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San Francisco to Muir Woods: 6 Best Ways to Get Here
By: Jill Loeffler • Updated: June 23, 2025
You will find a few options to travel between San Francisco and Muir Woods National Monument in Marin County.
Even though it's only about 16 miles from SF, the drive usually takes anywhere from 35 to 50 minutes.
What is the best way to get there?
You can take one of two Muir Woods shuttles, drive, or go on one of three unique guided tours. I've taken all of these options to help provide you with the best tips for each one.
They all offer you the chance to explore this fantastic coastal redwood forest about thirty minutes north of the Golden Gate Bridge.
Most of these transit options require that you pre-book and pay in advance. Some include an entrance ticket into the park, and others require that you pay when you enter.
If you have a National Parks Pass (also called America the Beautiful National Park Pass or the Interagency Pass), you can use that to enter the park for no additional cost.
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The links below will take you to the section that interests you the most.
A Little About Muir Woods National Monument
Muir Woods is a National Monument that sits within the Golden Gate National Recreation Area and is surrounded by Mount Tamalpais State Park.
It spans more than 558 acres and is home to dozens of coastal redwoods. Many redwood trees in this forest are around 600 years old, with the oldest recently being dated to be almost 800 years old.
They previously thought the oldest tree here was between 1,200 and 1,500 years old, but new dating techniques on the tree showed it was a bit younger.
This is one of my favorite exhibits here to check out when I visit. It shows you what was happening in the world during specific times of this tree's life.Inside the park, you can stroll its well-maintained and level trails, check out its informational exhibits, or head up the hills for a more heart-pumping hike.
You can also step inside the visitor center or grab a coffee and sit back to admire these ancient beauties on one of the benches throughout the park.
>> Learn more about what you'll see when you visit
1. Sausalito Shuttle to Muir Woods
The Sausalito Shuttle is the most popular option for those wanting to get from San Francisco to Muir Woods. This shuttle stop (orange star on the map) is about a five-minute walk from the Sausalito Ferry Terminal.
It only runs on weekends and holidays from late June to early August.
The first shuttle leaves at around 8:30 am, and the final shuttle leaves Sausalito in the early afternoon. You'll find the stop at the corner of Bay and Bridgeway.
You must arrive 15 minutes before your departure, and they will not wait for those running late. You also won't be able to jump on a later shuttle, so make sure you time your arrival so you don't miss the shuttle.
This is a round-trip ticket, so you do not need to buy a second ticket to return to Sausalito. When you book, you will also need to select your return shuttle time and show your ticket again to board.
You can no longer jump on any shuttle when you want to leave.
Here are a few additional details about this shuttle:
- Children 15 and under ride free, but you must book their tickets through the system.
- The shuttle takes about 30 minutes to get to Muir Woods from Sausalito.
- The cost is $3.75 for each adult (16 and older).
>> Tips for taking the shuttles
2. Larkspur Landing Shuttle to Muir Woods
This Muir Woods Shuttle is a little further north and great for those coming from other locations in Marin County, Sonoma, or other spots in Northern California.
This shuttle runs just on busy weekend and holidays and a few weekdays from early spring through the fall.
To get to this stop, you can take the Larkspur Ferry, the 130 bus or drive.
Here are a few more details about this Muir Woods shuttle:
- Leaves from 101 E. Sir Francis Drak Blvd. in Larkspur
- Need to arrive at least 15 minutes in advance.
- Picks up right near the Larkspur Ferry.
>> Visit their official site to book your shuttle ticket
Details About the Muir Woods Tours
There are three different types of Muir Woods National Monument Tours. Each one offers you the chance to explore Muir Woods on your own for anywhere from 60 to 90 minutes.
This is plenty of time to visit Muir Woods National Monument and explore some of its gorgeous redwoods.
Please keep in mind that the tours will not wait for stragglers when they are returning to SF. The last time I visited on a guided tour, one person did not arrive in time. We waited for about 10 minutes but ended up leaving them.
This person then had to find their own way to San Francisco from Muir Woods. There is no cell phone reception or wifi service in the park, so this isn't an easy task.
Be very aware of the meet-up time to return to SF and make sure you don't miss it since they allow plenty of time to explore the park here.
Entrance fees are included in almost all of these tours.
This is the easiest and fastest way to get to Muir Woods from San Francisco without a car.
3. Muir Woods Only Tour
The first tour option available is the Muir Woods only tour. This is a half-day tour that really offers just transportation to and from the park.
It also includes a stop at one of the lookout points on the Golden Gate Bridge (weather permitting) and drops off (no tour) in Sausalito.
The entire tour is about 3.5 hours, with 1.5 hours spent visiting Muir Woods.
It's also the most cost-effective of the three tours since it's the shortest. It runs once in the morning and once in the afternoon.
>> Find out more about this tour
4. Muir Woods and Sausalito Tour from San Francisco
The second tour option to get from San Francisco to Muir Woods is this combo tour. This tour includes a stop at the Golden Gate Bridge, 1.5 hours in the park, and then a 15 to 20-minute bus tour of Sausalito.
You can then either stay on the bus to return to San Francisco, or you can jump out to explore Sausalito more on your own.
This tour is about five hours and also runs most mornings and afternoons.
>> Find out more about this tour from San Francisco
5. Muir Woods and Wine Country Tour
The third tour option includes visiting Muir Woods in the morning and Northern California wine country in the afternoon.
Your day starts with a quick photo stop of the Golden Gate Bridge. You will then continue north to Muir Woods. Here you will spend about an hour in this historic coastal redwood forest. This tour includes the shortest stop at Muir Woods of the three tours offered.
You will then jump back onto the tour bus and make your way north to wine country. You will first stop for lunch at the Sonoma Plaza (lunch not included in the price) and then make your way to sample some Napa Valley and Sonoma wines.
You'll have the chance to stop for two tastings.
This tour does not include the entrance fee to Muir Woods. It does include the price for the two wine tastings.
The tour lasts around 9 to 10 hours.
>> Find out more about this fun Muir Woods and Wine Country Tour
>> Tips on how far in advance to book for Muir Woods and other top attractions in San Francisco
6. Driving from San Francisco to Muir Woods
The final option to get from San Francisco to Muir Woods is to drive. The drive is fairly easy and is about 45 minutes away from San Francisco, even though its only about 16 miles.
You'll start by crossing the Golden Gate Bridge and exiting Highway 101 at Exit 445B.
You will then continue along CA-1 through Mill Valley to the Muir Woods entrance.
You will need to make a Muir Woods parking reservation before you arrive. Reservations are $9 for a standard car or $12.50 if you want to charge your electric vehicle while you are here.
There is an extra charge for vehicles over 17 feet.
Make sure you download your parking reservation to your phone before you arrive, as there is no cell service or wifi available in or near Muir Woods.
Visit their official site to book a parking pass.
If you don't drive your own car, you can rent one at locations all around San Francisco. Find out more about car rentals in SF.
More Details About Getting from San Francisco to Muir Woods
Ride Into Muir Woods
Before your visit to Muir Woods, there is a little you need to know about the road that takes you to the park.
Once you leave Mill Valley, the final three to four miles of the trip are on a two-lane, windy road. If you get motion sickness, I recommend preparing before you get on the tour, shuttle, or car.
I get mild motion sickness, but I've never taken motion sickness medication for the journey. Sometimes, I have to close my eyes for parts of the ride, so I don't get sick.
However, if motion sickness is a big problem, I want to make sure you know that about 15 minutes of the ride is on gorgeous but very curvy roads. This will allow you to prepare before your departure.
What About Uber/Lyft from San Francisco to Muir Woods?
I always get asked if it's okay to take an Uber/Lyft from San Francisco to Muir Woods. I don't recommend this option.
While you can easily get to Muir Woods, you will find it's not very easy to get back. There is no cell service or wifi in or around the park, so you will not be able to use the app to return.
There is no public transit (except the pre-booked shuttles mentioned above), so it becomes difficult to get back.
Is It Safe to Cycle from San Francisco to Muir Woods?
I took this from a car pull-out along the road, but as you can see, there is no shoulder (and some sections of the road drop straight down into a canyon).If you love to cycle and are considering using this to get from San Francisco to Muir Woods, I do caution that it's a little dangerous.
You would start your journey in San Francisco, make your way across the Golden Gate Bridge, and then down through Sausalito. You would then follow the trail through Mill Valley and make your way on the two-lane highway to the park entrance.
The ride is about 13 to 17 miles from different locations around San Francisco.
The first 10 miles of the journey are pretty straightforward and safe. It's the last few miles that are a bit tricky.
This last part of the ride from San Francisco to Muir Woods is on a tight, two-lane highway. There are no shoulders and no bike lanes.
The road also has quite a few twists and turns, so can be quite dangerous as some drivers get a thrill when they whip around the corners quickly.
A couple of times I've driven out here, I've seen people cycling this road. It's gorgeous but doesn't look safe to me.
Cars will line up behind cyclists trying to get around them. Some cars will swerve out and around with little time to see if someone is coming from the opposite direction.
I would not recommend this ride unless you are familiar with the road and know how to avoid a potential collision with cars around the corners. There are other great cycling options nearby, but I would not recommend this to anyone that hasn't taken this road before by car or tour.
Hi, I'm Jill!
Dreaming of a San Francisco vacation? As a proud local, I'm here to share my insider tips and personal experiences to help you make the most of this iconic city!
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