Visit Muir Woods

Walk among old growth coast redwoods, cooling their roots in the fresh water of Redwood Creek and lifting their crowns to reach the sun and fog. Federally protected as a National Monument since 1908, this primeval forest is both refuge and laboratory, revealing our relationship with the living landscape.

Muir Woods lies in the middle of the redwood’s latitudinal range that spans from the California/Oregon border to Big Sur, just south of Monterey. The weather is mild throughout the year, but summer is the busiest time to visit Muir Woods.

The incredible diversity of flora and fauna at Muir Woods can be daunting some times, elusive at other times. The redwoods themselves dominate the scene, but the humble Steller’s jay, ladybugs, ancient horsetail ferns, and the banana slug hold their own beneath the canopy. Plants adapt to low light levels on the forest floor, while whole plant and animal communities bustle in the canopy above our heads. 

The 558-acre monument preserves one of the last remaining ancient redwood forests in the Bay Area. Some of the redwoods are nearly 1,000 years old and reach heights of more than 250 feet.

Named for conservationist John Muir, it was the 10th national monument to be designated under the Antiquities Act of 1906, the first to be in proximity to a major city, and the first to consist of formerly privately-owned lands.

Today, Muir Woods National Monument is home to more than 380 different plants and animals, including 27 species of mammals, 50 species of birds, 12 species of reptiles, and 5 species of amphibians. Redwood Creek, the principal stream in the monument, runs clean and clear beneath the towering trees. Its waters are home to Coho salmon and steelhead trout—keystone species in many Pacific ecosystems.

Muir Woods National Monument is managed by the National Park Service as a distinct park unit within Golden Gate National Recreation Area.