Monday, April 13, 2026
Overall, this was a packed, fun-filled day.
We started with another stop at Rustic Bakery for coffee and a ham and cheese croissant. I also bought a box of rustic cheese coins for the road and quickly found that they were somewhat addicting.
As we left the hotel, the sun was shining brightly. Driving south on the 101, I looked out at the green, hilly terrain and admired the natural beauty. It was one of those views that made me think, this is why people want to live here.
We arrived at Muir Woods around 8:30 a.m. We had the required parking reservation, and there were, at most, a dozen cars in the lot. Since it is so close to San Francisco, I had no idea how busy it would be, which is why I wanted to get there relatively early on a weekday. It looked like my plan worked.
For the better part of the morning, it felt like we had the National Monument almost to ourselves. We ran into a few other people along the trail, but for the most part, it was quiet enough to not only look at nature, but also listen to it.
By midmorning, the mood had definitely changed. People were walking and chatting, teens were howling like wolves, and kids were shouting and screaming. The peaceful morning atmosphere was pretty much gone.
Although the trees were not nearly as massive as the redwoods up in Humboldt County, Muir Woods was definitely worth seeing. There were additional hikes we could have taken, but by 11:30 a.m., we felt like we had pretty much seen the main part of the park.
We stopped by the visitor center for a grilled cheese and tomato soup snack before heading out. As we left the parking lot, I noticed that it was full and people were parking in additional lots. I cannot imagine what it looks like on weekends or when school is out.
From there, we headed to the Muir Beach Overlook, which offers stunning views of the coastline. I am so glad we did this — the views were amazing. Afterward, we continued driving up Highway 1 and stopped at Stinson Beach.
Looking at Google Maps, I noticed some stunning pictures taken from a lookout in Mount Tamalpais State Park. On a whim, we drove up to the East Peak lookout, which overlooks San Francisco and the surrounding area. It was probably the highlight of the day.
We had a late lunch not too far from the hotel and then came back to the room to rest for a bit.
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