“Ancient coastal redwood forest just 12 miles north of the Golden Gate Bridge — towering 1,000-year-old trees creating cathedral-scale light filtering effects year-round. Quintessential Northern California old-growth character.”
About This Location
Muir Woods National Monument, a 560-acre cathedral of ancient coastal redwood forest 12 miles north of San Francisco, is one of the most visually evocative landscapes in the National Park Service. The towering Sequoia sempervirens — some over 1,000 years old and approaching 250 feet — create a vertical forest experience of extraordinary scale, with filtered shafts of light penetrating the canopy to a fern-carpeted floor. Cathedral Grove, the park's old-growth core, produces a hushed, sacred visual atmosphere unlike anything else near a major city. Commercial filming requires a NPS permit through the Golden Gate NRA office at 415-561-4323. Timed entry reservations are required for all visitors, which production crews must coordinate carefully. Dawn access before park opening offers the best opportunity for unobstructed wide shots. Managed as part of Golden Gate NRA. A bucket-list location for any cinematographer seeking old-growth redwood forest atmospherics.
Color Palette
Location
📍 Open in Google Maps →Permit Information
Permit Required
Type
NPS Commercial Film Permit
Fee
Varies – NPS location fee + cost recovery
Contact
Muir Woods NM / Golden Gate NRA Permit Office
Contact Permit Office
📞 415-561-4323Timed entry reservations required for all visitors — productions must coordinate parking and access carefully. Dawn shoots available before park opens.
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