6 Best Sights in Mill Valley, The Bay Area

The view of Mt. Tamalpais from all around the bay can be a beauty, but that’s nothing compared to the views from the mountain, which take in San Francisco, the East Bay, the coast, and beyond. Although the summit of Mt. Tamalpais is only 2,571 feet high, the mountain rises practically from sea level, dominating the topography of Marin County. For years the 6,300-acre park has been a favorite destination for hikers, with more than 200 miles of trails when combined with surrounding public open space. The park's major thoroughfare, Panoramic Highway, snakes its way up from U.S. 101 to the Pantoll Ranger Station and down to Stinson Beach. Parking is free along the roadside, but there's an $8 fee at the ranger station (credit cards are only accepted when the station is open) and additional charges for walk-in campsites and group use.

The Mountain Theater, also known as the Cushing Memorial Amphitheatre, is a natural 4,0000-seat amphitheater that has showcased summer Mountain Plays since 1913. The Rock Spring Trail starts at the Mountain Theater and gently climbs for 1½ miles to the West Point Inn, where you can relax at picnic tables before forging ahead via Old Railroad Grade Fire Road and the Upper Fern Creek Trail to Mt. Tam's East Peak.

From the Pantoll Ranger Station, the precipitous Steep Ravine Trail brings you past stands of coastal redwoods. Hike the connecting Dipsea Trail to reach Stinson Beach. If you're too weary to make the 3½-mile trek back up, Marin Transit Bus 61 takes you from Stinson Beach back to the ranger station.

One of the last old-growth stands of redwood (Sequoia sempervirens) giants, Muir Woods is nature's cathedral: awe-inspiring and not to be missed. The nearly 560 acres of Muir Woods National Monument contain some of the most majestic redwoods in the world—some more than 250 feet tall.

Part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area, Muir Woods is a pedestrian's park. The popular 2-mile main trail begins at the park headquarters and provides easy access to streams, ferns, azaleas, and redwood groves. Weekends can prove to be very busy, so consider taking a more challenging route, such as the Ben Johnson Trail–Dipsea Trail route, which climbs west from the forest floor to soothing views of the ocean and the Golden Gate Bridge.

Picnicking and camping aren't allowed, and neither are pets. Crowds can be large, especially from May through October, so come early in the morning or late in the afternoon. The Muir Woods Visitor Center has books and exhibits about redwood trees and the woods' history as well as the latest info on trail conditions. The Muir Woods Trading Company serves hot food, pastries, and coffee, and the gift shop offers plenty of souvenirs.

Muir Woods has no cell service or Wi-Fi, so plan directions and communication ahead of time.

For parking reservations (required) and shuttle information, visit  gomuirwoods.com. To drive directly from San Francisco, take U.S. 101 North across the Golden Gate Bridge to Exit 445B for Mill Valley/Stinson Beach, then follow signs for Highway 1 North and Muir Woods.

Mill Valley locals congregate on weekends to socialize in the coffeehouses and cafés near the town's central square, but it's buzzing most of any day of the week with the lunchtime crowd, tourists, and Marin residents running errands. The Mill Valley Depot Café & Bookstore at the hub of it all is the place to grab a coffee and sweet treat while reading or playing a game of chess. Shops, restaurants, and cultural venues line the nearby streets.

A wonder of arches, circles, skylights, and an eye-catching blue roof just 10 miles north of Mill Valley, the Civic Center was Frank Lloyd Wright's largest public project (and his final commission) and has been designated a national and state historic landmark. It's a performance venue and is adjacent to where the always-fun Marin County Fair is held each summer. Ninety-minute docent-led tours begin Friday mornings at 10:30 am.

The lumber yard, once a vital center of the region's logging industry, is now a vibrant micro-village of craftsfolk, food artisans, textile makers, and lifestyle designers, and their boutiques and restaurants. You'll even find a chocolate art studio where custom-designed chocolates and truffles may look almost too good to eat. The preserved brick-red historic structures are hard to miss along Miller Avenue, and with plenty of parking in the area, plus picnic tables and outdoor space, it's well worth a visit.

To see one of the outdoor oases that make Mill Valley so appealing, follow Throckmorton Avenue west from Lytton Square to Old Mill Park, a shady patch of redwoods that shelters a playground and reconstructed sawmill. The park also hosts September's annual Mill Valley Fall Arts Festival. From the park, Cascade Way winds its way past creek-side homes to the trailheads of several forest paths.