News Release

Muir Woods National Monument is restoring recreational access and some visitor services

Photo by NPS/Alison Taggart-Barone

News Release Date: June 26, 2020

Contact: GOGA Public Affairs, 415-561-4732

MILL VALLEY, CA—Following guidance from the White House, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and state and local public health authorities, Muir Woods National Monument is restoring recreational access and some visitor services. The National Park Service (NPS) is working servicewide with federal, state, and local public health authorities to closely monitor the COVID-19 pandemic and using a phased approach to increase access on a park-by-park basis.
  
Beginning Monday, June 29, 2020, Muir Woods will be open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily. Parking requires an advanced reservation. Park entrance fee collection, as well as limited food and gift services, will be open. 

“Muir Woods is a special place, unlike any other within the San Francisco Bay Area. We are delighted to welcome visitors back to be inspired by this old-growth coast redwood forest and enjoy this wonderful unit of the National Park System,” said Superintendent Laura E. Joss. “We have worked hard to ensure the safety of our staff and visitors, while preserving the unique visitor experience that only a primeval landscape like Muir Woods can offer.”  
   
Visitors must make parking reservations through GoMuirWoods.com ahead of their visit and are strongly encouraged to prepay their entrance fee through this website. The park entrance fee is $15 for adults and the standard vehicle reservation fee is $8.50. 
 
The health and safety of our visitors, employees, volunteers, and partners continues to be paramount. Our operational approach will be to examine each facility function and service provided to ensure those operations comply with current public health guidance, and will be regularly monitored. We continue to work closely with the NPS Office of Public Health using CDC guidance to ensure public and workspaces are safe and clean for visitors, employees, partners, and volunteers.  

With public health in mind, we ask our visitors to follow CDC guidance, plan their visit in advance and come prepared to ensure their safety and the safety of park staff. If traveling within the six Bay Area counties, it is recommended that you carry and wear a face covering when you cannot maintain 6’ of distance.  
   
Visitors will experience some new safety precautions: 
  

• To minimize crowding and group gathering, no park ranger tours or talks will be offered. The Muir Woods staff will focus on greeting and orienting visitors. 

• The Muir Woods trail system is ideal for safe distancing. The park is instituting a one-way direction of travel on some trails to minimize close contact. Signs will assist visitors with safety tips on ways to socially distance. 

• The parking reservation capacity has been reduced by approximately 50% to allow for increased social distancing. As a result, visitors will have a quiet and uncrowded experience exploring the forest. 

• All buses and RVs smaller than 30 feet will be managed within the existing parking reservation system. 

• There will be no Muir Woods shuttle – it has been suspended to minimize visitor exposure in confined spaces. We are working closely with Marin Transit on other options to provide transportation service for visitors traveling without cars. 

• Restrooms will remain open for visitors to use during their time at Muir Woods. 

 
While these areas are accessible for visitors to enjoy, a return to full operations will continue to be phased and services may be limited. When recreating, the public should follow local area health orders, practice Leave No Trace principles, avoid crowding and avoid high-risk outdoor activities.  
 
The CDC has offered guidance to help people recreating in parks and open spaces prevent the spread of infectious diseases. We will continue to monitor all park functions to ensure that visitors adhere to CDC guidance for mitigating risks associated with the transmission of COVID-19, and take any additional steps necessary to protect public health.    

Details and updates on park operations will continue to be posted on our website www.nps.gov/muwo and social media channels. Updates about NPS operations will be posted on www.nps.gov/coronavirus.
 
Trails and open spaces at Golden Gate National Recreation Area continue to remain open and accessible to the public.  
 
For more information about the status of other sites at Golden Gate National Recreation Area, please visit https://www.nps.gov/goga/planyourvisit/temporary-facilities-closure-advisory.htm.