For the first few minutes, you’d be forgiven for thinking your directions were wrong. Park in a gravel lot off the main road, walk past a row of houses and down a wooded trail, and descend through switchbacks deeper into the forest. This couldn’t possibly be the right path, could it?
Your patience during the ten minute hike will be rewarded by the magnificent Tourist Club, a German-style alpine lodge and beer garden. It’s definitely a surprise, a kind of oasis in the forest, and a fantastic time. Built in 1914, it’s operated as a private club, associated with the Austrian Nature Friends, an international network of clubhouses built and supported by members. On most weekends, it’s open to the general public, a great place to enjoy the sunshine and make friends while drinking a few beers on the outdoor deck overlooking the verdant valley of Muir Woods.
This is a non-profit organization, not a bar or restaurant, so you’ll have to be respectful of a few rules, like no nonmembers after dark, no dogs except those owned by members. A small selection of German beers are on tap, and a few snacks (dry sausage and crackers) are for sale inside, alongside the piles of board games, an old piano, and a lending library comprised of books left by previous travelers. Whether the Tourist Club is your reward at the end of a long hike – see below for how to hike in – or simply a relaxing drink with friendly strangers, you’ll be guaranteed a good time.
Getting there: You can enter by driving north from San Francisco and parking in the gravel lot on Ridge Avenue, or by hiking in from the Redwood Trail or Dipsea Trail followed by the Sun Trail. Grab a Mt Tamalpais hiking map before heading out, and you’ll have no trouble finding your way.
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