Sausalito and Marin

Marin County starts at the north end of the Golden Gate Bridge. Within a few miles it gives you three very different trips. Sausalito is a hillside waterfront town with houseboats, galleries and views back across the bay to San Francisco. Muir Woods is a canyon of old-growth redwoods. The Marin Headlands are wild, windy hills of old army forts with the best close views of the bridge anywhere. All three fit into one long day from Palo Alto, or you can pick one and take your time.

This guide covers the two ways to get there, by car or by Caltrain and ferry, then each area in turn. It includes the Muir Woods reservation rules exactly as the National Park Service publishes them, because that is where most day plans go wrong.

Getting there from Palo Alto

By car

Sausalito is about 45 miles from Palo Alto. Take Interstate 280 or US 101 north into San Francisco, cross the city to the Golden Gate Bridge and take the first exits on the Marin side. In light traffic it takes about an hour. On sunny weekends, the bridge approaches and the roads into the Headlands back up badly, so leave early.

The bridge collects its toll only southbound on your way home. It has no cash lanes. Tolls are charged by FasTrak, by license plate or by one-time payment online. Rental cars are usually billed through the rental company, often with a fee, so ask when you pick up the car.

By Caltrain and ferry

The ferry is the most enjoyable way to arrive in Sausalito. Take Caltrain from Palo Alto to the 4th and King station in San Francisco, then ride Muni or walk along the Embarcadero to the Ferry Building, about a mile and a half. Golden Gate Ferry runs a Sausalito to San Francisco route from there. The crossing takes about half an hour and passes Alcatraz, Angel Island and the city skyline. Check the Golden Gate Ferry website for schedules and fares, which changed with a new schedule in April 2026. Bring a jacket for the open deck. Our San Francisco guide has more ideas for the city end of the trip.

Sausalito

Sausalito climbs a steep hillside above Richardson Bay. Bridgeway, the waterfront street, runs along the shore with galleries, cafes, gift shops and small parks where you can sit on the seawall and look at the city. Behind it, stairways and lanes climb past old houses with gardens and long views.

A few things to look for:

• The houseboats. North of downtown, colonies of floating homes line the docks, many of them built by artists and boat lovers from the 1950s on. They are private homes, so stay on public walkways and be respectful.
• The Bay Model Visitor Center at 2100 Bridgeway. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers built a hydraulic model of the bay and the Delta that covers about 1.5 acres, once used to study tides and currents. Admission is free and it is closed Sundays, Mondays and federal holidays. Check Visit Marin or the Corps for current hours.
• The ferry landing and Gabrielson Park, where the views of Angel Island and the city are best at sunset.

If you would rather see the town as part of a bigger loop, many Muir Woods and Sausalito tours leave from San Francisco and handle the driving and the Muir Woods reservations for you.

Muir Woods National Monument

Muir Woods protects one of the last old-growth coast redwood forests near San Francisco, in a steep canyon below Mount Tamalpais. A flat boardwalk and paved trail follow Redwood Creek through the tall trees. Our redwood forests guide compares it with the groves closer to Palo Alto. This section covers the rules you need to get in.

Reservations, as the NPS publishes them

1. Parking needs a reservation. According to the NPS Know Before You Go page, parking reservations must be made online ahead of your visit at gomuirwoods.com. Weekends and holidays often sell out.
2. Arrive on time. Each reservation has a 30-minute arrival window. Standard cars can stay as long as they like once parked.
3. The shuttle needs a reservation too. It runs from the Larkspur Ferry Terminal to the park entrance. It runs Friday to Sunday plus holidays from early spring through September, then on Saturdays and Sundays only in October. It is now off until spring, so plan to drive in winter. Our Muir Woods guide has the details.
4. Pay the entrance fee. The NPS fees page lists $15 per adult 16 and older. Children under 16 are free. Buy it with your reservation or at the visitor center.
5. Download everything first. Cell service at the park is unreliable, so save your reservation to your phone before you leave home.

Muir Woods is open every day of the year. The visitor center opens at 8 a.m. and closing times change with the season. Pets are not allowed, except service animals. The road down to the park is steep and narrow, so allow time.

The Marin Headlands

The Marin Headlands are part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area. For more than a century the army guarded the harbor entrance from these hills. The forts, gun batteries and a Cold War missile site are still here. Today the hills are open space with trails, beaches and views.

• Battery Spencer, just off Conzelman Road above the north end of the bridge, gives the classic close view of the Golden Gate Bridge. The small lot fills early.
• Hawk Hill, higher up Conzelman Road, looks down on the bridge with the city behind it. In fall it is one of the best places in the West to watch migrating hawks.
• Point Bonita Lighthouse sits on a rock at the end of the headland. The NPS lists the trail as open only on the third Saturday of every month from 12:30 to 3:30 p.m. and the suspension bridge to the lighthouse is closed until further notice, though you can reach the viewing platform. See the Point Bonita page.
• Rodeo Beach, a dark-sand cove at the end of the valley, with a lagoon behind it. The surf is dangerous for swimming.

Part of Conzelman Road beyond Hawk Hill is one way and very steep. Drive slowly and watch for cyclists.

A sample day

1. Early morning: drive to Muir Woods for a parking slot in the first arrival window, when the forest is quietest.
2. Late morning: drive down to Sausalito for lunch on Bridgeway.
3. Afternoon: loop through the Marin Headlands to Hawk Hill and Battery Spencer as the light gets better.
4. Evening: back across the bridge. If you came by ferry instead, catch a late afternoon boat to San Francisco and Caltrain home.

If you want to go farther, the wilder coast of Point Reyes is about an hour beyond Sausalito.

Staying overnight

Sausalito has a few small hotels and inns on the water and Mill Valley has more nearby. A night in Marin lets you be first into Muir Woods and the Headlands in the morning. You can compare hotels in Sausalito and Mill Valley for the dates you want. Prices are high on summer weekends.

Frequently asked questions