big Basin Redwoods State Park, south of San Francisco. “Rise of the Planet of the Apes” (2011) sets its finale in Muir Woods, but its forest scenes were not filmed there. Commercial filming needs a permit from the National Park Service; personal photography is allowed. The films page has the details.

Muir Woods today

The monument is managed by the National Park Service as part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area group of parks. It is open every day from 8 am to sunset, with a Visitor Center, a café and a bookstore run by the Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy at the entrance. About 6 miles of trails run inside the monument, and longer trails continue into Mount Tamalpais State Park. Visitor numbers are managed through the reservation system: every private car and every shuttle rider books ahead at gomuirwoods.com. Redwood Creek still carries one of the few wild coho salmon runs near a city in the United States. The history of the site is set out by the park on nps.gov.

History on a tour

The guided tours cover the story on the way and in the forest. Sarah, on the half-day trip, mentioned guide Jay on history and conservation, and Franziska, on the small-group tour, the history details from guide Buddy. On the roundtrip tour the coach ride out comes with commentary and a short city tour.

Frequently asked questions