Nature Friends Tourist Club

5 stars all the way. Wonderful events, location, parking, festivals, food.
Great views too. Love this place! A total treasure.

I came to the Tourist Club yesterday, because this is one of the weekends that they are open for non-members. It was a really cool spot! There were tons of people who brought logos and blankets and set up little picnics. The vibe is very chill. There's tons of outdoor seating which was really nice for a nice sunny day.

It is definitely a place to come for the vibe rather than the beer itself. The selection is pretty small. They had four beers, a house red and white. They had tons of board games which my group really liked.

The location is a bit remote. We followed the sun trail to get there and it was a nice 20 minute little hike. It's nice to feel like you're in the middle of nature away from the hustle and bustle of the city. This is a nice hidden gem in Mill Valley, great spot to spend a few hours in on a sunny day. The only negative is that it's only open to members except for a few weekends of the year.

Maifest at the Tourist Club:

A long night out prior to Maifest threw my plans of hiking the longer (and probably more rewarding) Dipsea Trail to the Tourist Club. Instead, i took the Sun Trail and 15-20 minutes later i found a line of fellow excited festival goers. Many guests came right around noon, when Maifest was scheduled to begin. The entrance seemed disorganized - they asked everyone to get into 3 different lines based off the first letter of your last name. Those in the back couldn't hear and groups weren't sure whether they should separate or stay with their ticket buyer. Some in the wrong line entirely. Hope they sort this out for the next festival for smoother entry!

The lodge itself is amazing and the weather was beautiful. Nothing like a pitcher of cold beer, a pretzel and some bratwurst up in the woods overlooking Mt. Tam. The German beer was delicious and refreshing. I appreciate that they had a few water stations and weren't forced to buy bottled water. It was pretty packed so the tables filled up asap and i felt lucky to find even a makeshift seat. The music and dancing was fun. Great vibes. Can't wait to hopefully come back on another guest day.

I'm glad that I was able to enjoy a visit here for Maifest as a non-member, thanks to someone who had previously been here for their festivities.

Luckily, this friend knew that the BEST way to access this location was by walking the Sun Trail through Muir Woods, which is 4.7 miles and brings you directly to the Nature Friends Tourist Club.

After this lovely hike, it was impressive to see the German/Austrian Alpine-style chalet decorated with Bäuerliche Malerei, traditional folk paintings, tucked away in the redwood forest!

The view is amazing! It's no wonder the Nature Friends wanted to buy the original cabin (now the chalet) from the original owner, Mr. Rosenberg, all the way back in 1912.

If you've never visited previously, this should be on your "to do" list : )

It was such a nice surprise to be welcomed into a festive party atmosphere at such a pretty location!

Since we arrived early, it was easy to find seating at a table inside the dining room, while enjoying steins of German/Austrian beer and plates of German/Austrian food.

The German music made the event really fun, along with seeing men dressed up in lederhosen and tyrolean hats and women dressed up in dirndls.

Once you've been there for a few hours, it's easy to walk back down the trail into Muir Woods.

*Note: Be sure to bring cash and your ID since they don't take credit cards on site!

Found out on Friday that this upcoming weekend was a guest weekend meaning that this is open to the public woo hoo.

Did some research and decided to embark on the redwood hike, which was the shorter of the two hikes. The hike itself was beautiful but longer and a bit more difficult than I expected. I should note that I expected a stroll. After 30 or so min, we finally arrived!

Given that it was a brisk afternoon, the place wasn't very crowded at all. All types of people were there enjoying the beer and the view. There were also people playing board games and everyone seemed to be having a great time. It was very windy and cold on the balcony. A few lucky people were able to find seats inside.

Can't wait to come back when it's a bit warmer!!

First- for nonmembers you'll need to buy tickets to any of their public events, which sell out fast. Get them!!

My group took the 2 mile hike (including 655 stairs) through the Dipsea trail. For August, we couldn't beat the 70 degree day. Once we entered this gem, we were floored. The members run this social club based on volunteer days, meaning every person we interacted was super friendly.

Next- the beer. They have some fabulous German beers! The price is right at just $20 a pitcher. We brought our own lunch, and then continued another pitcher with some board games. They have an entire wall of games to borrow for your visit.

Overall; this supplied my group with the perfect Saturday relaxation.

This place is amazing! I loved everything about the hike here, the German Brewhaus and the beautiful Muir woods surrounding the Tourist Club.

My friend Jaime H. planned a hike with the destination being the Nature Friends Tourist Club, Although you can drive there, we opted to hike the 5 or so miles there. It was a long upward hike, but let me just tell you that the beer was sooo amazing after it.

It just amazed me to see this awesome spot, nestled away like a little secret. It's only open 10 times a year to non-members, so it was crowded. I felt so happy to finally be there and enjoy the rest of my day.

We found a place to camp out on the deck and picnic. They let you bring in your own food, but I forgot to bring a real lunch. I bought a meat jerky stick and chips along with a couple pitchers of beer. My friends brought some food, which we shared.

People were enjoying the weather, family and friends getting together over pitchers of beer, board games and lunch. It was a perfect day.

You can tell that the members truly love and take care of their club. Thank you for allowing us to share it with you!

This is one of my favorite places to visit in the Northern California area! The hike there is worth it whether you take the short hike or the long hike. Make sure to bring your own food and have cash for the beer that they serve there, and don't forget that it's locally made beer that is actually great ! They do not allow dogs unless you're one of the members
It must visit!!

If you drive the whole way here, park in the lot, and wander down the hill just to drink a beer, you are completely missing the point.

The Tourist Club was founded by a group of naturalists who so loved Muir Woods that they built this cabin to celebrate and enjoy the outdoors. Honor them - and yourself - by doing the same.

The best (i.e., only) way to get here is to hike in. It takes about an hour depending on your pace and fitness level, and it is definitely Worth It. Enter at Old Mill Park (http://maps.google.com/maps/place?ix=acb&um=1&ie=UTF-8&q=old+mill+park&fb=1&gl=us&hq=old+mill+park&hnear=0x80859a6d00690021:0x4a501367f076adff,San+Francisco,+CA&cid=6273371408640135519) - there is a hill that slopes upwards towards the first staircase, which will put you on the Dipsea Trail. If you feel like you're in someone's driveway, you are - but no need for alarm! Somehow there are people lucky enough to live along this stunning trail among the redwoods, but it is for public use. The signage isn't great, but once you see the stairs you'll know you're in the right place.

Follow this segment of Dipsea all the way up. If you encounter a group of kids selling lemonade and cookies at the top of the stairs, buy them! You need all the energy you can muster to hike up. Once you're out of the redwoods, the trail continues over local roads and trails. Take the time to drool with envy at the views, and please smell the flowers. The Sun Trail connects Dipsea to the Tourist Club, and is a beautiful, narrow path that hugs the side of a mountain (http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&source=s_d&saddr=&daddr=37.891637,-122.569109&geocode=&hl=en&mra=dme&mrcr=0&mrsp=1&sz=17&sll=37.891129,-122.569399&sspn=0.008001,0.011716&ie=UTF8&ll=37.89206,-122.569313&spn=0.064009,0.093727&z=14). The open space, sprawling canyon views, hawks flying overhead, and flower-drenched landscape is breathtaking.

After about a mile, you re-enter the redwoods and will see a sign for the Tourist Club. It's amazing to find a German biergarten in the middle of the woods! It's best to get here by 1pm so that you can snag a table. The feeling of drinking a cold beer while sitting in the sun on this glorious patio overlooking the woods is beyond words. I even found an old tree swing and went for a (non-sanctioned) ride. Hike in, bring lunch, drink some suds, and hike out in time to catch the sun set over the majestic mountains. YOU LIVE IN SF!!!!!!! ENJOY IT!!!!!!!

What if Adolf Hitler and Eva Braun escaped the bunker? What if they found passage to America with nary a deutsche mark to their names? Then surely they would have opened the Tourist Club, a total non-sequitur on the edge of Muir Woods in Mill Valley.

It is a most unexpected sight. You hike on the Dipsea Trail for a while and then another mile on the Sun Trail. You look like you're going into a clearing of some sort and then - Heilige Scheibe! --- a big Bavarian lodge looms before you. You do a double take as you think it's a drug-induced mirage, or more likely, you fell into a wormhole that broke apart the time-space continuum and landed in the Black Forest. Yeah, that makes more sense. Then you realize it's the real thing.

An inviting patio deck is there with spectacular views of Mt. Tam and the rest of the woods. You keep waiting for a young Nazi soldier to come out and sing, "Tomorrow Belongs to Me"...but no, just a waitress who serves German beers on tap. What a tasty libation in the middle of a pastoral hike!

You could kick yourself for not bringing your lederhosen. But not to worry, you can come back for Oktoberfest, eat sausages and listen to an oomp-pa-pa band. There's also Junefest and Summerfest. And don't worry about the 117-year old man in the corner with the funny moustache and a tendency to straighten his right arm. He's harmless.

Auf Wiedersehen.