The top 5 favorite Muir Woods Hikes!
There are several options for Muir Woods Hikes – for all experience levels, this is our guide to the best 5 hikes that you have to take!
Top 5 Muir Woods Hikes
- Muir Woods Bridge 3 Loop
- Muir Woods Bridge 2 Loop
- Muir Woods Bridge 4 Loop
- Muir Woods Dipsea Trail
- Muir Woods Bookjack Trail
In town for just a short while?
As we have written about in the past, the best way for tourists to see Muir Woods is to take a tour! Our Famous Tour with Muir Woods was designed for just that!
Background on Muir Woods
North of San Francisco, just past the Golden Gate Bridge, is Mount Tamalpais. This Northern California mountain is flanked by the Pacific Ocean to the west, San Francisco Bay to the east and the Marin Headlands to the south.
Here, hidden in a valley, is Muir Woods National Monument.
This ancient grove of redwoods contains some of the tallest trees in the world. So it’s the perfect place for a hike beneath the canopy of old growth coastal redwoods near San Francisco!
Optional Muir Woods Hike – Take a Tour!
Discovering 2,000 year old redwoods of Muir Woods National Monument is the highlight of many people visiting San Francisco. The problem is that over the past few years they have made it hard to visit Muir Woods on your own. This includes having to book parking spots ahead of time or taking a costly uber / shuttle up to Muir Woods.
If you plan ahead this can be okay, however, a tour guide can offer a much more robust experience.
Our “Famous” San Francisco to Muir Woods tour makes stops at Muir Woods and Sausalito for about an hour each.
Our 1-Day Alcatraz Experience, with Muir Woods, Alcatraz, and San Francisco, stops for closer to an hour and a half in Sausalito and Muir Woods, to give you enough time to enjoy some sights and hiking.
Even our direct Muir Woods shuttle offers an hour to adventure around the redwoods of Muir Woods!
For the more adventurous, you can try the Bike the Golden Gate Bridge tour which includes a bike ride over the Golden Gate Bridge and a shuttle bus ride to Muir Woods!
If you’re on a San Francisco tour to Muir Woods, or just don’t have a lot of time to spend in the redwoods, you may be wondering what hikes you can take in a short amount of time. Happily, there are plenty of options for Muir Woods hikes that you can do in less than an hour!
No matter if you’re getting to Muir Woods from a San Francisco bus tour, a Muir Woods shuttle, a Muir Woods tour bus, or driving on your own and reserving a parking spot in advance, you’ll want to be sure to check out our five favorite trails for hiking Muir Woods. Three of them you can do in under an hour.
All trails running through the Muir Woods redwoods forest (and some of the best Mt Tam hikes) begin along a wooden boardwalk.
After you pay the $15 Muir Woods entrance fee (anyone 15 or younger gets free Muir Woods admission!), head into the park along this trail and check in at the Muir Woods Visitor Center.
The first fork in the road will be at Bridge 1, at the very beginning on the main trail. All three trails, end back at Bridge 1.
Note: if you’re looking for a good Muir Woods Trail Map – you can find one here. It’s the official Muir Woods map of the US National Park Service, so you can rest assured that it’s accurate, and includes all the different Muir Woods trails you could tackle.
The best Muir Woods hikes in the national monument aren’t necessarily the longest ones.
Muir Woods Hike #1: Bridge 3 Loop
About 45 minutes, no incline
If you’re looking for one of the most popular Muir Woods hiking trails to explore the San Francisco redwoods while on a Muir Woods tour – look no further than the Bridge 3 loop hike!
Most San Francisco tours that stop in Muir Woods, usually visit for about an hour, which makes this the most ideal trail for hiking Muir Woods without rushing.
The Bridge 3 Loop is perfect for anyone who:
- wants to explore for a decent amount of time
- does not want to trek up the mountain at all
- wants to save time for a bathroom break — or a cup of coffee or tea from the cafe
- does not plan on visiting the gift shop
How to hike Muir Woods Bridge 3 Loop:
After you’ve paid your Muir Woods fee, head along the wooden boardwalk for about 10 minutes until you see Bridge 3 running across the creek.
Once you’ve crossed Bridge 3, walk along the dirt path back to Bridge 1. Keep an eye out for the hollowed-out redwood along this trail — it’s a perfect photo op!
Muir Woods Hike #2: Bridge 2 Loop
About 20-30 minutes, no incline
The shortest trail to hike in Muir Woods!
This gentle Muir Woods hike loops around the same dirt path as the Bridge Three, so be sure to keep an eye out for the hollowed-out redwood for photos!
The Bridge 2 Loop is perfect for anyone who:
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- wants to do a bit of a Muir Woods hike, but also wants to see redwood products available at the gift store
- got caught waiting in line at the cafe for the Marin Melt (it’s an incredible grilled cheese sandwich made with bread from a local bakery and THREE different local kinds of cheese that was featured on Food Network’s “The Best Food I Ever Ate” – aka it’s one of the best foodie things to do in Muir Woods.)
- might have some mobility issues — this trail is flat, with the exception of roots along the short dirt path
- wants to take their time hiking in Muir Woods
- doesn’t want to deal with the ever changing Muir Woods weather (if it’s a particularly freezing day especially).
How to hike Muir Woods Bridge 2 Loop:
Bridge 2 is just a few minutes into the main trail.
Be sure to peek into the creek as you cross the bridge — sometimes there are Rainbow Trout! From there, you’ll take the dirt path that quickly loops back to Bridge 1, at the entrance of Muir Woods.
Muir Woods Hike #3: Bridge 4 Loop
About 1 hour, incline up Mt. Tam
The longest and most adventurous trail to hike Muir Woods in an hour (and, in our opinion, one of the best hikes in Muir Woods in general).
The longest and most adventurous trail to hike Muir Woods in an hour (and, in our opinion, one of the best hikes in Muir Woods in general).
We hesitantly suggest the Bridge 4 Loop since it usually takes exactly an hour — if you’re hustling!
The Bridge 4 Loop is perfect for anyone who:
- is ready for a serious hike — this trail goes up a bit of Mt. Tam
- wants the entire hour for a Muir Woods hike and to experience one of the best trails in Muir Woods
- doesn’t plan on stopping at gift shop or cafe
How to Hike Muir Woods Bridge 4 Loop:
From the main trail, cruise along the wooden path until you reach Bridge 4. Once you cross the bridge, you’ll head up the mountain.
The views climbing up look down into the redwood groves! The trail brings you back down on the same dirt trail that leads to Bridge 1.
Note: if you want to plan your own itinerary, or do a mixture of these Muir woods hikes, don’t forget to take a look at the official Muir Woods hiking map for more ideas. You can find it here.
For instance, if you have more time than just an hour or two, although there isn’t a Muir Woods ocean view trail, you could expand your day to include one of the best Mt Tam hikes down to Stinson Beach for some coastal views.
You can find the larger Mount Tamalpais trail map here (which includes Muir Woods in its borders), as well as additional info about the state park.
Note: if you want to plan your own itinerary, or do a mixture of these hikes, don’t forget to take a look at the official Muir Woods hiking map for more ideas. You can find it here.
For instance, if you have more time than just an hour or two, although there isn’t a Muir Woods ocean view trail, you could expand your day to include one of the best Mt Tam hikes. down to Stinson Beach for some coastal views.
You can find the larger Mount Tamalpais trail map here (which includes Muir Woods in its borders), as well as additional info about the state park.
Muir Woods Hike #4: Dipsea Trail and return via Ben Johnson Trail
About 3 hours, incline up Mt. Tam
The Dipsea trail leaves the main area of Muir Woods and climbs to a view of Mt. Tamalpais, San Francisco and the Pacific Ocean. This moderate 4 mile trail is considered a favorite trail for hikers.
The Dipsea trail and return via Ben Johnson Trail is perfect for anyone who:
- is ready to spend the full afternoon hiking Mt. Tam
- wants the full Mt. Tamalpais experience
How to hike The Dipsea trail and return via Ben Johnson Trail
Start your hike across the bridge off the overflow parking lot. After walking through half a mile of forest out of the canyon you will reach an exposed ridge. As you’ll be walking through grassland the trail enters a redwood forest where you’ll be walking uphill gradually for a quarter-mile. This is where you reach the Ben Johnson cutoff. If you feel like having a longer hike you can choose to continue the Dipsea Trail all the way to Stinson Beach. If you take the Ben Johnson Trail you’ll descend back to the main Muir Woods trail.
Muir Woods Hike #5: Bootjack Trail to Ben Johnson Trail Loop
About 3.5 hours, incline up Mt. Tam
If you are looking for a good half-day Muir Woods hike this is the hike for you. Not only is this trail beautiful, but it is also a historic gathering site. A portion of the trail was built during World War I, giving this 6 mile trail an ideal resting spot.
The Bootjack Trail to Ben Johnson Trail loop is perfect for anyone who:
- is ready to spend a half day hiking the Mt. Tam
- wants the full Mt. Tamalpais experience
- Loves historic gatherings
How to hike The Bootjack Trail to Ben Johnson Trail Loop
The main trail becomes the Bootjack trail after you pass bridge 4. The trail follows the Redwoods Creek until the forest opens at Van Wyck Meadow. This is the historical gathering site. You’ll cross many more canyons until you catch the Stapleveldt Trail, bringing you back to the Ben Johnson Trail till you are back in Muir Woods again.
Ready to plan your Muir Woods Hike? Our Muir Woods Tour from San Francisco is a great option!
Or, you can opt to just take our direct shuttle from San Francisco to Muir Woods without the full tour!
Looking for more ways to explore your time in San Francisco? Enjoy a one-day trip to beautiful Carmel & Monterey and discover the wonder of California’s coastline.
Want more Muir Woods Inspiration? Don’t forget to read our related posts below to discover what to do in Muir Woods!
10 Best (and Worst Ways) of Getting to Muir Woods
What to do if the Muir Woods Shuttle is Full
How to Get to Muir Woods without a Car
A Guide to Hiking in San Francisco
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