Day Trippin' › California › From Fresno › Muir Woods National Monument
The drive from Fresno to Muir Woods National Monument takes about 3 hr 20 min (northwest of Fresno), by real roads from ZIP 93721. Along the way we found 102 stops within a short detour: 23 coffee shops, 6 bakeries, 23 ice cream and treats and 30 places to eat.
The list below is the best few of each kind, in driving order, with how far into the drive you reach each one (counted from Fresno) and the detour it adds. Stops marked Our pick are chosen by us; the rest come from OpenStreetMap listings, so confirm hours before you count on them.
Photo: Matthew Dillon from Hollywood, CA, USA, CC BY 2.0
Hike
Easy paths through old coast redwoods in a quiet canyon just north of the city.
Heads-up: Parking or shuttle reservation required. Book ahead at the official site. No dogs. Little cell service.
First third Middle third Last third Muir Woods National Monument
About 3 hr 20 min by road, heading northwest from the middle of ZIP 93721. Traffic and weather change that.
Good ones to start with: Fentons Creamery (Oakland). The page lists 30 in all, in driving order.
Cake Shop by Jill & Jill in Madera, Cornaggia's Bakery in Chowchilla, Starbucks in Merced and Starbucks in Merced. Check hours first; they come from OpenStreetMap listings.
El Botanero Mariscos in Fresno, Di Ciccos in Madera, The Vineyard in Madera and Farnesi's Steakhouse in Chowchilla.
Palm and Pine in Irrigosa, Madera County Fairgrounds in Madera, Livingston Historic Museum in Livingston and Lammersville Pioneer School in Tracy.
Drive times are by road on a typical day from ZIP <class 'zip'> (OpenStreetMap data with the OSRM route planner). Stops come from our own picks and OpenStreetMap listings; hours and detours change, so check before you go. We do not store anyone's location.