I wouldn’t say that I am usually an outdoorsy person unless the beach is involved, but all of my travels lately have gotten me to step outside of my comfort zone a bit so that I can see some of these incredible sights that our world has to offer. I set off early morning for a hike in Muir Woods and an afternoon in Sausalito, hitting a couple of hiccups along the way, but overall the trip did not disappoint.

Details

Muir Woods National Monument

Muir Woods is a coastal redwood forest, with some trees that are up to 1,000 years old and rising to the astonishing height of 260 feet. The park has a variety of trails ranging from 1 mile to 6 miles in length and easy to hard difficulty. There is a trail option for everyone, allowing everyone the opportunity to see the beautiful redwoods!

Sausalito

Sausalito is a small waterfront city in Marin County, California, located near the northern end of the Golden Gate Bridge. It is a popular tourist destination, as it is easily accessed via bike or car from the bridge or via ferry from San Francisco. There is an adorable little downtown along the water that has shops and restaurants. Sausalito is also know for its houseboats community, made up of over 400 houseboats just a couple miles from downtown.

Itinerary

I want to start with the hiccups since I met others who encountered the same issues, so I think it’s a common factor that you need to be aware of. There is absolutely no cell service or wifi once you get near the Muir Woods National Monument and welcome center. NONE. ZIP. NADA. If you are planning to Uber/Lyft (like I was), it won’t matter if you schedule the car ahead of time (like I did) because both you and the drivers will have no service to ever get connected to one another. PLAN ACCORDINGLY.

With that, here is the amazing itinerary that I put together to knock out two incredible places in one trip!

Muir Woods

Plan to start your morning early – from everything that I read, I found that the park gets very busy as the day wears on at all times of the year. I scheduled my pick-up for 7:30, which put me at the Muir Woods welcome center by 8:10. The drive itself is nice because you will be able to see several sights and views along the way, including the crossing over the Golden Gate Bridge.

Once you get to Muir Woods, you just have to pay the $15 entrance fee, and you are free to explore. Right at the entrance to the park, there is a sign that shows the “featured hiking trail,” which is a completely paved loop (with the option to step off on the Hillside Trail (not paved), bringing the total trip to a 2-mile loop walk, estimated to take 1.5 hours. If you, like me, are a fast walker, you’ll be at Bridge 4 (the end of the trail) in 30 minutes tops, where you will need to make a decision to either hop on over to the Hillside Trail to finish the second half of the 2-mile loop and end at the welcome center or take one of the many other trails that branch out along this main path. I had planned to do the 2-mile loop, but when I got to Bridge 4, even after leisurely walking and stopping for pictures, in about 23 minutes, I knew that I needed to choose another option. The park has very detailed signs that show each trail, the distance, the expected time, a short description and some pertinent details (grade, slope, elevation gain, tread) along with a nice map.

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After a lot of consideration, I chose to take the Ben Johnson/Dipsea Loop, which was another 3.1-mile loop that would return me to the Muir Woods parking lot. What I found most intriguing was that this trail takes you along a path where you have the possibility to see the ocean. I snapped a picture of the sign and went on my way.

For a hiking newbie (who forgot to pack a backpack for California and had to hike with a purse on my shoulder), I feel like I made very good time and was able to keep up with the difficulty of the trail, although I found myself quite short of breath with some of the steeper escalations. This trail takes you through some very dense parts of the forest where you are just surrounded by massive redwoods and then takes you across the hilltop, where you can see some of the most beautiful views with the mountains, the trees, and the ocean. I was very happy with my choice to take this trail and highly recommend!

Once you finish your hike, it’s time to catch a ride into the seaside city of Sausalito.

Sausalito

Once in Sausalito, I was STARVED from all of my hiking so I immediately sought out a place to eat. Several restaurants came highly recommended in my research, so do some research to figure out what the best option is for you! I settled on a waterfront restaurant called The Trident and sat on the deck, basking in the sunshine. It was a fairly cool day and I was wearing long-sleeve, but my neck and chest got sunburned, so make sure to cover up! I had a “Sable Rock” Pain Killer drink and the Barbeque Baby Back Ribs and everything was delicious! The view of San Francisco and the Golden Gate Bridge didn’t hurt either.

Other restaurant recommendations included:

• Napa Valley Burger Company
• Lighthouse Cafe
• Scoma’s of Sausalito
• Fish and Chips of Sausalito

Next up, take some time to walk around downtown and browse through all of the cute little shops. If you’re up for it, walk (or call a car) to go the ~2 miles to see the Houseboats of Sausalito. Or you can lounge along the water, taking in the views!

If you’re still ready to see more sights, check out some of the other areas to see below then plan to ride the ferry back to San Francisco to finish up your trip! (more details below)

Other Stops

There are a few other highly recommended Golden Gate Bridge viewing spots to see if you are on this side of the bridge, that are just a short car ride (or a several mile walk if you’re up for it) from Sausalito.

• Battery Spenser
• Golden Gate Bridge View
• Vista Point

Transportation

Self-guided via car – if you decide to drive, you do have to make a reservation for a parking spot at Muir Woods, which includes a parking fee. The lots are very small and can fill up, so this is not the preferred method of travel, but it is much easier to have your own transportation to come and go as you wish.

Self-guided via other modes of transportation – I would recommend using Uber/Lyft to get to Muir Woods. From there, I discovered that Marin Transit operates a shuttle on all weekends and holidays and during select peak weekdays, which provides service to Muir Woods from Sausalito, Marin City, or Mill Valley. In Sausalito, you can walk or use Uber/Lyft to get around. To get back to SF, I highly recommend the Golden Gate Ferry, where you will be able to see unique views of the Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz Island, and San Francisco.

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Tour company – there are tours that take you to Muir Woods and Sausalito (I even saw a Gray Line half-day tour that hits both locations). With this, you have less flexibility to plan your way, but you won’t have to worry about transportation. Taking the ferry back to SF from Sausalito is also an option!

What to Bring

Using a backpack (rather than a purse) is highly recommended so plan accordingly! ☺️

• Make sure to pack plenty of water, especially if you’re going to hike one of the longer trails.
• I also recommend having some food (my choice is a protein bar and a piece of fruit).
• Bring sunscreen, sunglasses and a hat to protect yourself from the sun.
• Pack a rain jacket, as it rains quite a bit, especially in the winter, and can be very wet throughout the park.
• I also recommend traveling with a portable charger to ensure that your phone is fully charged, whether to take pictures or for emergencies!
• Don’t forget to bring something to take pictures of the amazing views, whether that is just your phone, a camera, a GoPro or all of the above!

What to Wear

I highly suggest wearing comfortable clothes and dressing in layers. Check the weather for the park, as the temperatures can fluctuate throughout the day and the park is quite cold in the mornings. Plan to wear shoes that you can hike in for extended periods of time (hiking boots if you’re a pro or good non-slip, water-resistant sneakers if you’re not).

Thanks for visiting and come back soon for more San Francisco day trip itineraries!