Hiking and Nature Escape from San Francisco: 3 Days on the Trail

Why redwoods, cliffs and coastline instead of museums

San Francisco’s trail network is scattered rather than concentrated, which is exactly why a hiking-focused visit rewards a bit of route planning. The best old-growth redwoods sit north of the Golden Gate Bridge in Muir Woods, the city’s own most dramatic coastal path runs along its northwestern edge, and the cliffside overlooks most people picture when they hear “California coast” — Bixby Bridge, McWay Falls — don’t start until Big Sur, roughly three hours south. None of these three are close to each other, so this itinerary treats them as three separate legs rather than one packed day: redwoods first, city trails second, coastal cliffs last, with a car for the two legs outside town and your own feet inside it.

This is a trail-first itinerary, not a checklist of landmarks. Expect several hours of walking most days, boots or real trail shoes, and layers — San Francisco’s fog and Big Sur’s coastal wind both punish anyone dressed for a warm California afternoon that never quite arrives.

Trip at a glance

Day	Focus	Base
Day 1	Old-growth redwoods at Muir Woods, Mount Tamalpais views	San Francisco
Day 2	San Francisco’s own coastal trail network	San Francisco
Day 3	Highway 1 drive south, Big Sur cliffside overlooks	Big Sur or Cambria

Getting around: rent a car for this trip. Muir Woods and Big Sur both require a vehicle — there’s no direct train to either — while San Francisco itself is best covered on foot, exactly the opposite of how most visitors assume a “hiking trip” should work. See do you need a car in San Francisco if you’re weighing whether to rent for the whole trip or just the day trips.

Day 1: Old-growth redwoods at Muir Woods

Muir Woods National Monument protects one of the last stands of old-growth coast redwood near San Francisco, and it’s the clear anchor for day one. It sits about 30-45 minutes by car across the Golden Gate Bridge, in the hills above Sausalito, but a timed-entry reservation for the shuttle and parking is required — this isn’t a spot you can simply drive up to on a whim. Book before you leave the city; see the Muir Woods tickets and parking guide and the reservation tips for exact booking windows.

Inside the monument, the Main Trail is a flat, wheelchair-accessible boardwalk loop past the tallest trees — some over 250 feet — and takes about an hour at an easy pace. For a real hike rather than a stroll, continue onto the Dipsea Trail or climb toward Mount Tamalpais, which adds several hundred feet of elevation gain and opens up wide views back toward the Pacific and the Bay. The full range of options, distances and difficulty levels is laid out in the Muir Woods hiking trails guide — worth reading before you go, since the monument itself has limited signage once you’re off the boardwalk.

If you’d rather not deal with reservations, parking and driving directions on your own, a guided option handles all of it:

San Francisco: Muir Woods and Sausalito Entry Fee Included

For a version with narrated commentary along the way, there’s also:

San Francisco: Muir Woods and Sausalito Tour with Admission

On the way back into the city, most people stop in Sausalito for lunch on the waterfront — a pleasant, low-effort way to end a redwood morning. The how to get to Muir Woods guide covers the ferry-plus-shuttle alternative if you’d rather skip driving across the bridge entirely, though a car is simpler if you’re continuing straight to a trail afterward. Spend the night back in San Francisco.

Day 2: San Francisco’s own coastal trails

It surprises a lot of visitors that San Francisco has a genuine coastal hiking trail inside city limits, but the Lands End Coastal Trail at the northwestern tip of the city delivers cliffside Pacific views, WWII bunker ruins, and — on a clear day — a distant look at the Golden Gate Bridge from the water side, all without leaving the city. The full loop from the Sutro Baths ruins to Eagle’s Point and back runs roughly 3-4 miles with modest elevation change; the Lands End Coastal Trail hiking guide covers the best access points and where the trail gets narrow and exposed.

From Lands End, it’s a reasonable walk or short rideshare to the Presidio and the base of the Golden Gate Bridge, where several miles of additional trails wind through eucalyptus groves and along the old coastal defense batteries. The Golden Gate Bridge visitor guide has the walking and biking route options across the bridge itself, useful if you want to add a bridge crossing to the day’s mileage.

For a structured route that strings these together without backtracking, the self-guided walking tour of San Francisco and the Golden Gate Park walking tour guide both cover adjacent stretches — Golden Gate Park’s paths make a good lower-effort add-on if you have energy left in the afternoon, with eucalyptus- and cypress-lined trails that feel far removed from the city blocks just outside the park gates.

Pack for wind and fog regardless of the season — this stretch of coast catches both directly off the ocean, and it’s noticeably colder here than a few blocks inland. Check the San Francisco packing list if you’re unsure what to bring. Overnight again in San Francisco, and get an early start the next morning — Highway 1 south is a slow road, and daylight matters.

Day 3: Highway 1 south to Big Sur

This is the long driving day, so start early. The coastal drive from San Francisco to Big Sur’s most-photographed points — Bixby Bridge and McWay Falls — runs roughly 2.5-3 hours, longer if you stop along the way, which you should: Highway 1 through this stretch is one of the most scenic drives in the country, and rushing it defeats the point. The Big Sur Highway 1 road trip and car rental guide and the highway 1 driving tips for Big Sur cover the route’s blind curves, limited passing zones and the handful of pullouts worth the stop.

Once you’re in Big Sur proper, the hiking options cluster around a few short, high-reward trails rather than one long through-hike: the McWay Falls overlook is a five-minute walk from the parking area to a viewpoint over an 80-foot waterfall dropping onto a beach you can’t actually reach on foot; Pfeiffer Falls and the redwood groves in Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park add a longer, shadier loop; and coastal bluff trails near Garrapata State Park offer open ocean views with far fewer crowds than the roadside pullouts. The Big Sur hiking trails guide breaks down distances and which trailheads have reliable parking versus which fill up by mid-morning.

If you’d rather not navigate Highway 1’s curves yourself for a first visit, a half-day guided option departs from Monterey and covers the highlights with a driver who knows the road:

From Monterey Big Sur Guided Half Day Tour

Plan to stay overnight in Big Sur or nearby Cambria rather than attempting a same-day return — the wilder stretches of coast south of McWay Falls reward a slower pace, and the drive back to San Francisco after a full day of hiking is a lot to ask in one push. If you’re deciding between extending south toward Big Sur or spending that extra day on the coast further north instead, the Big Sur vs Santa Cruz coastal comparison lays out the tradeoffs. Travelers with an extra day sometimes add a stop at Monterey or Carmel-by-the-Sea on the way down or back — both sit right along the route — and a short water-based break pairs well with a heavy hiking itinerary:

Monterey: Catamaran Sailing Cruise

What to pack and expect

• Footwear: real trail shoes or light hiking boots for all three days — Lands End and the Big Sur bluff trails both have loose gravel and exposed edges.
• Layers: fog and wind are constant risks at the coast in any month; see the San Francisco packing list for specifics.
• Reservations: Muir Woods requires a timed shuttle/parking booking — don’t arrive without one.
• Fuel and food: services thin out fast south of Monterey on Highway 1; fill the tank and carry water and snacks before continuing into Big Sur.
• Phone signal: patchy to nonexistent along much of the Big Sur coast — download maps and trail directions before you leave cell coverage.

For travelers who want the redwoods and the bay without renting a car for the whole trip, a combined tour that bundles Muir Woods with other Bay Area highlights can substitute for day one:

San Francisco: Alcatraz Muir Woods and Sausalito Day Tour

Alternatives if three days isn’t enough

Hikers with more time often extend this loop rather than replace any of its three legs: adding a fourth day at Santa Cruz on the way to or from Big Sur picks up boardwalk and redwood-adjacent trails without much detour, and the hiking-nature category page under things to do is worth scanning for trail-focused activities in destinations this itinerary doesn’t cover in depth, including Yosemite and Lake Tahoe for travelers willing to add a longer drive.

Frequently asked questions about this hiking itinerary

Do I need a reservation for Muir Woods?

Yes. Muir Woods requires a timed-entry reservation for parking or the shuttle before you arrive — there’s no walk-up or drive-up option, and popular time slots can fill up days ahead. See the Muir Woods tickets and parking guide for how far ahead to book.

How much hiking is involved each day?

Day 1 ranges from a flat one-hour boardwalk loop to a multi-hour climb toward Mount Tamalpais depending on how far you go; Day 2’s Lands End loop runs roughly 3-4 miles with modest elevation change; Day 3’s Big Sur stops are mostly short, high-reward walks (McWay Falls is about five minutes each way) unless you add the longer Pfeiffer Falls loop.

Can I do this itinerary without a rental car?

Muir Woods can be reached by ferry and shuttle from San Francisco without driving, and San Francisco’s own trails are all walkable or reachable by Muni. Big Sur, however, has no train or bus service to its trailheads — a rental car or a guided tour from Monterey is required for day three.

Is Big Sur worth an overnight, or can it be a day trip?

The most-photographed points (Bixby Bridge, McWay Falls) are reachable on a long day trip from San Francisco, but doing so leaves very little time on the trails themselves once the roughly 5-6 hours of round-trip driving are accounted for. An overnight in Big Sur or nearby Cambria turns a rushed dash into an actual hiking day.

What’s the best season for this itinerary?

September and October — San Francisco’s fog-free “second summer” — offer the clearest views at Lands End and the Golden Gate, plus generally calm, dry weather in Big Sur. Spring brings fuller waterfalls at McWay Falls and greener redwood groves at Muir Woods, but also more rain-related trail closures.

Are the trails suitable for beginners?

Most of them, yes. The Muir Woods Main Trail and the McWay Falls overlook are both flat, short and accessible to nearly anyone. The Mount Tamalpais climb, the full Lands End loop and Big Sur’s bluff trails involve real elevation change, loose surfaces and exposed edges, so moderate fitness and proper footwear matter more on days one and three.

How does this differ from a standard Big Sur day trip?

A standard Big Sur day trip from San Francisco is built around driving and viewpoints, with limited time actually on foot. This itinerary reverses that emphasis — it treats Big Sur as one leg of a three-day trail-focused trip, with dedicated hiking time at Muir Woods and in San Francisco itself built in on either side.