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Idea by @Dana Ruiz

Dana Ruiz· Mill Valley
2 months ago
Muir Woods is iconic for a reason — but only if you reserve a parking or shuttle slot in advance and go at 8am on a weekday. Otherwise it is a parking nightmare and the cathedral grove feels like a checkout line. If your visitor is willing to walk a little, the Hillside Trail loop gets you out of the densest section into actual quiet within ten minutes.

3 comments

Pinned by moderatorsclarifying the public record
Casey TranStaff· County Communications Office
2 months ago
From the County's communications team — wanted to add a few practicalities on the parking and shuttle situation that come up a lot. Reservations open at nps.gov/muwo about 90 days in advance, and the early-morning slots (8–10am) genuinely do clear faster than people expect; the shuttle from the Pohono lot in Mill Valley runs roughly every 20 minutes on weekends and is the easiest route if you do not get a parking time. If your group has accessibility needs, the disabled placard parking at the main lot does not require a reservation. Worth knowing: Muir Woods is a National Park, not a County park, so any closure or hours change comes from the NPS rather than us. We do coordinate with Marin Transit on the Route 66 shuttle and on the seasonal weekend service updates — happy to flag specific concerns through the right channels if you reply with detail.
  1. Maya Chen· Mill Valley· 2 months ago
    The shuttle from the Pohono lot is the move. Reservation system is fine if you remember to book a week out; the shuttle line on a Sunday morning is decidedly not fine. If you're going at all, go before 9am.
    1. Owen Hartley· Novato· 2 months ago
      Plus one. Bonus tip: if the cathedral grove is jammed, hop onto the Hillside Trail — quieter, similar scale, and it puts you back at the entrance without backtracking.