Muir Woods Tickets & Tours

The best time to visit Muir Woods National Monument is, without question, mid-morning and just before sunset.  During these times of the day, the light filters through the tree branches and creates a beautiful, magical ambiance.  Plus, as an added bonus, you’ll typically enjoy smaller crowds at the beginning and end of the day.  The best time of year to book a Muir Woods vacation is between September and November.  Surprisingly, fall is the warmest season in San Francisco.  Also, you should encounter very little rain.  Spring also presents an enticing option.  It’s slightly cooler than fall; and, you’ll likewise experience minimal precipitation.  Summer is San Francisco’s driest season and the temperatures are mild.  Finally, winter brings plenty of rain, wind, and chilly forecasts.  And, while the rain could potentially put a damper on your Muir Woods trip, you’ll also find that the sudden abundance of water creates an increase in activity among some birds and other wildlife.

Getting to Muir Woods National Monument is easy if you’ve booked a Muir Woods tour that includes transportation.  Simply get picked up in front of your S.F. hotel and enjoy the beautiful ride over the Golden Gate Bridge before arriving at the park.  But, if you’re going it alone, rest assured that there are a fair number of ways to get to Muir Woods.  Lyft or Uber both operate in San Francisco and provide a seamless, stress-free mode of transportation.  Plus, you don’t have to worry about parking.  One of the more adventurous methods for reaching Muir Woods involves cycling.  It’s inexpensive, you’ll get some fresh air, and the ride over the Golden Gate Bridge is spectacular.  One sneaky way to visit the Muir Woods is to take the ferry to Sausalito and then hop on the 66F Muir Woods Shuttle at the Sausalito Ferry Terminal.  And, finally, there are always taxis.  But, then again, even a short taxi ride in San Francisco can cost you a bundle.  So, a taxi ride all the way to Muir Woods and back might be prohibitively expensive for most Muir Woods visitors.

Quick Trivia – Dazzle your tour group with these Muir Woods factoids!

• The only reason Muir Woods National Monument survived over-logging is that, at the time, it was considered rather inaccessible for that purpose.
• The Muir Woods National Monument is named after John Muir, or John of the Mountains, co-founder of the Sierra Club.
• Muir Woods was originally slated to be named Kent Monument, in honor of the politician that donated the land.  But, Kent wrote a letter to F.D.R. suggesting they name it after his friend at the time:  John Muir.
• Muir Woods National Monument was the first ever Federal National Monument created thanks to a private donation.