This understandably popular trail is a gentle climb through redwoods, then a steep set of stairs down to Muir Woods.
Location: Muir Woods National Monument (and Mount Tamalpais State Park)
Length: 2.7 miles
Difficulty: moderate
Shade: 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
Hiked: Nov 2020
Our Trail Route
From the Muir Woods main entrance, we walked past the Visitor Center and took the first trail on the right, the Canopy View Trail. There was quite a bit of climbing at times. We followed that trail for about 1.5 miles, until we hit the marker for the Lost Trail. This part is actually outside of Muir Woods and in Mount Tamalpais State Park.
We took the Lost Trail trail down. There were a lot of steps, so many that I was glad we went down that way rather than up. The climb is much easier on the Canopy View Trail. The Lost Trail hits the Fern Creek Trail; turn left to follow the creek. Then turn left onto the Main Trail to go back to the entrance.
Notes
We started in the morning, which was much more peaceful than later on in the day. By the time we had hiked back down to the main trail, there were a lot of visitors. And at the parking lot, there was a a line of cars waiting to get spots.
Gallery
