Commune With Nature At Its Tallest
Named for conservationist John Muir, who called the woods “the best tree-lovers’ monument that could possibly be found in all the forests of the world,” the park boasts coastal redwoods that are more than 1,000 years old and 260 feet tall.
The woods are part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area, which extends federal protection to 75,000 acres of land around the San Francisco Bay area.
The towering redwood trees dominate the forest and dwarf other trees such as the Douglas fir, big-leaf maple, tanbark oak, and bay laurel.
The park includes six miles of trails, two of which are paved. The Main Trail leads visitors on a one-hour loop that begins by the Muir Woods Visitor Center and follows Redwood Creek to Cathedral Grove, a stand of redwood trees at the far end of the loop.
It was here that in 1996, about 50 visitors witnessed an 800-year-old redwood fall. The tree, which was 200 feet tall and 12 feet wide, caused no damage when it fell, and according to park officials, required no clean up. It still rests where it fell, providing vital nutrients to the soil underneath.
Just to the left of the fallen tree is a plaque dedicated to President Franklin D. Roosevelt. In 1945, just after Roosevelt’s death, delegates from all over the world met in Cathedral Grove to sign the Charter of the United Nations. The meeting also served as a commemorative ceremony to honor Roosevelt.
Saved from Destruction
Until the mid-1800s, a number of valleys on the California coast boasted redwood groves similar to those of Muir Woods.
But when the population in California quadrupled in the 1850s with the Gold Rush, many of the majestic trees were cut down to clear space and provide timber to house new residents.
The area now known as Muir Woods was spared from destruction because it was located in a canyon not easily accessed by loggers. In 1903, however, the Tamalpais Land and Water Company had proposed to log the area and dam it in order to create a reservoir.
Two years later, concerned citizens William Kent and his wife, Elizabeth, borrowed $45,000 from a bank to purchase the land and save it from logging. A few years later, they donated the land to the federal government, and in 1908 President Theodore Roosevelt declared the land a national monument.
The Path Less Traveled
Close to 2 million people visit Muir Woods each year. Most take the Main Trail, so if you want to leave the masses behind, a hike on one of the less-traveled trails is advised.
A blacktail deer or spotted owl sighting is also more likely on one of these hiking paths.
A quarter-mile past Cathedral Grove, for example, hikers can find the Fern Creek trailhead, which follows the creek to Alice Eastwood camp, where there are picnic tables and restrooms.
For a four-mile hike with incredible views of the San Francisco Bay and Mount Tam, visitors can take Dipsea Trail, which begins across the bridge from the lower parking lot. The trail ascends steeply through a fern-carpeted forest and emerges into a grassy ridge and meets with Ben Johnson Trail, which leads hikers back to the Main Trail.
Muir Woods can be reached by taking Highway 101 to the Highway 1/Muir Woods exit. Parking is limited and fills quickly, especially on weekends.
For those who don’t have a car or don’t want to bother with parking hassles, the Red and White Fleet bus company takes passengers to Muir Wods from San Francisco, making a short stop in Sausalito on the return trip.
The three-and-a-half-hour tour runs several times each day and costs $33 for adults and $16 for children aged 5 to 11. The trip is free for children under 5.
Once at Muir Woods, there is a $3 entry fee for adults. The park’s hours are 8 a.m. to sunset daily.
Layered clothing is a good idea; the park is shaded and moist, and daytime temperatures range from 40 to 70 degrees.
More information can be obtained by calling the Muir Woods information hotline at (415) 388-2595 or (415) 388-2596. Information about Muir Woods is posted on the Web at www.nps.gov/muwo/home.htm and www.visitmuirwoods.com. ▪
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Published online: 21 February 2003
Published in print: February 21, 2003
Notes
Thanks to the foresight of two nature lovers and a $45,000 loan, the breathtaking beauty of Muir Woods is forever preserved.
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