“We’re grateful to see Muir Woods remain open a little longer,” Christine Lehnertz, Conservancy president & CEO, told KQED by email on Friday. “This moment speaks to the dedication of our partners and the deep care our community has for these places.”
“But it also reminds us that these are temporary solutions. Parks need lasting support to stay open and resilient for generations to come,” she said.
The nonprofit confirmed the Muir Woods Trading Company, ACE Parking, and Must See Tours — all “operational partners” within the park itself — had offered the first round of funding which enabled the space to originally reopen on Oct. 23, but could not confirm whether these same companies were behind the new donations enabling the extension.
Muir Woods, which closed its gates over three weeks ago on the first day of the shutdown, is now open through Nov. 11 for normal visitation, according to the Conservancy.
The initial reopening was confirmed in a memo that Sally Golub, acting chief of business management at Golden Gate National Recreation Area, sent to companies operating in the park.
During this temporary reopening, the usual $15 entrance fee remains waived. According to Brian Huber, owner of San Francisco Jeep Tours, which operated in the park, parking and shuttle reservations are once again required.
The visitor center will remain open during this extended period, along with the Muir Woods Trading Company, which manages the park’s gift shop and cafe. Rangers are on-site and providing programs, the memo said.
Reopening the redwoods
When Muir Woods was first reopened on Oct, 23, the Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy told KQED that operational support in the park would be provided by the Muir Woods Trading Company, ACE Parking and Must See Tours — the same companies who donated to fund the initial reopening. The National Park Service confirmed in an email to KQED that short-term donations like this one have been keeping some parks open during the shutdown “in several states.”
The park’s reopening through private funds is permitted by the NPS’s shutdown plan, and is the same funding model being used to keep Alcatraz Island open.
