The Mill Valley center point is about the area of Downtown Mill Valley and 2 miles east of Muir Woods National Monument.
The best time to visit Mill Valley for comfort and activities is during the warm season, from early June to mid-October. The average high during this period ranges from 69 to 73 degrees. Summers are long, dry, clear, and comfortable. Hotel rates will be at their highest, so book your room early if you're making a trip to Mill Valley during this time.
The cool season goes from early December to early February, with average highs ranging from 54 to 58 degrees and lows from 43 to 45 degrees. Hotel prices are the lowest during this time, so if you like cool temps, winter could be the ideal time for you to visit Mill Valley. You could also save by traveling in spring or late fall, especially as spring leads toward summer and the temperatures start to rise.
The Acqua Hotel in Mill Valley, located alongside Richardson Bay with stunning water views against nearby Mount Tamalpais, offers discounts for seniors and AAA members. Upscale rooms offer a Zen-like feel, along with a refrigerator, coffee/tea facilities, flat-screen television with cable and HBO, DVD player, and ironing facilities. The hotel is in a quiet location with a terrace and jogging path and features a fitness and health center. At the Acqua, you will be next door to both San Francisco and the vineyards of Sonoma and Napa, as well as the natural wonders of Mount Tamalpais, Point Reyes, and Muir Woods.
The Lodge at Tiburon places guests a five-minute walk away from Tiburon Ferry and an eight-minute stroll from San Francisco Bay. This romantic Tiburon hotel features refrigerators, iPod docking stations, flat-screen televisions with digital programming, wired and wireless internet access, work desks, and designer toiletries. The hotel offers an outdoor pool, spa tub, and fitness center, as well as a business center, dry cleaning/laundry services, and a limo/town car service. Dine at the on-site Tiburon Tavern, which serves local cuisine, or opt for room service during limited hours. You can enjoy a drink at the bar/lounge as well.
Holiday Inn Express Mill Valley San Francisco Area in Mill Valley is a great value as a convenient base for you to see all that Mill Valley has to offer. Plus, you can hop over to San Francisco Bay and the Golden Gate Bridge within just 10 minutes. Rooms feature pillowtop beds with Egyptian cotton sheets and down comforters, private patios, refrigerators, iPod docking stations, free Wi-Fi, and designer toiletries.
Refresh yourself with a dip in the outdoor pool, relax in the spa tub, and work out in the fitness center, and then enjoy the warmth of the fireplace in the lobby. The hotel features a 24-hour business center, free newspapers in the lobby, event space, and free continental breakfast in the mornings.
If you're looking for a quiet spot with great attention to detail and basic amenities near San Francisco and everything Mill Valley has to offer, try Muir Woods Lodge in Mill Valley. You'll have one of only 26 rooms on two floors, and blackout curtains will ensure the sun doesn't get you up too early. The modern, stylish rooms are attractive and welcoming and feature bathrooms with upscale fixtures, flat-screen TVs with cable, and free Wi-Fi. The hotel serves free breakfast and provides coffee and tea in common areas.
Muir Woods National Monument offers majestic views and incredible hikes amid its old-growth coast redwoods. These trees are the tallest living things in the world. A wide variety of flora and fauna exist in Muir Woods, and educational programs teach both kids and adults more about all you can find there. If hiking is your game, you'll find 6 miles of boardwalks and paved trails, from half-hour loops to longer hikes that enter Mount Tamalpais State Park.
Mount Tamalpais State Park offers deep canyons and sweeping forested hills, including the 2,571-foot-tall Mount Tamalpais. The park offers great hiking opportunities, horseback riding, family programs, swimming and scuba diving, fishing, a visitor center, camping, picnicking, and much more. You'll find 60 miles of hiking trails at the park, with trails connecting to a 200-mile trail system on nearby public lands.
The oldest trail race in the United States, the annual Dipsea Race, covers 7.4 miles on a course that goes over Mount Tamalpais and ends at Stinson Beach on the Pacific Ocean. The race is run on the second Sunday in June.
Mill Valley isn't all about the outdoors. The city has a strong focus on art and culture as well, including film and theatre. The Mill Valley Film Festival is an internationally recognized festival that has been going for more than 41 years. The Mountain Play stages Broadway musicals each June in an outdoor amphitheater in front of thousands of viewers. Marin Theatre Company produces intimate world-class theater experiences for Marin County and communities within the Bay Area.
The First Tuesday Art Walk is held from 6-8 p.m. on the first Tuesday of each month to display local art. You can view, download, and print an artist listing and gallery map on the Mill Valley Recreation website and then stroll from site to site.
In Lytton Square, located in the center of downtown, you'll find some of the best shopping and dining in the city. Stick to indoor shopping at some lovely boutiques or sit and watch the people pass by. You could even play a game of chess. For nightlife. Sweetwater Music Hall is a nearby hotspot that has hosted Gregg Allman, Huey Lewis, and other music stars.
Below are reviews of the city of Mill Valley, CA from an actual visitor's perspective.
A nice small town. I like the hiking and Muir Woods and the lookouts are beautiful!
We liked Old Mill Park.
Rooms clean. Made up daily. Breakfast adequate. Good booking procedure.