Muir Woods National Monument

My favorite natural location around San Francisco. I've been here a few times and each time is just as incredible and inspiring as the last. There are quite a few longer hikes accessible from the main Muir woods visitor center but there's also flat boardwalk trails for people in any shape. It's usually pretty cool in the trees so make sure to bring a jacket.

You have to make a reservation to guarantee a parking spot but then the entrance can be covered with an America the Beautiful pass or a fee.

Has both short and long trails, but I usually spend about 2 hours here. Requires a parking reservation ($9) which I obtained 6 days prior to arrival.
National Park Passport cancellations (stamps) can be found at the entrance on the other side of the ticket booth, not at the gift shop. You can find lots of souvenirs, decorative gifts, and T shirts at the gift shop. The gift shop also has a small snack shop where you can order sandwiches, pastries, snacks, and drinks.

Tip: sometimes you can find wild animals such as deer in this park.

Gorgeous place to walk around and see giant tall red wood trees! A really kid/elder friendly park, very walkable. You can easily spend 3 hours here. Worth checking it out!

Definitely reserve parking online at least the day before. Also, bring your annual national park pass if you have one, so you can get in for free.

Truly a majestic experience walking among all these trees which are hundreds of years old. Muir Woods is very well maintained with clear structured paths for visitors. After exploring, do check out the souvenir shop over there.

Things to note: There will be limited or no phone service there so please make relevant precautions before visiting.

Fun fact: red wood naturally produces tannin which repels insects, so there is a limited ecosystem there. This will probably be one of the quietest national parks you set foot in.

We came here early in the morning and got to experience the park both when it was nice and sunny and a bit later as it got a little misty. Both ways were very worth seeing, as we got to see some really incredible, majestic sights. The park is very beautiful, and the trails are well maintained. We spent about an hour and a half walking around, just talking everything in. I particularly enjoyed walking through Cathedral Grove and seeing the rays of light from the sun shine through the branches of the redwood trees. It was a very serene experience. I would highly recommend visiting the park for anyone who’s in the area.