Unsure if you should bring your kids on a trip to Muir Woods in Marin, California? Worry no more. Muir Woods is a fantastic place to visit with your entire family. Full of the tallest living creatures known to man, prepare for a day of easy hikes, learning opportunities and great photo ops. Still not convinced? Read on for our reasons why Muir Woods is a great place to visit with kids as well as all of the things to know in advance when planning your visit.
Planning Your Visit to Muir Woods
Muir Woods Parking Reservations
A visit to Muir Woods requires parking reservations in advance. You can easily make reservations through the gomuirwoods website with a cost of $9.50 for a standard sized vehicle or $12.50 for an electric vehicle ($30 for a “medium” vehicle and $45 for a “large” vehicle). When making a parking reservation, you will choose a day and a particular 30 minute timeframe for arrival. There are multiple medium sized parking lots available along the road outside of Muir Woods serviced by ACE parking. When you arrive at Muir Woods, you will be directed to a parking spot, as long as you arrive within your window
As mentioned, there are a series of smaller parking lots set up for visiting Muir Woods. This requires a little bit of a hike in towards the visitor center. However, it is an easy path to follow, and we did not hear any complaining from the five kids we took with us. Just be aware that it will add variable amounts of time to your stay depending on where you end up being parked.
The parking reservation system was created in response to complaints from the local communities regarding traffic in the area. Muir Woods has become such a popular tourist site, that the increase in visitation has created traffic issues for the surrounding neighborhoods. By requiring advance parking reservations, it limits the number of people driving in to visit Muir Woods at any given time.
Another option, if you are unable to get a parking reservation for a particular time, is to use the shuttle system on weekends and summer weekdays. The shuttle runs roundtrip between off site locations at the Sausalito Ferry Terminal and Larkspur Landing with a riding cost of $3.75 for riders 16 years of age and older. For 2024, the shuttle is out of service but slated to return during the month of March.
Muir Woods Tickets
Tickets for Muir Woods can be purchased on site or ahead of time through the gomuirwoods website at the same time you purchase your parking reservation. The cost for adults and children over the age of 15, at the time of this post, is $15 a person. Entry is free for children 15 years and younger. If you have an America the Beautiful Pass, entry into Muir Woods is free. Unlike parks where entrance is by car, this is per person, so the America the Beautiful Pass covers the cardholder and 3 persons 16 and older. These numbers are on the back of your card.
Also, keep your eyes open for free days for the National Parks! There are six total days for the 2024 year: January 15th (Martin Luther King Day), April 20th (First Day of National Park Week), June 19 (Juneteenth), August 4th (the anniversary of the Great American Outdoors Act), September 28th (National Public Lands Day) and November 11th (Veterans Day).
What to Bring with You to Muir Woods
As with any trip into nature, there are a few items you absolutely need to bring: namely sun protection, good footwear, water and snacks.
Muir Woods is located near the California coast and, contrary to many Hollywood depictions, usually has cool temperatures. In addition, most of your time at Muir Woods will be in the shade of giant Redwood trees. Definitely bring a light coat and dress in layers.
There are opportunities to fill your water bottle within Muir Woods, so reduce your footprint and bring a refillable water bottle.
For families with young children, most of the paths are very accessible, so feel free to bring your stroller. If you think you might stray from the asphalt or boardwalk onto the dirt paths along the sides of the canyon, bring your favorite backpack carrier.
How Long to Spend at Muir Woods
One of the cool things about visiting Muir Woods National Monument, is that the main trail hikes are divided up by bridges you cross over to head back to the entrance. This means you can get a good idea of how long you will spend at Muir Woods based on which path you choose. There is a half hour loop up to an hour and a half loop. For our three-year-old’s little legs, the hour and a half loop was perfect.
If you are interested in more adventurous hiking, you can easily connect with the surrounding Mt. Tamalpais State Park. You could spend an entire day in the Muir Woods area.
The Gift Shop and Food Options at Muir Woods
Currently, the café at Muir Woods is closed for renovation. However, they are still offering hot food options at the Trading Post (the gift shop). We sampled the fare while there: grilled cheese, PB&J, BBQ chicken sandwich, chocolate croissants and brownies. The best thing was the BBQ chicken sandwich. If you have extra money to blow, go ahead and eat here. The ingredients are fresh and the food is hot. However, I didn’t feel like it was worth the money.
Next time, we will pack a picnic. You are not allowed to eat along the Muir Woods trails. However, there are tables on a deck outside the Trading Post perfect for picnicking.
Reasons to Take Your Family to Muir Woods
Easy Hiking at Muir Woods
The hiking trails within Muir Woods are mostly either paved or boardwalk style. If you take the Hillside Trail, you do go up some steps and onto a dirt path. However, you could easily experience the beauty of Muir Woods without leaving the boardwalk path. This makes it easy to push a stroller, wheelchair or walker. In short, Muir Woods is extremely accessible and a great option for extended family or a trip with little ones.
As mentioned above, there are also loops of varying lengths set up for hiking through the monument. Depending on how long you would like to spend or how rigorous you would like your walk/hike to be, you can cross over Bridge 1, 2, 3 or 4 and loop back to the entrance. This flexibility makes Muir Woods a great option for smaller children who might run out of gas.
Taking the Hillside Trail is a more moderate hike with an elevation gain and a narrow dirt path along the canyon wall. You are able to look down into the groves and also get a great view of the creek you have been walking along. Three-year-old Big Bro was able to complete this hike with constant hand holding. There is a pretty steep drop off next to this trail. Little Bro and I were able to complete this with our backpack carrier, no problem, despite some narrow passageways between trees on the path.
If your family is up for more rigorous hiking, Muir Woods connects with trails venturing out into the surrounding Mount Tamalpais State Park. If you’re interested, you can even hike out to Muir Beach or Stinson Beach and have your picnic there!
Please note, there are no pets or bikes allowed within Muir Woods.
Muir Woods Bohemian Grove and Cathedral Grove
One of the best reasons to bring your kids to Muir Woods is to share the beauty and majesty of old growth Redwoods.
The first Redwood trees you will encounter on the Main Loop Trail are in Bohemian Grove, named for the Northern Californian Bohemian Club. This grove features trees that survived a fire in the past and they have the scars to prove it.
The Main Loop Trail then takes you to the entrance to Cathedral Grove: home to some of the oldest and tallest trees in Muir Woods. It is considered a “silent preserve” and quiet contemplation is encouraged. By taking the fourth bridge over to Hillside Trail, you can opt to go around Cathedral Grove. With five children in tow, we didn’t anticipate a lot of quiet or contemplation, so this was what we did.
The Importance of National Monuments
The main difference between National Monuments and National Parks is in who is able to create them. National Parks can be created by congress and National Monuments are created by Presidents, hence the connection between Muir Woods and President Roosevelt.
National Monuments: An Opportunity to Explore History and Science
The nature of the intent of National Monuments makes them a great destination for families with kids. Most of the time, a national monument is protecting a historical, cultural or scientifically significant site. This creates an additional layer of value in visiting a National Monument such as Muir Woods. Not only are there often inspiring views such as with a visit to a National Park, but also an opportunity to connect with the meaning behind why the site was preserved.
In the case of Muir Woods, conservation of a beautiful redwood forest was placed above the desire of a utility company to purchase the land and create a dam. The original land owner, William Kent, worked with President Theodore Roosevelt to designate Muir Woods as a national monument and foil the utility company’s plans. Kent declined to have the forest named after himself and instead preferred to reference the naturalist John Muir. Kent also ended up writing and championing the legislation approved by President Wilson which created the National Park Service.
Sprinkled throughout Muir Woods are educational plaques explaining the historical significance of a particular place or an interesting plant biology fact about Redwood trees. It makes a trip to Muir Woods about more than just looking at really tall trees.
As you can see, Muir Woods is a place steeped in history. There are plaques dedicated to all three of these great men within Muir Woods which provide wonderful conversation starters for older children and teens.
National Monuments: Smaller in Size
Beyond an opportunity to visit the subjects of history, culture and science, National Monuments tend to be smaller than National Parks, on average. They can be more of a “bite-sized” introduction to the inspiring landscape of our National Parks. It makes for a perfect opportunity to introduce our younger generations to the beauty of our country.
With a (generally) smaller size, you can more thoroughly explore a National Monument site, such as Muir Woods. And while there is definitely something to be said about the vast impressiveness of many of our National Parks, a more focused visit, such as that provided by a National Monument, may be less overwhelming for little minds.
Junior Ranger Program
Muir Woods participates in the Junior Ranger Program set up by the National Park Service. Anyone can participate, however, this program is intended for children between the ages of 5 and 13 years.
Children are given a booklet with activities to complete related to the National Park or Monument being visited. At the end of the trip, visit with a park ranger to complete the Junior Ranger pledge to continue to conserve and learn from the National Park System. At this point, your child can complete his or her certificate and receive a badge.
Note that there is also an online Junior Ranger Program if your little one loves the experience.
Conclusion: Definitely Bring Your Kids to Muir Woods
Muir Woods is a great place to make memories with the entire family. Give your children the opportunity to explore the majesty of coastal redwoods and develop a respect for the conservation of the world around us. There are few places left to gaze in wonder at these incredible giants. This is a very kid friendly one. Bring your children and connect with their joy, as well as your own.