Ben Johnson to Dipsea Trail Loop

This hike climbs up for a couple of miles through redwoods, then brings you gently downhill through a mix of woods and open trail with glimpses of the ocean.

Location: Muir Woods National Monument (and Mount Tamalpais State Park)
Length: 4.7 miles
Difficulty: moderate (leaning towards strenuous)
Shade: mostly shaded
Parking: Muir Woods entrance (reservation required, entrance to park $15/adult)
Public Transportation: Muir Woods shuttle from Mill Valley (reservation required)
WC: toilets at the Visitor Center at the entrance
Dogs: not allowed

Link to park website

Hiked: Apr 2021

Our Trail Route

We started this hike at the main entrance of Muir Woods. To follow our route, take the first bridge to the left, then Hillside Trail uphill to the left again. It’s a pretty steady uphill climb, but it’s not steep. Hillside Trail goes upwards through the redwoods for 0.7 miles before it meets Ben Johnson Trail. At the marker, turn left to continue your uphill climb for another 1.1 miles. The woods change around you as you climb higher. At the next trail marker, near a bench where we stopped for a snack break, go left up the (thankfully, last) hill.

At the top of the hill, you’ll hit Dipsea Trail, which you’ll follow to the left going towards the Muir Woods entrance. Dipsea is a mix of open trail and woods, occasionally crossing Deer Park Fire Road. The signs with arrows are easy to follow, though. It’s rarely a steep downhill.

We had planned on following Dipsea Trail all the way to the parking lot at Muir Woods, but the last section was closed due to the salmon spawning season. So we took the detour along Deer Park Fire Road to Muir Woods Road and then walked along the side of the road back to the parking lot. It wasn’t quite as nice, I’d imagine, but it was by no means an unpleasant detour.

Notes

I would definitely hike this again. I was very glad that we started the hike going through Muir Woods (rather than doing the loop in the other direction) because we got to do the climb in the shade. It ended up being a pretty warm day, and doing the climb along Dipsea Trail in the open might have been pretty tough. The hike was challenging enough to feel like a workout, and I never stop marveling at the redwoods in Muir Woods, so any hike there is worthwhile.

As I noted in the previous section, the last section of Dipsea Trail connecting with the parking lot is seasonally closed for the salmon spawning season. So if you hike this in the spring, be prepared to make the same short detour as we had to do.