Things to Know Before Visiting Muir Woods
The checklist
- Reserve the car or the shuttle. Parking reservations are required seven days a week, all year, and are not sold on site. They are booked at gomuirwoods.com or by phone on 1-800-410-2419 and give a 30-minute arrival window. Shuttle riders reserve both the ride out and the ride back. Visitors arriving on foot, by bicycle, by ride-share or taxi, or on a tour need no parking reservation. The reservations page covers the system.
- Download everything. There is no cell service and no Wi-Fi at or around Muir Woods. The reservation, a map and any tickets are saved or printed before the drive.
- Plan the ride back. A ride-share can drop off, but a return pick-up cannot be requested from the forest. The return is arranged before arriving, or comes with the tour or the shuttle. The getting there page has every option.
- The entrance fee. It applies to visitors 16 and older; under-16s enter free, and America the Beautiful passes cover it. The parking or shuttle reservation is a separate charge. Five of the six tours include the fee; the private Jeep tour does not. The current amount is on nps.gov.
- Leave the dog at home. Only working service animals are allowed; emotional-support animals are not.
- Bikes stay outside. Bicycles are not allowed in the monument or on the shuttle.
- No picnics. Food is eaten on the entrance plaza or the café patio. The food and snacks page has the café hours.
- Hours. 8 am to sunset, every day including holidays. Day use only; no camping.
On the trail
Visitors stay on the trails. Poison oak and stinging nettle grow beside them, ticks are found on the longer trails, and the National Park Service names yellow jackets as the most dangerous animal in the park. Cathedral Grove, on the Main Trail, is signposted as a quiet zone where voices are lowered. Nothing is taken from the forest, and spreading ashes is prohibited. Smoking is not allowed.
The trail is flatter than the word “hike” suggests
The Main Trail on the valley floor is paved and boardwalk, and the Bridge 2 and Bridge 3 loops are wheelchair and stroller accessible. Real climbing starts on the side trails into Mount Tamalpais State Park, which are dirt, narrow and steep, with roots. The hiking trails page has the full table of routes.
The road in
The last miles of road to the entrance are narrow and winding, with significant drop-offs, and the National Park Service advises against oversized vehicles. Parking reservations are for the two lots at the entrance; the parking page covers what to do when none are left.
Packing list
- The parking or shuttle reservation, downloaded or printed
- Layers, and a rain shell in winter
- Comfortable shoes; soles with grip for the climbing trails
- Water, and snacks to eat on the plaza
- A paper map, or the free trail-map brochure handed out at the entrance
- An America the Beautiful pass, if held
- For the wine tour: ID, since tasting starts at 21
The Visitor Center closes 30 minutes before the monument, so questions for the rangers and a paper map are easier to collect on the way in than on the way out.
Frequently asked questions
What should be packed for Muir Woods?
The downloaded reservation, layers, comfortable shoes, water and snacks for the plaza. The what to wear page covers clothing and shoes.
Is there cell service at Muir Woods?
No, and there is no Wi-Fi either. The cell service page explains what to download before leaving.
Are dogs allowed in Muir Woods?
No. Only working service animals are allowed. The dogs page has the detail.
Can Muir Woods be visited without a reservation?
Yes, by visitors arriving on foot, by bicycle, by ride-share or taxi, or on a tour. Cars and shuttle riders need one; the reservations page explains.