How to Get to Muir Woods
By car
Every private vehicle needs a parking reservation, booked in advance at gomuirwoods.com. It gives a 30-minute arrival window and is not sold on site. The last miles of road are narrow and winding with significant drop-offs, and the NPS advises against oversized vehicles. The drive from San Francisco page covers the route, and the reservations page covers the booking.
By shuttle from Larkspur
The Muir Woods shuttle runs from the Larkspur Ferry Terminal, 101 E Sir Francis Drake Blvd, on weekends (Friday to Sunday) and federal holidays from early spring through September, and on Saturdays and Sundays in October. A shuttle reservation is required for the ride out and the ride back. Bikes are not allowed on board. The shuttle page has the season in full.
By bus and on foot
Marin Transit route 61 stops about 1.5 miles from the monument, which makes a 3-mile walk there and back on top of any hike. Timetables are on marintransit.org. Hikers also arrive on foot from Mill Valley or from Panoramic Highway, where a common trailhead is by the Mountain Home Inn. Nobody arriving on foot needs a parking reservation.
By ride-share or taxi
A ride-share or taxi can drop off at the entrance, and no reservation is needed for it. The return is the problem: there is no cell signal at or around Muir Woods, so a pick-up cannot be requested from the forest. The ride back has to be arranged before arriving. The ride-share page goes through the options.
On a guided tour
Six guided tours sold on GetYourGuide include Muir Woods and bring their own return transport. Four are half-day trips with Sausalito that start from a hotel pickup or a central meeting point in San Francisco; the others are a private open-air Jeep tour and a wine-country day. Tour passengers need no parking reservation, and five of the six tours include the entrance fee. The small-group tour picks up from most San Francisco hotels in a 14-passenger van. The half-day tours page sets out the itineraries.
Getting back from Muir Woods
The way back depends on the way in. A car or a tour coach is waiting. A shuttle rider has a return reservation, and the last departure time varies by season, so it is worth checking before the day. A bus rider walks the 1.5 miles back to the route 61 stop. A ride-share passenger needs a return booked in advance, because the phone will not find a signal at the entrance. Arranging the return first is the single step that prevents a stranded visit.
Matching the way in to the walk
The way in sets the time on the ground. A tour gives about 60 to 90 minutes in the forest, which fits the flat Main Trail loop. A shuttle rider is bound by the booked return. A car, a bus ride or a hike in leaves the day open until sunset closing, which is what the 3-hour Ben Johnson and Dipsea loop or a longer climb onto Mount Tamalpais needs.
Screenshots of the reservation, the shuttle times and the ride home work without a signal. A phone set up this way before leaving San Francisco needs nothing at the gate.
Frequently asked questions
How do visitors get back from Muir Woods?
By the same car, tour coach or shuttle reservation, or on foot to the route 61 stop. A ride-share return has to be arranged before arriving; see the ride-share page.
How far is Muir Woods from San Francisco?
About 12 miles north of the city; road distance is usually given as 16 to 17 miles.
Is there public transport to Muir Woods?
Marin Transit route 61 stops about 1.5 miles away, and the seasonal shuttle runs from Larkspur. The without-a-car page covers every option.
Is a reservation needed to get to Muir Woods?
Only by car or shuttle. See the reservations page.