Muir Woods National Monument

Muir Woods National Monument is located just 16 miles Northwest of Fishermans Warf in San Francisco. Muir Woods is a stand of Coastal Redwoods protected over the years and allows visitors to walk amongst these giants.  Many of the trees in the area are 500 - 800 years old, and the tallest tree at the monument stands 258 feet tall.  The trees create their own climate below the canopy allowing many different plants and animals to live here that would not do well in the arid climate otherwise.  The Coastal Redwoods grow in Northern California, primarily between San Francisco and Oregon.  They thrive here because of the fog.  The fog will condense on the needles in the trees, then drip down into the forest below.  This process is how these giant trees get enough water to sustain the forest that they create.

Being so close to San Francisco Bay area Muir Woods is a popular destination and requires you to make a paid reservation just to get parkin.  We made our reservations months in advance of our trip and were glad that we did.  To make a reservation visit their website.  Be prepared to have an approximate arrival time as you have to pick this when you make your reservation.  Parking is $8.50 for standard vehicles but goes up in price for larger vehicles. A shuttle bus goes to the park from the Pohono Park and Ride during the weekends.  Be sure to check the website to make sure that they are running.

When you arrive at the park, you will need to stop at the entry booth to get your pass for the day.  There is a $15.00 a day pass per person.  Head up the trail under the entry gateway, and the gift shop and concession area will be off to your right.  The gift shop was large and had a large selection of items available for sale.  It is not airconditioned, so it can be hot inside, and the line to check out can be long due to the number of people in the park.  Remember to stop here at the end of your walk, so you do not have to carry everything.

The main trail begins here and makes its way up the valley for about 1 mile.  The trail is easily accessible for all, and much of it is a boardwalk that protects the forest floor and provides a better surface for wheelchairs or for those who would have difficulty walking on a regular trail. 

As you head up the trail, you quickly come upon Founders Grove.  There are several groves like this one where there is a high concentration of huge trees.  This is where you really begin to feel small compared to the forest that rises above you. Visitors can continue up the trail to the Cathedral Grove and return via the other side of Redwood Creek to see the Bohemian Grove.

Just after the Founders Grove, we came to the Canopy View Trail, a more normal hiking trail that goes up the hill and puts you up high in the canopy of trees to provide a different viewpoint.  This is the beginning of the trail less traveled, and you can start to get away from the large groups of people and enjoy the peacefulness of the forest.

The Canopy View Trail can be made into a loop of about 2.5 miles in total length.  I would recommend going up from Founders Grove and coming down through Fern Creek as I think the climb up is much gentler and pretty easy, while if you hike it in reverse, you will hit some pretty steep sections.   Along the trail, you will experience Redwoods in their many stages of development and get to see some diversity through the forest.  After reaching the highpoint, you will start down to Fern Creek, a very nice valley.  When you get to the first big bridge, don't cross it, but turn left, and you will start a short walk back down to the main trail where you can finish that loop.  I highly recommend this trail to be able to see more of the forest.

As you walk back towards the main entry, remember that there is more to see across the river.  Crossing over will also take you away from some crowds and provide a pleasant time in the park.

If part of the park's mission is to preserve the past, I found it interesting to find this payphone in perfect condition located at the park.  Talk about relics; I wonder how many kids have to ask what this is to really understand it.

All in all, I am thrilled that we came and spent about 3 hours at Muir Woods National Monument.  I am thankful that these trees are protected and that this type of space is available so close to such a large metropolitan area.

The Details:
Park Entry Fee: Yes - $15.00 per person
Visitor Center:✯
Facilities: ✯✯✯
Helpful Rangers: ✯✯✯
Gift Shop: ✯✯✯
On-Site Food: Yes - we did not eat here