{"id":1003,"date":"2017-07-17T08:38:41","date_gmt":"2017-07-17T08:38:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.sftodo.com\/sanfrancisco\/?page_id=1003"},"modified":"2017-12-04T11:16:55","modified_gmt":"2017-12-04T11:16:55","slug":"muir-woods-ancient-redwood-forest","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.sftodo.com\/sanfrancisco\/muir-woods-ancient-redwood-forest\/","title":{"rendered":"Muir Woods &#8211; Ancient Redwood Forest"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"content\">\n<p align=\"center\" class=\"heading\">Muir Woods &#8211; Ancient Redwood Forest<\/p>\n<p align=\"center\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sftodo.com\/sanfrancisco\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/07\/muir-woods-san-francisco.jpg\" alt=\"muir woods san francisco\" width=\"500\" height=\"334\" class=\"alignnone\" \/><\/p>\n<p align=\"center\"><i>Enter a Peaceful World of Wonder&#8230;<\/i><\/p>\n<p align=\"center\"><b>Hours:<\/b> 8am to sunset every day <b>Cost:<\/b> $7\/person + optional donations<\/p>\n<p align=\"center\"><b>Not Allowed:<\/b> Bicycles, Pets, Horses, Smoking, Picnics, Camping, Portable Radios<\/p>\n<p>Get away from the city and relax at the majestic redwood  forest of Muir Woods. Muir Woods enchanting world is just a short coastal drive of less than an hour from  downtown San Francisco, over the beautiful <a href=\"http:\/\/www.sftodo.com\/goldengatebridge.html\">Golden Gate Bridge<\/a>,  and through the scenic Marin Headland Hills. The park is affordable and has trails for  just about everyone, including wheelchair-accessible trails. Muir Woods provides a  terrific opportunity to see some of the oldest, tallest most amazing trees in  the country. It is one of the most popular <a href=\"http:\/\/www.sftodo.com\/san-francisco\/things-to-do.html\">San Francisco tourist  attractions<\/a> and its stunning beauty is a key reason that nearly one million  people visit Muir Woods each year.<\/p>\n<style>.example_responsive_1 { width: 280px; height: 90px; }\n@media screen and (min-width: 500px) { .example_responsive_1 { width: 468px; height: 90px; } }\n@media screen and (min-width: 800px) { .example_responsive_1 { width: 728px; height: 90px; } }\n@media screen and (min-width: 1200px) { .example_responsive_1 { width: 1170px; height: 90px; } }\n<\/style>\n<p><ins class=\"adsbygoogle example_responsive_1\"\nstyle=\"display:block;margin:0 auto;background:transparent; overflow:hidden\"\ndata-ad-client=\"ca-pub-6725039255769208\"\ndata-ad-slot=\"4557221221\"><\/ins><br \/>\n<script>\n   (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});\n<\/script><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sftodo.com\/sanfrancisco\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/07\/muir-woods-tree-v2.jpg\" alt=\"Muir Woods Trees\" width=\"275\" height=\"367\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-1007\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sftodo.com\/sanfrancisco\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/07\/muir-woods-tree-v2.jpg 275w, https:\/\/www.sftodo.com\/sanfrancisco\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/07\/muir-woods-tree-v2-225x300.jpg 225w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 275px) 100vw, 275px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><strong>About The Redwoods<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>In California, there are two different species of redwood  trees. The coast redwood (Sequoia sempervirens) is what you will find in Muir  Woods. Though most of old-growth coast redwoods have been logged, some are  protected. You will find these protected redwoods in Redwood National and State  Parks throughout Oregon and California. The forest at Muir Woods was spared  because it was hard to access during the time that logging was running rampant.<\/p>\n<p>The other species of redwood is the giant sequoia  (Sequoiadendron giganteum). This type grows larger in bulk but is less tall  than the coast redwood. Giant sequoias can be seen in Yosemite and Sequoia and  Kings Canyon national parks. The coast redwoods are the tallest living things.  The Bohemian and Cathedral groves contain the biggest trees in Muir Woods &#8211; one  252 feet tall and one 14 feet wide! When you stand beneath the immense power of  these trees and look up you can\u2019t help but be awed by the amazing offerings of  nature. <\/p>\n<p>\nMost of these trees range in age of 800-1000 years old and  some may be upwards of 1500 years in age. How are these coast redwoods able to  get this old? The coast redwood has been able to mature and has survived fires  due to the trees\u2019 thick bark. The bark is spongy and fibrous and can range in  thickness anywhere from 6 to 12 inches. The bark acts as insulation against  fire damage and other erosion. The forest&#8217;s long-term ecological wellbeing actually  benefits from fires because it clears the floor of duff so redwood seeds can  reach mineral soil. Additionally, the redwoods have high levels of tannic acid,  which makes them very resistant to the rot that can affect other trees. <\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sftodo.com\/sanfrancisco\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/07\/redwoods-muir-san-francisco.jpg\" alt=\"Muir Woods Hike\" width=\"420\" height=\"280\" class=\"alignright\" \/><br \/>\n<strong>History of Muir Woods<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The trees themselves are old but that\u2019s not the only history  that Muir Woods has to offer. Here are just a few of the fun facts that you\u2019ll  learn if you visit Muir Woods or research its history:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>This region was originally a home for the Coast  Miwok people. They probably relied on the rich resources here for the hunting,  fishing and gathering although specific details are unclear.<\/li>\n<li>Muir Woods was already beginning to become a  popular place with hikers in the late nineteenth century. In fact a hiking club  named the Tamalpais Club was formed earlier than 1880 and hiked in this area.  Many other clubs quickly followed including the Sightseers Club, Cross-Country  Club and California Camera Club. The most famous of these clubs, though, was  the Sierra Club, founded by John Muir in 1892. John Muir was a well-known  nature preservationist from the Bay Area and the person for whom Muir Woods was  named. The area has always been active in preservation, conservation and <a href=\"http:\/\/sftodo.com\/blog\/2009\/11\/26\/green-san-francisco-ultimate-guide.html\">ecological<\/a> education. <\/li>\n<li>\n<style>.example_responsive_1 { width: 280px; height: 90px; }\n@media screen and (min-width: 500px) { .example_responsive_1 { width: 468px; height: 90px; } }\n@media screen and (min-width: 800px) { .example_responsive_1 { width: 728px; height: 90px; } }\n@media screen and (min-width: 1200px) { .example_responsive_1 { width: 1170px; height: 90px; } }\n<\/style>\n<p><ins class=\"adsbygoogle example_responsive_1\"\nstyle=\"display:block;margin:0 auto;background:transparent; overflow:hidden\"\ndata-ad-client=\"ca-pub-6725039255769208\"\ndata-ad-slot=\"4557221221\"><\/ins><br \/>\n<script>\n   (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});\n<\/script><\/p>\n<p>In 1908 Theodore Roosevelt named Muir Woods the  tenth National Monument; it was the first state park in the area and the first  National Monument located close to a major U.S. city. Note that this was only  two short years after the big earthquake of 1906 that decimated the city of San  Francisco. San Francisco was in a huge revitalization period and this national  monument that would ultimately be a major tourist attraction helped play a role  in this.<\/li>\n<li>Up through the late 1920s you could reach Muir  Woods by railway. A fire damaged railway access around this time but a local  toll road as well as the Panoramic Highway were completed around the same time.  The <a href=\"http:\/\/www.sftodo.com\/goldengatebridge.html\">Golden Gate Bridge<\/a> opened a few years later and people began to primarily reach the area by car.<\/li>\n<li>Muir Woods has been updated with maintenance  over time to accommodate the annual flood of visitors. However, the redwoods  themselves and the surrounding natural area remain much the same thanks to the  efforts of conservationists.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Other Trees<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>\n<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sftodo.com\/sanfrancisco\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/07\/muir-woods.jpg\" alt=\"Muir Woods\" width=\"400\" height=\"266\" class=\"alignleft\" \/><\/p>\n<p>People visit Muir Woods to see the amazing tall redwood  trees of course. However, this area is rich in other amazing plant life as  well. You can see Douglas Fir Treesm California Buckeyes, Red Alders, Coast  Live Oaks, cedars, willows, junipers and many other broad-leaf evergreen trees  and deciduous trees. You may also want to keep your eye out for wildlife  including snakes, banana slugs, chipmunks, squirrels, and a wide variety of  birds. Bring your camera! <\/p>\n<p><strong>Visiting Muir Woods  Park<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Muir Woods is open to visitors from 8 in the morning until  sunset every day of the year. The visitor\u2019s center closes about half an hour  before the park shuts down. There is a charge of $7 per person to enter the  state forest and you can make additional optional donations if you so choose.  Children under age 16 are free. Entrance fees are waved on 12 dates of the year  including National Park Week in April, National Public Lands Day on September  28th and Veterans Day Weekend.&nbsp;  People who have a National Parks pass get in to this park for free; a  $20 Muir Woods Annual Pass is also available.&nbsp; <\/p>\n<style>.example_responsive_1 { width: 280px; height: 90px; }\n@media screen and (min-width: 500px) { .example_responsive_1 { width: 468px; height: 90px; } }\n@media screen and (min-width: 800px) { .example_responsive_1 { width: 728px; height: 90px; } }\n@media screen and (min-width: 1200px) { .example_responsive_1 { width: 1170px; height: 90px; } }\n<\/style>\n<p><ins class=\"adsbygoogle example_responsive_1\"\nstyle=\"display:block;margin:0 auto;background:transparent; overflow:hidden\"\ndata-ad-client=\"ca-pub-6725039255769208\"\ndata-ad-slot=\"4557221221\"><\/ins><br \/>\n<script>\n   (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});\n<\/script><\/p>\n<p>There are three short self-guided walks that you can take as  a Muir Woods visitor, ranging from 30 \u2013 90 minutes in length along paved  pathways. In fact there are six miles of paved, mostly level trails on the  canyon floor of this 560-acre park. There are also a large number of other  hikes to choose from along unpaved, more natural trails.&nbsp; Muir Woods does not allow camping, horses or  other pets or bicycling,<\/p>\n<p>The redwoods reach for all the sun they can get, and the  forest floor tends to be cool and damp. Make sure to dress a little warmer for  the cool, shaded, moist area. Thanks to thick fog it can sometimes be very  humid, though. As is always the case with <a href=\"http:\/\/sftodo.com\/blog\/category\/weather\">San Francisco weather<\/a> your  best bet is to wear layers!<\/p>\n<p>Muir Woods has a visitors center where you can pick up hiking  trail maps and learn about some of the history of the area. It also has a gift  shop, restrooms and a cafe with locally-sourced organic foods. They also offer  a wide variety of different events that you can learn about in the visitors  center or check out on the official <a href=\"http:\/\/www.nps.gov\/muwo\/planyourvisit\/index.htm\" target=\"_blank\">Muir Woods website<\/a>.  There are daily short talks by guides and sometimes there are longer one-hour  guided walking tours offered by Muir Woods staff.<\/p>\n<p>Most people will choose to reach Muir Woods by car since  it\u2019s the most direct option and the trip is lovely. However, there are other  options if you aren\u2019t interested in <a href=\"http:\/\/www.sftodo.com\/rentcar.html\">San Francisco car rental<\/a>. You  can take a <a href=\"http:\/\/www.sftodo.com\/ferry.html\">ferry<\/a> from San  Francisco to Sausalito, then take a<a href=\"http:\/\/www.marintransit.org\/routes\/66.html\"> bus connection<\/a> although  be forewarned that the trip can take a long time this way. Another option is to  take a guided bus tour that goes from San Francisco to Muir Woods; this is a  great way to learn a lot about the history of the area although the downside is  that you\u2019ll be on the schedule of your tour guide instead of your own schedule.  If you want to get fancy you can also take a <a href=\"http:\/\/www.sftodo.com\/limousine_san_francisco.html\">San Francisco limo<\/a> to Muir Woods.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sftodo.com\/sanfrancisco\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/07\/muir-redwoods-trees-v2.jpg\" alt=\"Muir Woods Redwood trees\" width=\"275\" height=\"367\" class=\"alignright\" \/><\/p>\n<p><strong>Also In the Area<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Muir Woods is a beautiful place to spend an entire day but  there are also lots of other wonderful spots to see in this area. Some of the  places you might want to check out while you\u2019re in Muir Woods include:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Muir Beach. Just west of Muir Woods you can find <a href=\"http:\/\/www.nps.gov\/goga\/planyourvisit\/muirbeach.htm\" target=\"_blank\">Muir Beach<\/a>, a  beautiful coastal area of dunes and water. The water is often too cold to go in  but the views are stunning. If you are visiting in the autumn keep your eye out  for the once-a-year migration of thousands of monarch butterflies passing right  over this beach!<\/li>\n<li>Stinson Beach. This is one of the most popular  beaches in the San Francisco Bay area because it offers swimming, camping,  picnicking, hiking and relaxation. There are BBQ grills, restrooms and other  amenities here. <\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.nps.gov\/pore\/index.htm\" target=\"_blank\">Point  Reyes National Seashore<\/a>. This is one of the best areas north of San  Francisco for people who want to see California wildlife. There are more than  three dozen threatened and endangered species of animals living here and there.  You can find nearly one fifth of all California\u2019s plant species here and almost  one half of all of the species of birds in North America. It\u2019s an amazing  place!<\/li>\n<li>Mount Tamalpais State Park. Muir Woods is  entirely surrounded by the land of Mount Tamalpais State Park and there are  some other beautiful areas to check out in this park as well. In fact, just  about two miles from Muir Woods you\u2019ll find some of the tallest peaks of Mount  Tam, which are also the tallest peaks in the region, offering incomparable  views of the land below.<\/li>\n<li>Golden Gate National Recreation Area. Muir Woods  and these other places are all part of the larger <a href=\"http:\/\/www.nps.gov\/muwo\/planyourvisit\/placestogo.htm\" target=\"_blank\">Golden Gate  National Recreation Area<\/a> which has many things to see including historic  forts like Fort Baker and Fort Cronkhite, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.sftodo.com\/beach-san-francisco.html\">San Francisco beaches<\/a> like Baker Beach and Ocean Beach, and other unique natural areas.<\/li>\n<li>Mill Valley. The closest small town is Mill  Valley. Stop here to grab some lunch, meet the locals and fill up the gas tank.  Mill Valley also has several hotels if you want to stay overnight in the Muir  Woods area. Nearby <a href=\"http:\/\/www.sftodo.com\/sausalito-california.html\">Sausalito<\/a> is a larger city with more tourist attractions that also offers some terrific  accommodations.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>The hustle and bustle of San Francisco offers a lot of  excitement but don\u2019t forget to take some downtime and enjoy the amazing nature  of the surrounding area as well!<\/p>\n<p align=\"justify\"><b>Map to Muir Woods:<\/b><\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/maps\/embed?pb=!1m18!1m12!1m3!1d3148.5000475859806!2d-122.58025958451961!3d37.89537311298447!2m3!1f0!2f0!3f0!3m2!1i1024!2i768!4f13.1!3m3!1m2!1s0x808591b4bd6762ad%3A0x7aff587668ffaff9!2z0JPQvtGB0YPQtNCw0YDRgdGC0LLQtdC90L3Ri9C5INC30LDQv9C-0LLQtdC00L3QuNC6INCc0YzRjtC40YAg0JLRg9C00YE!5e0!3m2!1sru!2s!4v1500282757796\" width=\"100%\" height=\"450\" frameborder=\"0\" style=\"border:0\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p align=\"justify\"><a rel=\"author\" href=\"http:\/\/plus.google.com\/100804934798027442240\">By Kathryn Vercillo<\/a>, Copyright SFTravel LLC<\/p>\n<div class=\"leftpanel-mobile\">\n<\/div><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Muir Woods &#8211; Ancient Redwood Forest Enter a Peaceful World of Wonder&#8230; Hours: 8am to sunset every day Cost: $7\/person + optional donations Not Allowed: Bicycles, Pets, Horses, Smoking, Picnics, Camping, Portable Radios Get away from the city and relax at the majestic redwood forest of Muir Woods. Muir Woods enchanting world is just a [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sftodo.com\/sanfrancisco\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1003"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sftodo.com\/sanfrancisco\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sftodo.com\/sanfrancisco\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sftodo.com\/sanfrancisco\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sftodo.com\/sanfrancisco\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1003"}],"version-history":[{"count":19,"href":"https:\/\/www.sftodo.com\/sanfrancisco\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1003\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1054,"href":"https:\/\/www.sftodo.com\/sanfrancisco\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1003\/revisions\/1054"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sftodo.com\/sanfrancisco\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1003"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}