Best Ways To Get To Muir Woods From San Francisco

Muir Woods National Monument is only 16 miles from San Francisco, but in a large city like this there are many ways of getting to the ancient redwood forest— some easier than others.

1. Drive across the Golden Gate Bridge to Muir Woods yourself
2. Take the direct Muir Woods shuttle from Sausalito to Muir Woods
3. Bike the Golden Gate Bridge and catch a shuttle to Muir Woods
4. Bike across the Golden Gate and all the way to Muir Woods
5. Take an Uber, LYFT, or Taxi to Muir Woods
6. Hire a private car for the afternoon
7. Stay at the Pelican Inn— only 3 miles from Muir Woods

DRIVE ACROSS THE GOLDEN GATE BRIDGE

The 16-mile journey across the Golden Gate Bridge will take you at least 40 minutes, but often longer. Please be aware that you will be driving up Mount Tamalpais and that there is heavy traffic along the route. You will need to reserve a parking spot well in advance of your trip at a cost of $9 per vehicle.

Driving Directions:

• Take Highway 101 North 
• Take the Mill Valley/Highway 1/ Stinson Beach Exit.
• Follow the signs to Highway 1 
• Follow the signs to Muir Woods.

TAKE THE DIRECT MUIR WOODS SHUTTLE FROM San Francisco

Dylan’s Tours will take care of all of your park reservations and transportation to and from San Francisco. You won’t have to deal with the hassle of pre-purchasing a parking spot or shuttle ticket, renting a car, or finding convenient public transportation across the bay. *Reminder, parking at Muir Woods requires a reservation and just because you have a reservation does not guarantee you parking upon arrival, you may have to wait until a spot opens up to park.

The direct Muir Woods shuttle from San Francisco departs from Fisherman’s Wharf – 710 Beach Street, San Francisco at 2:00 PM.

BIKE THE GOLDEN GATE BRIDGE & SHUTTLE TO MUIR WOODS

As mentioned earlier, biking the Golden Gate Bridge is a must-do experience for any visitor. Unfortunately, the shuttle to Muir Woods is only seasonal, but there is an alternative!

Dylan’s Tours offers a daily shuttle to Muir Woods from Sausalito, as part of their Bike the Bridge and Shuttle to Muir Woods Tour. Starting in North Beach, the 9-mile ride takes you across the Golden Gate Bridge to Sausalito, where you can drop-off your bike an enjoy lunch. In the afternoon, catch their small-group shuttle to Muir Woods to enjoy over an hour amongst the redwoods.

The best part? You don’t have to bike back to the city after your hike, Dylan’s shuttle will bring you back to San Francisco from Muir Woods!

BIKE ACROSS THE GOLDEN GATE BRIDGE

Biking the bridge is one of those things everyone should try at least once in their lifetime! Biking up Mount Tamalpais from San Francisco to Muir Woods? That’s a totally different story.

While it is *technically* possible to bike to Muir Woods from San Francisco, the road you take will have no bike lane and is filled with cars, SUVs, and 30 foot Muir Woods tour buses taking hairpin turns around the mountain. If your bike does experience a problem, phone service can be spotty as well. On the whole, biking to Muir Woods is NOT recommended.

If you are visiting Muir Woods on the weekend, or during the summer, Marin Transit operates a Muir Woods shuttle that leaves from Sausalito, Mill Valley, and Marin City Hub. The shuttle stops at three locations, bringing visitors up to Muir Woods every sixty minutes.

We recommend that you take the ferry from Pier 39 to Sausalito, and then catch the shuttle bus up to Muir Woods. The shuttle is $3.50 per person.

Reservations are required for the Marin Transit shuttle. Keep in mind that tickets sell out on busier weekends, so be sure to book in advance. Also, please note that shuttle reservations are time and location-specific and the tickets are round-trip.

TAKE AN UBER, LYFT OR TAXI UP TO MUIR WOODS

Since there’s no direct public bus to Muir Woods from San Francisco, you might be tempted to turn to a rideshare app, but this is one of the least cost-effective ways of getting to/from Muir Woods, costing approximately $50 each way.

You’ll be able to ride-share your way from San Francisco to Muir Woods, but since there’s no cell phone reception you won’t be able to order one for the way back. Luckily, there’s still a functioning payphone that you can use to call a cab to take you back to Sausalito or the city, or you can ask one of the Muir Woods rangers to call a taxi as well.

HIRE A PRIVATE CAR FOR THE AFTERNOON

If you want to arrive in style, this is for you. You won’t have to worry about calling a ride if you have a private driver already waiting for you!

Most companies require a minimum of four hours, but they’ll pick up/drop off to your hotel and you can explore at your own pace. Once you’re done, you’ll be picked up and dropped off directly from Muir Woods to San Francisco.

Our friends over at SF Modern Limo are $55/hr for a town car and $70/hr for a limo (if you REALLY want to travel in style).

STAY AT THE PELICAN INN
ONLY 3 MILES/5 KILOMETERS FROM MUIR WOODS

Not many people know about this seven-room English-inspired bed and breakfast tucked away in the tiny Mt. Tam community of Muir Beach.

Pelican Inn is a stone’s throw from the Pacific Ocean and is home to a hearty little English pub on the bottom level (perfect for after a long hike through Muir Woods)!

It will take over an hour to walk to the entrance of Muir Woods, but it is possible, and it’s one of the closest places to stay for accommodation near Muir Woods.

Note: if you’re looking for Muir Woods camping, there are no campsites that are within the national monument. The closest campsites are Alice Eastwood and Pantoll campgrounds in Mt. Tamalpais State Park. Pelican Inn is a good alternative if you don’t want to go camping, or simply want something a bit more luxe that’s still nearby.