How to get in01 pathTimed
Muir Woods
Every visit needs a parking or shuttle reservation year-round — entrance fees alone are not enough.
Day trip
HikeDriveEasyPhysical effort · Estimate
Easy — Short or gentle for most visitors in fair conditions.
Boardwalks and gentle redwood paths once you arrive.
Editorial estimate of the typical trip — not lottery hardness, and not an Official agency grade.
Good fitBay Area day visitors who will reserve parking or shuttle before arriving at the groves.
Usually notAnyone expecting to roll up at peak hours with no parking or shuttle plan.
Timed-entry type
Parking or Shuttle Reservation
How you get in
Book a slot
Timed reservation
You reserve a time on Recreation.gov when spots are released. It is first-come, not a random lottery — so there is no official success-rate percentage to show. First-come reservation inventory, not a lottery — no Official success %. Entrance fee is separate from parking/shuttle.
When to apply
Year-round arrival reservation
Official timing
Reserve parking (30-minute arrival window for standard vehicles) or a shuttle seat on GoMuirWoods.com — required for all vehicle and shuttle arrivals. Bookings typically open up to ~90 days ahead, with some inventory held closer to the date (Official NPS / GoMuirWoods).
We checked 2026-09-20
The managing agency (and Recreation.gov when the product lives there) is authoritative for dates, fees, and whether registration is open. We summarize — always confirm on the official page before you apply.
If you miss this window, try these instead:
- Shuttle from Marin City / Sausalito stops when parking is sold out
- Weekday mornings outside peak holidays
Backup options
Nearby or alternate ways in if these draws miss.
- Other Bay Area redwood parks without timed parking
- Shuttle from Marin City / Sausalito stops when parking is sold out
- Weekday mornings outside peak holidays
Field notes
All field notesPlaybooks for the confusing parts of applying — not live calendars.
Dates, group rules, a backup, entry day — the apply checklist is under Before you go
The managing agency (and Recreation.gov when the product lives there) is authoritative for dates, fees, and whether registration is open. We summarize — always confirm on the official page before you apply. Official parking/shuttle bookings are on GoMuirWoods.com (ACE Parking concession), not Recreation.gov. Rec.gov only sells the Muir Woods annual site pass. About Official / Estimate / Not confirmed yet