Connecting two of the great outdoor destinations in Marin County to the north of San Francisco, this hike on the Dipsea Trail from Stinson Beach to Muir Woods takes you through some of the most beautiful terrain of the Bay Area. From the beach, through the coastal woods, to the Redwoods, this hike has it all!
Beginning at the beach town of Stinson Beach, this route follows the Dipsea Trail up and over the coastal ridges before dropping into the Redwood forests of Muir Woods. You’ll hike through some incredible old growth forests before climbing back up the ridges and descending back to Stinson Beach.
For fans of oceanside hiking and Redwoods, this is about as good as it gets!
Miles/Elevation:
12.8 miles
2,858 feet vertical gain
About Golden Gate National Recreation Area:
Help keep nature pristine. Follow Leave No Trace!
Named for the stretch of water which enters into the San Francisco Bay, the Golden Gate National Recreation Area is a National Parks Service run area protecting natural environments and historic locations. At just over 82,000 acres, this “park” has tons of open space and places to enjoy the outdoors. Even with all that space, it can feel busy at times. This is because Golden Gate hosts over 17 million visitors a year!
While all the land in Golden Gate is all technically a part of the same park, the area is functionally split into many different parks and locales. Examples include the Marin Headlands just north of the Golden Gate, Muir Woods National Monument, Alcatraz Island, the Presidio of San Francisco, Rancho Corral de Tierra, and many more. Together, these unique and wildly different places create one of the greatest urban parks in the world!
About Muir Woods National Monument:
Protected as a national monument since 1908, Muir Wood protects an old growth Redwood forest just north of San Francisco. Beloved by locals and distant travelers alike, Muir Woods holds a special status among many because of its proximity to San Francisco, and its namesake, the famed naturalist John Muir.
Muir Woods is a very small national monument, coming in at only 554 acres, 240 of which are old growth Redwoods. With only 6 miles of trail, Muir Woods again is small in stature, but in those 6 miles you can discover incredible views, forests, streams, and wildlife!
Parking reservations are required when visiting Muir Woods, so be sure to plan ahead if you want to park directly at Muir Woods rather than hiking in.
Getting To The Trailhead:
The trailhead begins in the town of Stinson Beach which is reached via Highway 1. First, to reach highway 1, most will take Highway 101 north from San Francisco. Once on 1, follow it north for about 12 miles until you reach Stinson Beach. If you are already on the coast north of Stinson Beach, take Highway 1 south to Stinson Beach.
The actual trailhead for this hike begins just off of 1 in Stinson Beach on the Panoramic Highway. There is a small parking area which is labeled on Google Maps as the Dipsea Trail Head Parking. I actually recommend parking at the Stinson Beach parking lot and ending the day with a visit to the ocean, though this does mean you will have to walk through town to reach the trail. Where you start is up to you!
Tips:
- Get an overpriced hot chocolate at Muir Woods. It really hits the spot in the cool Redwood forest!
- Be ready for a steep climb on the way back.
- Park at the beach rather than on the side of the road.
The Hike:
The Dipsea Trail to Cardiac Hill:
From the beach, we had a short walk through town to reach the actual trailhead. Once back at 1, the trail is pretty well marked and easy to find, and after a short set of stairs, you’ll be on the trail itself.
The trail begins by traveling through a beautiful coastal forest. You won’t yet be in the Redwoods, but the trees here are coated in a thick layer of moss, and with the morning fog we were still hiking under, it was a truly beautiful way to start the day!
After a quick jaunt through the woods, the trail climbs up and out of the trees. Now you will be in a large open meadow, and once you make it about halfway through the meadow, turn around for an awesome panorama of Stinson Beach! There’s a perfect window through the trees to get a view of the beach and town!
Always follow basic trail etiquette when you’re hiking!
Once through the meadow the trail will take a quick descent before reaching an intersection. We had actually planned on following the Steep Ravine Trail, but it was closed for trail maintenance. Instead, we crossed the bridge spanning the creek to stay on the Dipsea.
Once across the bridge, the Dipsea Trail begins on a steep set of stair filled switchbacks through extremely green forest. It had rained a couple of days previously so the ground was wet and muddy, but with the stairs it wasn’t too treacherous! This was definitely the hardest and steepest section of the day so far though!
After a short but steep climb up the stairs, the trail entered the Redwoods. The trees up here are not of the massive, old growth variety, but this young Redwood forest is beautiful nonetheless. The trail weaves its way through the trees as the incline levels off, indicating your arrival near the top of the ridge.
The trail will leave the Redwoods before long, and when it does you’ll have the first big time panorama of the day. At this first viewpoint you will be able to see out over the Pacific as well as south towards the San Francisco skyline.
Check out Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park for more old growth Redwoods!
Continuing on from the viewpoint, the trail travels through open grasslands intermixed with small stands of trees. Before long, you will be on the final moderate incline to cardiac hill. The name makes sense as your heart will have been pumping hard on the way up, but the final approach from this direction isn’t too bad!
Cardiac Hill itself isn’t really that impressive, but there are some pretty sweet views south towards San Francisco. There is a ton of open area here, though you will have to share it with a poorly placed power line!
The Ben Johnson Trail:
From Cardiac Hill, follow the Dipsea Trail down the other side, and then before long, take a left onto the Ben Johnson Trail. You will now be fully immersed in the Redwoods, and once on the Ben Johnson Trail, you are on your way down towards Muir Woods.
For more awesome coastal hikes, check out our list of the best hikes in Big Sur!
The Ben Johnson Trail is a steep, switchback filled descent down into the Redwoods, but the trail quality is actually very nice. The forest is very pretty here, but there aren’t any notable landmarks. After just over a mile, you will reach the bottom of the descent and Muir Woods itself!
The Fern Creek Trail:
Once you’ve descended down into Muir Woods, turn right to continue on the Fern Creek Trail. The Fern Creek Trail will take you all the way through Muir Woods to the visitor center, and takes you past the largest trees this area has to offer.
This is not the largest or tallest Redwood grove in California, but the trees and nature here really are beautiful. It has everything you would hope for and expect in a Redwood grove. The trees soar high above. There is a beautiful creek that travels through the center of the valley. The forest floor is covered in ferns. It’s a beautiful place.
On your way through Muir Woods, you will pass through all the highlights that people come to see. The Cathedral Grove, the Bohemian Grove, and the Founders Grove are all areas that you will hike through.
You will also have some flexibility on how you want to get through Muir Woods. Near the visitors center, there are actually trails on both sides of Redwood Creek, and it really doesn’t matter which you take. I would just recommend making sure you make it to each of the largest groves.
Upon arrival at the Muir Woods visitor center, you’ll have been on the trail for quite a while, so it makes for a perfect place to take a breather. We had snacks, but it was really chilly in the valley, so we actually bought some hot chocolate at the visitor center. It was amazing! Super over-priced, but amazing nonetheless!
The Deer Park Fire Road:
From the Muir Woods visitor center, continue towards the parking lot but stay to the right. Before you actually reach the parking lot, follow the trail on the right where it crosses the creek. Cross the creek, and then continue up the hill. After a brief climb, you will reach the Deer Park Fire Road. Turn right to continue back towards Stinson Beach.
The Deer Park Fire Road climbs back up to Cardiac Hill, which you climbed already earlier in the day. It’s a bit of a bummer to have a substantial climb on the way back to the trailhead, and while it is kind of steep, it’s not too bad.
The interesting thing about this section of the hike is that you actually have two different routes you can take. You can either simply stay on the fire road all the way up, or you can follow the Dipsea Trail. The Dipsea Trail basically parallels the fire road all the way up the hill. At times they cross, and sometimes the Dipsea Trail disappears all together and you will be forced onto the road.
The best Redwood hike in California is even further up north in Humboldt Redwoods State Park!
We mostly just followed the road as it seemed the most direct way up the slope, but we did take the Dipsea Trail at times. We were mostly just focused on getting the climb over with, and didn’t really mind what the trail looked like! This climb definitely isn’t fun, but keep pushing and before long you’ll make it back to Cardiac Hill!
The Dipsea Trail to Stinson Beach:
Once at Cardiac Hill, it’s almost all downhill back to Stinson Beach! Head back on the Dipsea Trail that you’ve already hiked. Follow the trail through the Redwoods, then down the steep stairs, across the bridge, and then down towards Stinson Beach.
For the best Bay Area hike, check out this route form Muir Woods to the summit of Mt Tamalpais!
We finished the hike off with a quick visit to the beach and a little oceanside walk, but if you parked at the trailhead proper, you’ll have a slightly shorter hike down! Wherever you finish, you’ll have hiked one of the great routes of the Bay Area!
Topdown Lifestyle Rating: 9/10
For connoisseurs of coastal hikes and Redwoods, this is close to as good as it gets. You’ll be treated to incredible coastal views, as well as looks south towards San Francisco, and you’ll hike through one of the most revered Redwood groves in the country. The trail quality is always solid, and you can even reach a great beach.
However, I can’t quite give this hike a 10/10. 10/10 is a really high bar, so it’s not a slight for me to say this hike is a 9/10. In my opinion, there are better coastal hikes, and there are better Redwood hikes. I also felt like there was no true wow moment, something I really look for. This is an awesome route, and you should definitely check it out, but it’s not quite a 10/10!
Pros:
- Panoramic ocean views
- Redwood forests
- Ocean access
- Trail quality is excellent
Cons:
- Muir Woods gets really busy
- No true wow moments
- Climb required to get back to Stinson Beach
Alternative Hikes:
Dipsea Trail to Steep Ravine Trail to Matt Davis Loop
Cataract Falls via the Matt Davis Trail
When To Hike From Stinson Beach To Muir Woods:
This is a place you can visit all year long, and you could get great weather any day of the year, or you could get rough weather any day of the year! That’s kind of the great thing about the northern California Coast, and the terrible thing! You’ll get amazing days in winter, and you’ll get nasty days in summer!
I would mostly say the best time to visit is a day calling for clear weather in Stinson Beach, but to be more general, spring or fall are probably the best times of year to visit. Summer generally brings lots of fog, and winter brings rain and storms. Fall especially is a beautiful time to visit, but anytime of year, check the weather, and look for sunshine!
Links For Further Reading:
Stinson Beach and Muir Woods Loop | Map, Guide – California | AllTrails
Travel: Day Hike from Muir Woods to Stinson Beach – The Debtist
Dipsea Trail. Muir Woods National Monument, Stinson… | by Ashoka Upadhya | Peak Of My Life
