Travel Guide: San Francisco’s Muir Woods

Giant redwoods in the Muir Woods.

On a recent trip to San Francisco, we decided to get out of the city for the day and do some exploring. We settled on the Muir Woods, a national monument north of San Francisco and unlike anything I’ve ever experienced before. This preserved forest is teaming with massive redwood trees that are just stunning to wander in.

In order to get there, we rented a smart car (like the world’s teeniest, tiniest smart car) for the 45-minute drive. This is and of itself was really memorable because my boyfriend is taller than 6 feet, so to see him scrunched inside the world’s smallest clown car was pretty hilarious. On the way, we drove over the Golden Gate Bridge and up a windy hill to find the Woods.

Moss-covered redwoods at Muir Woods

We packed plenty of water and snacks because we planned on doing one of the hikes once in the forest. When we got in, I was just blown away by the sheer size of these beautiful trees. After doing a walkabout at the base of the park which has the main trail, we picked one of the many hikes to get a different vantage point. I think we did about a 3-mile rail round trip, which was one of the less-strenuous ones.

What struck me is how quirt the park is. Living in Manhattan and spending a lot of time in other cities, it can be hard to find a peaceful place to clear your head. It also helped that there is pretty much no cell phone service in the park, so you really can be alone with just your thoughts. I also liked that we hiked, to get some exercise in, as some of the points were a bit steep, which doubled as a tush workout.

If you’re looking for some natural beauty and a nice hike, I would highly recommend Muir Park.

Editor’s note: they just introduced a new policy at Muir that you have to book your visit in advance and pick a time slot, so make sure to reserve one if you are planning on going.

 

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