Mega-Monuments: Muir Woods National Monument, California [ 1:38 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download
Mega-Monuments: Muir Woods National Monument, California [ 1:38 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | DownloadMuir Woods National Monument Map and Park Information
The first time I stepped into the hushed shadows of Muir Woods, dusk had already stretched one long arm around the towering trees.
Zach and I had spent most of that day on bikes, riding from Fisherman’s Wharf on down to the Golden Gate Bridge and then across and up the road to Sausalito. When we met up with his dad back in San Francisco in the late afternoon, we decided that there was just enough time to get to Muir Woods. Everyone had cleared out by the time we arrived, and there was “just enough time”. Not a moment more.
On my second visit in 2008, my friend and I arrived earlier in the afternoon to a more crowded park, but the stately Coastal Redwood trees seemed to inspire a “quiet” in those walking the trails beneath them. There was none of the scampering and screaming one sometimes encounters on flat, public trails. Instead, there seemed to be an attitude of reverence… an appreciation of being out of one’s usual “element”.
With the tallest redwood stretching 258 feet above the forest floor and the oldest one dating back at least 1200 years, there is plenty to inspire awe within this national monument. President Roosevelt segregated the land in 1908; its name honors naturalist John Muir, founder of the Sierra Club and a pivotal figure in the establishment of our national park system.
Further inland are Kings Canyon and Sequoia National Parks – to be explored on a future trip and the Mariposa Grove of Yosemite National Park. The California Coastal Redwood, found only within a narrow band along the Pacific coast, is the tallest tree in the world. The Giant Sequoias are known for their massive diameters.
Updated from January 11, 2009.
Muir Woods National Monument (Mill Valley, CA)
Tallest trees in the world: Coastal Redwoods
Mill Valley, CA 94941-2696
(415) 388-2595/(415) 388-2596
Park Hours: 8AM – Sunset (seasonal)
Entrance Fee: $7.00/Adult; Free/Children(15 and under) . *Updated 1/1/12.
Annual Pass available
View Muir Woods National Monument in a larger map
Humbling. A nice reminder that we aren’t the center of the universe.
Thanks for stopping by, Bob. Yes; it’s always good to find something a little bigger (or smaller) than your own self.
I’ve heard of these woods but have not yet had a chance of visiting them . One does however get a glimpse of the mystical beauty and magic enveloping it in your pictures.
Wishing you a very Happy New Year, take care.
Wow! 258 feet tall??!! I can’t imagine how those redwood trees are like with such length!! From your beautiful photos, it just looks gigantic!
How tiny are we?
It’s hard for a camera to take in the size of the redwoods, but you manage it.
These redwoods are simply Breath taking! Sounds like a pretty remarkable bike ride too. You remind us so often about the many treasures right here in the good ole US. This post makes me think that Spring is on the horizon.
Sadia: There is a mystical sort of feel to Muir Woods. The bed of needles on the forest floor and the tree canopy overhead insulate the grove from excess light and sound.
Cecil Lee: It’s hard to fathom the size of these trees even when standing beneath them. If you assume a building story to be about 10ft, then a 258 foot tree would be almost the height of a 26 story building.
The tallest Coastal Redwood on record grows further north up the Pacific coast in the Redwood National Forest. It is measured to be 379 feet tall!
Jean-Luc: You have to lie on your back with a super-wide angle lens to truly capture the enormity of the redwoods’ size. -Did the best I could with the lens I had with me that day. Thanks!
Intrepid: It’s so enjoyable to thoroughly explore an area. A few winters ago I ran my favorite local park, frozen beneath multiple layers of snow and ice, with a visitor from Scotland. What was “ordinary” to me (beaver-chewed trees; our state bird, the cardinal…) merited second and third looks for him. It was fun to witness my world through fresh eyes. What we haven’t yet seen has the capacity to thrill and expand us in wonderful ways!
So Very True…..
Love your writing, I could imagine everything in the area including those beautiful trees and the dusk – cool but not icy.
You do have some great adventures!
It’s hard to image something like that being over 1,000 years old. These massive trees are really amazing!
It is interesting that your Scottish visitor should renew your view of your part of the world… it is one of the many pleasures I get by having people visit my part of the world.
Whilst I know of no trees in my location that live so long – parts of my house, including timber beams, have stood here for 700 years.
Cate: Thanks for the kind comments. You described the evening perfectly, “cool but not icy.” Walking into that setting felt kind of like walking into an air conditioned room on a really hot summer day.
Rovinj: Those giant trees are good for resetting our perspective a little -similar to staring up into an enormous starry night sky.
Kevin: Wow. It would be so interesting to live in a home that holds that kind of history! I very much hope to travel through your country some day.
In Muir Woods, are there any spots with colorful deciduous trees in the autumn?
Like a mixture of Redwood and deciduous together or side by side?
Thanks,
MDV
http://www.mdvaden.com/grove_of_titans.shtml
M.D. Vaden: My recent Muir Woods visit was in July, and I didn’t notice any deciduous trees beyond the roadside parking areas. I would guess you might find them along the edges of the redwood pocket, and they would certainly stand out in October.
That would be a stunning view; autumn’s flame colors against those remarkable redwoods!
These pines perhaps remember the Civil War
Delayed thanks for the reply about deciduous trees.
I’m thinkin’ that maybe Muir Woods would be a fun place to see trees on a return loop from the Giant Sequoias. Hadn’t even thought of that option until stumbing back on this page again tonight.
MDV
Hotels Paphos: It’s a little startling to think of all that has happened in this world as these trees have grown!
MD Vaden: I’m missing those giants this week. Our trees are bare and there’s a hush in those woods that is simply beautiful. Say “hello” for me… : )