Muir Woods Day Trip: How To Hike the Panoramic Loop

We’ve got you covered for an ultimate Muir Woods Day Trip. If you are in the San Francisco Bay Area, this is one location that you can’t miss. You and everyone else, too! Get the details below about how to get into Muir Woods and the best hike in the park.

Our Muir Woods day trip guide will lead you through Cathedral Grove and up onto a ridge that offers panoramic views of the area.

Finally, check out Bohemian Grove before you end your day at Muir Woods and spend an afternoon exploring the Golden Gate Bridge and Marin Headlands. You just might spot a banana slug here.

As part of our 2-week road trip through Central California, Muir Woods can’t be missed!

Need to Know Info

• Timed entry is required for Muir Woods National Monument. Reservations for parking and riding the shuttle are required to visit, and if you don’t have a parking pass, you will be turned away. Reserve your parking passes as soon as you know the date you’ll visit Muir Woods. Get parking reservations here.
  • There is NO cell service or WiFi near the park entrance. Download or print your parking reservations before you go. You must arrive within your designated 30-minute window, or your spot will not be guaranteed.
  • We recommend going as early in the day as you can. The crowds will be lighter, and you will have a better chance to walk through the magical redwood forest in the fog! You know you want to get some of those epic sun-ray photos, right?
• Use your National Park Interagency Pass to gain admission to the park. If you don’t have one, it’s $15.00 per person. Note that this is separate from the parking reservations. Visit our gear page to purchase your America the Beautiful Pass online at REI’s website.
• Once you enter Muir Woods National Monument, you can stay as long as you like, depending on your parking slot. However, medium and large vehicle reservations have defined arrival and departure times.
• Muir Woods’ hours change seasonally, so be sure to check the website for up-to-date information.
• Pets are prohibited in the park.

Safety and Weather in Muir Woods National Monument

• Do not expect to have cell phone service at Muir Woods National Monument.
• Are you a mosquito magnet? Get our favorite bug spray here!
• Water: It’s recommended to carry at least 1 liter of water for every 5 miles you are hiking. Why carry a plastic or large water bottle when you could carry a water bladder?
• Food & Gas: Options can be found in nearby Mill Valley, CA.
• Restrooms: There are restrooms located just outside the entrance to Muir Woods National Monument. Additionally, you will find restrooms behind the Muir Woods Trading Company.
• Weather: Muir Woods National Monument is excellent for hiking! The cool coastal redwood forest has temperatures ranging from 40-70 F. During the rainy season in October to May, you’ll likely get wet. Summer mornings often have heavy fog, but the fog will clear up as the day progresses. There is just something magical about walking through the fog in the woods.
• Poison oak may be present. Here is what it looks like, so you don’t ruin your vacation!

Animal Safety in Muir Woods National Monument

• Muir Woods National Monument is home to a diverse group of animals. Some animals you might see in the park include black-tailed deer, chipmunks, owls, rabbits, coyotes, mountain lions, and, of course, the famous banana slug! In most cases, you will not encounter an aggressive animal here.

Getting To Muir Woods National Monument

First up on your Muir Woods day trip is battling the traffic and winding roads to arrive at the parking lot. As discussed before, arriving at the park as early as possible is the best way to visit. Not only will traffic be lighter, but remember, once you’re parked, you can stay as long as you want. This means that if the parking lots fill up, you might have to wait a bit longer or walk a little farther when you arrive.

We arrived at 8:30 am and had no issues with parking at all. Note that the roads to get to Muir Woods are steep and winding. Additionally, you will come across a few hairpin turns here and there. For us, it’s one of our favorite types of roads!

Panoramic Loop – 4.5 miles – moderate, loop, 900+ ft. gain

The Panoramic Loop is one of the best hikes to complete on a Muir Woods day trip. This hike gives you the best of both worlds: an amazing hike through the woods and panoramic views up on the ridge. First up, head to the entrance station to enter the park.

Don’t forget a picture of that iconic sign as you travel into the redwoods! From here, stay to the right and walk past the Visitor Center and Muir Woods Trading Company. Then, follow the signs toward Cathedral Grove

Founders Grove

Firstly, as you hike amongst the giants, you’ll encounter Founders Grove. This area has some of the largest trees in the park. As you walk along the boardwalks here, be on the lookout for banana slugs and be careful not to step on them if you see one on the boardwalk or trail. They do a great job of camouflaging with the fallen leaves!

Continue on the trail, staying to the right. Don’t cross any bridges just yet. From here, make your way to Cathedral Grove, one of the most popular areas in Muir Woods.

Cathedral Grove

Cathedral Grove is a quiet area of the park, so please keep this area peaceful and be as quiet as you can while exploring the trails and amazing redwoods. Home to the tallest, oldest redwoods at Muir Woods, Cathedral Grove is an amazing place to take your time and gaze up into the canopy.

Contemplate how long these trees have stood here. Redwoods can grow up to 380 feet! They are the tallest living organisms on the planet. They might be the tallest, but they are not the largest. General Sherman is, however!

Additionally, if the weather is just right, you may even get to experience some of those amazing sun rays through the fog, making your trip here extra special. After about 1 mile, you will reach the trail junction for the Fern Creek Trail.

Fern Creek Trail & Lost Trail

From here, take a right onto the trail and get ready to climb up to the ridge, above the canopy of the redwoods. Panoramic views are on the horizon! Hike over the bridges and up the switchbacks for about a half mile to reach the Lost Trail. At this junction, take a right onto the Lost Trail. Here, the elevation gain really starts, and the trail will become steeper as you climb your way out of the valley.

Eventually, you’ll reach another junction with the Canopy View Trail. Technically, some of these trails are in Mount Tamalpais State Park. That being said, take a left onto this trail. From here, it’s just another 0.3 of a mile up and out to reach the ridge.

The trail will become narrower and eventually, you will reach another trail just below the Panoramic Highway. Once you reach the top, the views open up, and you’ll be overlooking the Muir Woods canopy! This is a great place to take a quick rest before continuing along the Panoramic Loop.

Enjoy some time here watching the fog roll in and the amazing views this location provides.

Panoramic Trail & Redwood Trail

Next, take a right (as you face the road) and head southeast on the trail following the Panoramic Trail. As you hike along the narrow ridge here, be on the lookout for wildflowers and soaring birds. Hike along the Panoramic Trail until you reach the Redwood Trail. This section of the loop is about a quarter mile (0.25).

Then, use the Redwood Trail on the right to continue your journey on the Panoramic Loop back toward Muir Woods. From here, the trail weaves in and out of the forest as you make your way toward The Tourist Club. This is a private club, so please don’t trespass. To reach this point, it’s about 0.75 miles. When you have arrived, continue straight onto the road until you reach the Sun Trail on your right.

Sun Trail

Hike along the Sun Trail for another 0.75 miles. This narrow trail on the ridge offers outstanding panoramic views of the California coast! In the summer months, this trail can get somewhat overgrown with grasses, so be sure to complete a tick check when you finish your hike.

For our hike, the grass was super overgrown, and we did not find any ticks. Phew! Eventually, you will reach a junction with the Dipsea Trail. This trail will take you right back to the Muir Woods parking lot.

Dipsea Trail

Take a right on the Dipsea Trail at the junction and hike back into the valley and forest. You will cross the road just after the turn-off for this trail, so be careful with traffic here. This trail follows the curvature of the road as it descends into the valley back toward Muir Woods.

You will be hiking in the woods and not along the road, so no need to worry. Finally, make your way back to the parking lot. Your epic Panoramic Loop is now complete! Did you see any banana slugs on your journey? Sadly, we didn’t. 😔

Additionally, if time allows, use your entry pass to return to Muir Woods to check out the Muir Woods Trading Post. After this, we recommend a quick visit to the Bohemian Grove as well.

Bohemian Grove

To see Bohemian Grove, take the left junction near the Muir Woods Trading Post. It’s just a short walk to reach this area of the park and is worth the extra steps. This is where we FINALLY saw a banana slug! We were so excited! It would have been a real bummer not to see one.

According to the National Parks Website, “Bohemian Grove is named for the Northern California Bohemian Club. It was formed by newspapermen, artists, actors, and musicians in San Francisco in 1872.”

Additionally, you will find the Selfie Tree here, where a fire scar provides a great place to stand in to get that perfect shot.

Other Fun Things to Do In San Francisco

Check out the fun and recommended tours offered below! Click on the links to learn about pricing and more details.

• San Francisco Love Tour: A sightseeing tour around the city, including Chinatown, North Beach, the Castro, the Mission, downtown, and more in a VW bus! ☮️
• Painted Ladies San Francisco City Tour – Another fun VW bus tour with photo ops at the Golden Gate Bridge and Painted Ladies – who doesn’t love Full House?! 🏙️
• Little Italy and North Beach Walking Tour in San Francisco – 1 of the 15 best foodie tours in the USA. Learn about and sample fresh foods and drinks at local bakeries and delis. 🍪
• The Haunt SF: Ghost Hunting Tour – Visit haunted alleys, neighborhoods, and street corners. You even get to use your own personal EMF reader. 👻

Where to Stay

If you’ve been following our 2-week tour around California, then you know that we stayed near Novato, CA for the last leg of our trip. It is a great midpoint for visiting wine country and San Francisco. If you stay in Novato, we recommend getting an Airbnb or staying at the Best Western Plus Novato Oaks Inn.

However, if you want to stay closer to San Francisco and Muir Woods, check out the options nearby. Here are a few amazing choices below:

• Acqua Hotel Mill Valley – top-rated, breakfast included with bay views against the backdrop of Mt. Tamalpais.
• Mill Valley Inn – the only hotel in downtown Mill Valley, just steps away from downtown and all the nearby outdoor adventures.
• Holiday Inn Express Mill Valley San Francisco Area, an IHG hotel – can you go wrong with a classic Holiday Inn with free breakfast? Minutes from the Golden Gate Bridge and Downtown San Francisco.

Final Thoughts

Our Muir Woods day trip was totally awesome! The Panoramic Loop provided a great trail to see many different areas and habitats in this coastal California oasis. From walking through the magical foggy Cathedral Grove to exploring the panoramic views on the ridges of Mount Tamalpais State Park, we could not have asked for a better morning.

Having arrived at 8:30 am, we had plenty of time to explore the park and get off the main trails for a more unique visit. We also got to see a banana slug, which was super cool! Finally, we decided to head to the Golden Gate National Recreation Area and explore the Marin Headlands in the afternoon.