Federal officials are contemplating big changes to parking at the Muir Woods National Monument in an effort to protect the environment and to cut down on crowds that can choke the area around the park.

With close to 1 million visitors a year, the park service wants to get a better handle on traffic while managing Muir Woods and the Redwood Creek watershed, which is home to 1,000-year-old redwood trees, as well as threatened northern spotted owls and endangered coho salmon.

National Park Service officials say a parking reservation system for Muir Woods — likely to cost visitors $8 to $10 and is expected to be in place by fall 2017 — is a step toward controlling crowds. Presently, parking at Muir Woods is first come, first served.

That project will begin in earnest soon, park officials said.

“We expect to seek bidders in the coming weeks,” said park spokesman Nathan Sargent.

The system is expected to operate 365 days a year.

“It may be that on a slow day you can get a reservation on the same day,” Sargent said, adding details of the reservation system still need to be worked out.

MUIR WOODS >> MORE COVERAGE

A reservation system, which would be operated by a concessionaire, would allow the park to meter the number of visitors in advance of their arrival so that congestion could be minimized. The park service’s ferry to Alcatraz operates similarly, with visitors purchasing tickets in advance for a specific time.

The park service also has just released its draft for its Muir Woods Sustainable Access Project, which looks to reconfigure existing parking areas at Muir Woods to improve the flow of traffic in and out of lots, with an eye toward protecting the environment. The document is available for public comment until Dec. 5.

Park officials say the monument’s current parking, transit and pedestrian access functions are antiquated and damage Muir Woods’ fragile natural resources.

The project would reorganize existing parking — but would not exceed the current 232 spaces — and eliminate spaces in poorly located areas, providing opportunities to restore habitat. A main thrust will be to capture storm water runoff from parking areas before it dumps into Redwood Creek and degrades habitats.

The number of coho has dropped precipitously in the creek in recent years and park planners want to reduce sediment that can impair water quality and harm fish.

Redesigning bus and transit loading zones, improving pedestrian trails and walkways connected to parking and installing a new bridge for the Dipsea Trail over Redwood Creek are among the other changes being contemplated. The parking lot and bridge work would not occur until 2018 or later after a reservation system is instituted.

As part of a memorandum of understanding between the county of Marin and National Park Service signed in June 2015, there will be a phased elimination of parking outside of the monument’s boundaries.

“This project plan eliminates roadside parking, upgrades storm water management, and improves pedestrian paths, which are all key,” said Aaron Roth, acting superintendent of Golden Gate National Recreation Area.