About Us Our Work Visit the Parks Park Calendar Online Store

Muir Beach

Tips for Visitors
Dogs
Nature

For updates about the 2009 Redwood Creek Restoration, click here.

This quiet cove, beach, and lagoon are tucked into the coastline three miles west of Muir Woods. Sunbathers can brave the crisp Pacific breezes and hikers can picnic on their way north or south over the coastal bluffs. The sheltered picnic area next to the Muir Beach parking area is furnished with barbecue grills, tables, and restrooms.

On your walk to the beach, you'll notice a brackish lagoon, created by a sandbar that traps some of the outflowing water from Redwood Creek. This lagoon is home to numerous shorebirds, amphibians, young salmon and trout, and a reedy grass called rush (Juncus). Restoration of the upper lagoon ecosystem is in the planning stage. Beyond the lagoon, a gate leads to the Coastal and Green Gulch trails. Hikers can go east along the trail (uphill) to scenic Coyote Ridge or south to Tennessee Cove.

A small signpost north of Muir Beach along Highway 1 points the way to Muir Beach Overlook. The clear views from this high coastal bluff led military planners to site several base-end stations here long ago. Though no one searches for enemy ships from here today, Muir Beach Overlook provides you with an opportunity to explore the old stations, hike to the tip of a rocky promontory, and enjoy views of migrating whales and the California coastline. The short but breathtaking overlook trail follows the narrow crest of a coastal promontory. On either side of the promontory, the land sheers off dramatically down to the ocean hundreds of feet below.

Tips for Visitors

There are no lifeguards at Muir Beach. The northernmost end of the beach is popular with clothing-optional sunbathers.
The overlook picnic site is scenic but windy. Be prepared to batten down the paper plates.
Those with a fear of heights should avoid the overlook trail.
Milk goats, collect eggs, help bees make honey, and teach little ones that food does not grow in supermarkets but at places like Slide Ranch, located between Muir and Stinson beaches (reservations required).
Camp above the surf in the simple wood cabins at Steep Ravine, and climb down to the beach or up the waterfall-splashed Steep Ravine Trail (reservations required).
The cliffs along the Rocky Point coast are isolated and very dangerous. Use caution; rescue crews are far away.

Dogs

Between the ocean and dunes at Muir Beach lies a sandy swath of dog heaven. Pooches will love the beach's lively canine social scene. The dunes and beach are on-leash only, and the lagoon and Redwood Creek are off-limits entirely. Pooper-scooper bags are available but fresh water is not; be sure to bring your own.

Nature

Whale Watching
Muir Beach Overlook is one of the many spots along the parks' coast where whale lovers can watch these giant marine mammals swim by during their winter migrations. The Gulf of the Farallones sweeps between the overlook and the Farallon Islands, an ocean region full of dolphins, porpoises, seals, and whales. These sea creatures are so abundant here that the region enjoys federal protection in the form of the 948-square-nautical-mile Gulf of the Farallones National Marine Sanctuary. For whale-watching trips, call the Oceanic Society.

Monarch Butterflies
Every autumn, thousands of monarch butterflies (Danaus plexippus) embark on a literally once-in-a-lifetime migration to the California coast. Wintering monarchs can sometimes be found decorating Monterey pines in the small grove at Muir Beach; look for their distinctive orange-and-black wings.