Mill Valley, CA: Northern California Chapter, Muir Woods Hike

We’re going to Muir Woods! But first, we gotta earn it. We’ll start at Mountain Home Inn on Panoramic Highway, climb up on the Matt Davis Trail along the southern flank of Mt. Tam, with panoramas over the bay and the ocean, and then, after a break at Bootjack Camp, we’ll plunge down through the redwoods, following a series of waterfalls along Bootjack and Redwood Creeks, until we hit the serenity of Muir Woods. We’ll slice right through the heart of the national monument, which will remind us of how special this place really is, and have lunch at the Visitor Center (where, of course, we’ll get to feel smugly superior to all the tourists). After lunch, there’s a gorgeous climb back up through the woods to our starting point.

Schedule: NB: This is a Sunday hike. Meet at 9:00 AM in the parking lot directly opposite Mountain Home Inn on Panoramic Highway in Mill Valley. We’ll have lunch in Muir Woods and should arrive back to our starting point by 3:30 PM. The trail is very sheltered, so bad weather shouldn’t be an obstacle. However, severe weather will cancel.

Level of Difficulty: This is a fairly strenuous hike. About 7.5 miles and 1500 feet total elevation gain. It’s all dirt trails, mostly single-track, and while the trail is generally smooth, there are some rocky sections, and some steep climbing and descents.

This hike is not suitable for those who are new to hiking or have not been training regularly. To participate, you must have recent experience completing hikes of similar distance and elevation and be able to sustain a consistent pace of 2.5 mph. Participants who are unable to keep up may be asked to turn back in order to prioritize the safety and cohesion of the group.

If you’re not at this fitness level yet, please do not sign up. Instead, focus on building your endurance on your own with less demanding hikes or on our monthly Lake Merritt walks.

Advance online registration is required. Click the ‘Register’ button to sign up. Every participant must sign up online. No drop-ins permitted. Because space is limited, we ask that you register if/when you are certain you can attend. Thank you!

Cancellation: Please email us at norcal@americanpilgrims.org so we can offer your space to someone else.

Getting There: Mountain Home Inn is at 810 Panoramic Highway in Mill Valley, approximately 2.5 miles north of the intersection at Highway 1. If you use Google Maps and are coming from the East or North Bay, it may show a shortcut through Mill Valley, which avoids Highway 1 and hits Panoramic Highway about 1.5 miles before Mountain Home.

Parking: Pay special attention because parking is limited. Make sure to give yourself extra time in case you have to park some distance from our meetup point. Here are the options:

1. About 200 yards before Mountain Home on Panoramic Highway, you will see a small parking lot on your left, at the far end of which is a red sign saying “Mt. Tamalpais State Park.” If there’s a spot, grab it, and then continue down the road on foot to our meetup point at the next parking lot, also on the left, directly opposite Mountain Home.
2. Continue down Panoramic Highway until you reach the parking lot (and our meeting point) directly opposite Mountain Home on the left side of the road.
3. If the first two lots are filled, veer right onto Panoramic View immediately after Mountain Home, where the sign says “No Outlet.” A further sign will direct you to more parking.
4. If all those lots are filled, there’s more parking on the left side of Panoramic Highway as you proceed about a 1/4 mile further along the road.
5. If all else fails, continue several miles to Bootjack Camp, where there’s a large (paid) parking lot, and a picnic area under the redwoods to wait for our group to pass through. We should get there between 10:30 and 11:00 AM, and we will shuttle you back to your car at the end.

Carpooling: Registered participants will have access to an online ‘Carpool Bulletin Board’ to post a message if they need a ride or can give one. Highly recommended given the shortage of parking.

What to Bring: Dress for the weather (layers work well), snacks, water, sun (or rain!) protection, and bring a bag lunch. The downhill section in particular is steep and uneven in places, so hiking poles will be helpful if you use them.

Post-Hike Social: For those interested, we’ll hang out at Mountain Home Inn when we’re finished.

Leaders: Rich and Karen Hubble, Andy Cohn