San Francisco in March?
 

I'm thinking about a week in San Francisco in mid-March with hub and 8 year old son. We've been to SFO many times, but not lately and not with a kid. I've checked the weather history but can someone tell me just how much rain to expect? Drizzle or downpours? Any suggestions for cool things to do with a kid? We really like nature and I'm curious about Muir Woods and giant red woods. What would be a good area to stay in? We'd have a car and prefer renting condos/houses. Thanks!

Here's a trip report I did for a January trip that had a lot of rain.

http://www.fodors.com/community/unit...-francisco.cfm

We have also been there in March, it was better weather, but still cool and some rain.

If you aren't driving, consider only renting a car on the days you need it. Parking is a pain, if you end up in hotel it is costly and public transportation is easy and you can always walk. We rented a day at a time and it worked out well.

We went Mid-March about 4 years ago and had a great time. We did go to Muir Woods. It's a great place. Somewhat crowded, but that didn't bother us. I would go early in the day to avoid as much of the crowds as you can. The Redwoods at Muir really aren't the Giant variety though. Nothing like the ones farther north in the actual Redwoods or the Sequoias. It's more like a really nice rain forest. We did experience some fog and some drizzle, but you just kinda have to expect that and it just adds to it, IMOP.

Point Reyes National Seashore(just north of Muir Woods) is an awesome place too. Need at least better part of a day or more for there. We did Muir and Reyes both in the same day. I could have spent a lot more time there(even 2 or 3 days)

Not sure what the age limit is, but a Segway Tour is pretty cool for adults and kids.
Golden Gate Bridge
Alcatraz (I like the Night Tour)
Kite Store in China Town
See where the Fortune Cookies are made in China Town
Try Dim Sum in China Town
Cable Cars
Golden Gate Bridge
Ton's of thing in Golden Gate Park to See/Do

Another option would be to go a bit south to Monterey/Carmel
Love Sea Kayaking at Moss Landing/Elkhorn Slough.

Drive down Crooked Street

I was in SF and the Bay area last March (2013) for a week, the last week of March to be exact. It was beautiful and sunny most days we were there, and in the 60s in the am and warming up to low 70s later in the day. It did get gray and drizzly one day, the day we drove to Sausalito and Muir Woods. It was still a nice day out though. And not too cool. (I live in Chicago though so "cool" might be relative here - it was definitely warmer there than it was - and ever is - in Chicago at that time of year!)
But it never got above 73 F or so.

We did rent a car because we stayed in Berkeley (my stepdaughter lives in Oakland and we were wanting to stay close to her) and we wanted to drive to Muir Woods. However, the traffic in SF is pretty heavy. My husband drove and he has been out there before and drove so it didn't bother him. I wouldn't have liked driving though; glad he did!

My stepdaughter takes public transit everywhere, she doesn't own a car, and she says it's easy and convenient.
Parking is, indeed, a pain and requires patience and time.
If it were up to me, we would have left the car at the hotel in Berkeley the day we went to SF.

I loved what little I saw of San Francisco for the one day and we plan on going back for a full week sometime.
Have fun!

Where are the giant sequoias?

<i>The Redwoods at Muir really aren't the Giant variety though. Nothing like the ones farther north in the actual Redwoods</i>

They are exactly the same variety with some first growth still standing. But they are not like the Sequoias in the Sierra.

March can be rainy or not. The nice thing about the weather in SF is that after a rain it tends to be crystal clear. Just plan for indoor activities on a rainy day. The Maritime Museum with its sailing ships nearby might be OK even in the rain. The exhibits on the ships are below deck.

Oh, and - Muir Woods was beautiful! Definitely go, lots of trails to hike, and relatively easy (not too hilly). You can walk for half an hour or so or all day...
I would get there early - we did and by mid-day it was already getting crowded, even in March - and on a gray drizzly day.

Sausalito was nice too for a couple of hours.

Your son would probably enjoy the sea lion colony at Pier 39 at Fisherman's Wharf.
We also discovered a small park across the street from the Embarcadero where a flock of parrots lives. This is not too far from Fisherman's Wharf either.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ta2fmb1eZRM
http://bayareaonabudget.wordpress.co...elegraph-hill/

And yes, it was later in the day, nearing dusk when we walked through the park and saw the parrots. This was a total surprise for us, we didn't know they were there; we were just wanting to cross through the park to get to the Embarcadero.
**There were a few homeless folks in the park (or camped out there for whatever reason) when we walked through there, but they seemed harmless. Even so, I wouldn't be comfortable walking through there after dark. It's also in the business district and the place cleared out in the evening. Go in the afternoon.

Michael,
What I meant was that the trees in Muir Woods are not nearly as impressive as the trees in far northern California. I know they are the same type of tree. I was comparing Muir Woods to Prairie Creek or Humbolt. The trees in those areas are huge, while Muir is not.

Tally,
Giant Sequoias are another type of huge tree. I find them even more impressive. Redwoods are tall and the tallest ones are about 375 feet. The biggest sequoias are about 275 ft tall. However, they are much larger at the base. The actual volume of the Sequoia are more than the Redwoods. Sequoias can be found in Sequoia National Park and Sequoia National Forest and in Yosemite. The Sequoias grow in a more Grovelike atmosphere. The Redwoods are considered a grove, but they go on for several miles. Usually, the Sequoia are in just a few acres or so. I've been Yosemite, Redwoods, and Sequoia multiple times.

I would easily rank the trees in Sequoia my favorite experience. Next would be Prairie Creek Redwoods. 3rd would be Stout Grove area of Redwoods. Then Yosemite. Muir Woods is nothing any of these, IMOP. Yes, nice trees and is a great place to visit. But, I wouldn't go there to say i've seen The Redwoods. You will see small redwoods there, but not the really big trees.

You will be in awe at Redwoods National Park, Sequoia, and Yosemite. I don't think you would at Muir. Don't let me talk you out of visiting Muir, it is a nice area to hike.

<i>You will be in awe at Redwoods National Park, Sequoia, and Yosemite.</i>

From the OP's original posting, I do not think that more than day trips are planned.

And back to topic: an 8 year old might really enjoy the Exploratorium.

The OP original post said Giant Redwoods in Muir. Frankly, there are Redwoods, but no they aren't Giants there. This is my opinion, others might view it different. Again, I have been to all areas mentioned multiple times.

Thanks for all the responses! I really have no clue about redwoods vs sequoias, so thanks for all the info. Maybe we could drive up north for a few days to see the giants. I'll have to look into that. I'd love to see the giant trees!

Another idea might be Yosemite and Sequoia National Park in March. :)

March is rainy season and the likelihood of bad weather increases the farther north one goes. Average rainfall in March for the redwoods up north (Arcata) is 5.3 inches, whereas it is 3.3 in SF. If Muir Woods sounds as though it would not satisfy in terms of coastal redwoods, Big Basin or even Henry Cowell State Park near Santa Cruz might be more satisfactory.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/mksfca/...57624512998387

>an 8 year old might really enjoy the Exploratorium.<

I'm an adult, and I enjoy the Exploratorium!! When I was a Girl Scout leader, our troop made several trips there, from Brownies all the way up to Juniors. :)

We also went to Henry Cowell State park, where they have a nice loop to walk. One of the things I found fascinating was an albino redwood.

A cool website with ideas on things to do with kids in San Francisco and the Bay Area is Red Tricycle -- http://redtri.com/san-francisco-kids/

Big Basin has a few decent size trees. Mother and Father tree there are the best, IMOP. Yosemite/Maripossa Grove would likely require a longer hike as the road to that area(big trees) would likely be closed. I think it normally opens around May 1. I know we were there a couple of years ago on May 22 and it had opened the day before.

I didn't think about bad weather at Yosemite. Our #1 rule is: NO SNOW. :) Could we get to Sequoia National Park (mid-march) where the biggest trees are without dealing with snow and winter weather?

If giant sequoias are out for this trip and we want to take a day trip from San Francisco to see the biggest trees nearby, would that be Big Basin?

Thanks again! I really appreciate your help.

An easy trip to see redwoods (big ones too) is Armstrong Redwoods in Guernville. http://www.russianrivertravel.com/parks-armstrong.htm It's only an hour and a half drive from SF at most and you can continue on to the coast, Bodega Bay (remember Hitchcock's The Birds?) and back to SF. You can even take in a winery or two if you like.

March could be lovely or it could be rainy and miserable.

No, Your likely to encounter snow and even require chains on your vehicle. Plan it for 1st or 2nd week of June sometime. This way you get to see trees and the waterfalls in Yosemite are raging. You'll still see snow in higher elevations, but not on the road.

Here is an awesome link showing you the best of the Redwoods everywhere up and down the coast. I've used this several times. http://www.redwoodhikes.com/
Notice he only gives a few places 5 stars*****

Just so you know. Redwoods National Park is made up of 3 State Parks(I don't know of any other National Parks like this). Jedediah Smith and Prairie Creek are my favorites. James Irvine Trail that connects with Fern Canyon Trail is one of my very favorite hikes of all time(I've been to 34 of our 59 national parks and hiked most of the major trails at them). I hiked it both ways with my 9 year old nephew. You could hike it one way and have someone meet you at the ocean/fern canyon with a car. Fern Canyon alone is an amazing place. James Irvine/Fern Canyon to the ocean is an easy hike and 4 miles one way. A shorter hike is The Stout Grove that is also nice. You are likely to encounter elk around Prairie Grove. James Irvine Trail starts near the visitor center.

When I said No--That was for Sequoia and Yosemite that you could run into snow.

Big Basin, Armstrong, Humbolt, and Redwoods National Park could be foggy, raining but thats the way it is a lot of the time anyway. That's why the trees are so big and the rain forest so cool to look at. The constant precipitation is good for them

Here are some photos with my nephew. This was July 2010. The first photos are of Lassen Volcano National Park.

Photos 63 thru 73 are of Patricks Point State Park. This is an awesome place. Go at lowtide and go tidepooling. 74 thru 97 are James Irvine and Fern Canyon all the way to the ocean.
http://share.shutterfly.com/action/w...0IatW7FqybsWoB


If you decide to stay close to San Fran and do Muir, then consider spending the better part of the day at Point Reyes.
Go tidepooling somewhere at Point Reyes too. If you do Big Basin, then go sea-kayaking at Elkhorn Slough not far from Monterey. You and your son would love Monterey Bay Aquarium.


For comparison, here are some photos with my wife and our daughter of Sequoia in January 2008. http://share.shutterfly.com/action/w...0IatW7FqybsWoQ

I still find photo #25 on Sequoia totally amazing. The tree next to the museum puts it into perspective.

Here are some of Muir Woods and Point Reyes. Spring Break 2009
http://share.shutterfly.com/action/w...0IatW7FqybsWoj


A few in San Francisco Spring Break 2009
http://share.shutterfly.com/action/w...0IatW7FqybsWoy

I forgot my good camera on this trip and this was one of those cheapies, so quality isn't that great

http://share.shutterfly.com/action/w...0IatW7FqybsWpF

Here are a few in Big Basin with my wife, plus Monterey, Big Sur, Hearst Castle. Elkhorn Slough is at the end.

There are great tidepools in Santa Cruz as well at Natural Bridges State Park. North of there is Ano Nuevo State Park where the elephant seals are.

>> Could we get to Sequoia National Park (mid-march) where the biggest trees are without dealing with snow and winter weather?<<

We were in Yosemite & Sequoia in April '11. The entrance to Yosemite that is on fire now was completely closed because of snow. Chains and 4 wheel drives were not allowed. When we got to Sequoia, we had to put chains on our car to enter the park.

Stu Dudley