Muir Woods – The Real San Francisco Giants

One of the nation’s great national parks is actually a monument, the Muir Woods National Monument, located just 12 miles (19 km) north of San Francisco. Cross over the Golden Gate Bridge and enter a world of Giant Sequoia trees, preserved forest and nature that seems impossible to be located just a short drive from the bustling metropolis on the bay.

The park was initially a 600-acre forest that had never been cut for lumber and purchased by a local Congressman, William Kent, who was interested in maintaining the few remaining tracks of giant Sequoias trees along the Redwood Creek.  Later he fought to stop the damming of the creek, which would have flooded the valley.

In 1909, his preservation efforts were rewarded when President Teddy Roosevelt declared the parcel of land a National Monument, making Muir Woods the first National Park created from privately donated lands.

Today, over three-quarters of a million people visit the park each year, with the main attraction being the park’s tallest Giant Sequoia, at just under 260 feet (79m) tall or equal to a 25-story high-rise building or 75 feet taller than the Statue of Liberty.  Many of the taller trees are over 1,000 years old and still growing.  These preserved old-growth trees show pristine examples of the forests and ecosystems that covered large swatches of California’s northern coast for centuries.

The park is ideal for hiking, due to its cool and shaded paths.  The park’s temperature ranges from 40 to 70 degrees.  The paths include 1.6 miles of paved boardwalk trails plus additional paths and trails that continue deeper into the woods.

My personal favorite trail is the Bootjack Trail that intersects with the Alpine Trail, and ultimately offers a great hilltop view of the Pacific Ocean.  Another trail takes hikers further from the park all the way to Stinson Beach along California’s Highway 1.

Look for one of the many photo opportunities in the park including:

• Several burned out tree trunks that you can climb inside of, called goose pens. The name came from local inhabitants who used them to corral chickens and geese.  Some are large enough for two people.
• Some of the many massive fallen tree trunks that transverse both sides of the main path.
• Deer that seem unfazed by humans and will feed within just a few feet of people on the trails.
• Mushrooms, fungus, ladybugs along with other flora and fauna growing in the undergrowth.
• The massive tree cut showing the tree’s rings and associated historical dates dating back hundreds of years.

For additional ideas of things to do outside beyond the Golden Gate Bridge, check out the recent post by Katrina.

Muir Woods National Monument
1 Muir Woods Road
Mill Valley, California  (map it)

Dates & Times – Daily – 8:00 a.m. – sunset

Admission - $5.00 for all visitors over the age of 15.

Public Transit – Golden Gate Transit operates shuttle service between Marin City and the Manzanita Park & Ride on weekends.  Fares – Adults – $3.00, Seniors, disabled and youth 6-18 – $1.00.  Area tour companies also offer transportation from Downtoan and Fisherman’s Warf.

Parking – The entrance fee is $5.00 for people 16 years and older.  Parking is free at Muir Wood.

Images – from personal collection  ©2009, Jon Rochetti