Muir Woods
My eldest daughter learned about Muir Woods from school, so she requested that we go there on a free weekend. I obliged and booked a reservation on the Muir Woods website. Due to its popularity, when we arrived, we had to park half a mile away from the entrance.
Near the entrance, we saw a ranger giving workbooks to kids. So my girls stood in line and received their copy. What we found out was that if they completed a certain amount of pages, they would earn a Junior Ranger badge. This was very exciting for the girls.
We started our walk and the girls were more engaged in the hike than ever. They were asking about the sounds they heard, what kind of animals lived near by, etc.
We had a blast walking the trail and headed back once the girls started to get a little hungry for lunch. At the entrance, the girls turned the booklet in, and received their badges after answering a few questions from the ranger. And because they earned their badges, I got them a small memorabilia from the gift shop.
What I Learned:
Muir Woods is so wooded that my GPS app didn’t work super well. It clocked us at 5 miles, but I suspect that we walked 3-4 miles.
The Junior Ranger program is available at all National Parks and National Monuments. The girls can’t wait to earn more Junior Ranger badges.
We didn’t think highly of the main gift shop of Muir Woods. Rather, the small kiosk near the ticketing booth had better and cuter items.
I could use the time the girls worked on the worksheets to take more photos.
The Muir Woods entrance fee is waived if you have the Annual Pass for National Parks (which I have). You still have to pay for parking though.
5.1 miles, 2 hrs and 8 min, 133 ft of ascent
Hike Review:
The trail is extremely pretty and well paved. There is 100% shade and is a wonderful trail to walk.
I didn’t get to go on the more fun looking hikes that branch out from the main trail, but perhaps I will next time.