MUIR WOODS: California's Tallest Trees by Caroline Arnold at The Intrepid Tourist

 52 Places to Go: Week 18

What is taller than the Statue of Liberty, weighs more than a big ship, and is the world’s tallest living thing?  Answer: the coast redwood tree.  Reaching heights of more than 350 feet, the coast redwood (Sequoia sempervirens) is taller than any other living plant. (The actual tallest tree, named Hyperion, in a remote forest in northern California, is 379.1 feet tall.)  The largest redwood trees, some of which began growing more than 2000 years ago,  are also some of Earth’s oldest living things.  One of the best places to see redwoods is in Muir Woods, a National Monument in Marin County, California, just a 45 minute drive from San Francisco.  Last December (2010), when we were in the Bay Area, we did an excursion to Muir Woods with our family.

I have been to Muir Woods many times, but I am always awed by the towering grandeur of the trees, which seem to go up, and up, and up, and are impossible to capture in a single photo.  The damp wintry weather on the day of our visit lent a forest primeval sense to the air.  And, despite the mass of cars in the parking lot, once we started walking on the trails marked through the park, it did not seem crowded by people.

Muir Woods is home not only to redwoods, but a wide variety of other plants and wildlife.  On the day we visited, everyone was excited because, for the first time in several years, the salmon had returned to the creek to spawn.  (Once hatched, salmon spend their adult life in the ocean, only returning to their home creek to mate and lay eggs.)  As we stood on the bridge over Muir Creek and gazed into the shallow water, we could see the slippery fish churning their way upstream. 

You have to look closely to see the salmon in the water

Entrance fees: The entrance fee to enter the park is $5 for adults and free for children under 15.  However, a number of days in the year are free.  Or, if you have a National Park Pass, as I do, everyone in your group is free.

Getting there:  Muir Woods is located 11 miles north of the Golden Gate Bridge. Take Highway 101 to the Highway 1/ Stinson Beach Exit. Follow the signs to Muir Woods. Roads to the park are steep and winding. Vehicles over 35 feet long are prohibited. Parking space is very limited and fills quickly on most days. There are no RV parking facilities. For an interactive map, please visit http://maps.google.com/maps and type in Muir Woods National Monument. (My advice:  On weekends and in summer, you may have to park up to a half a mile away, so it is best to drop off your passengers at the entrance so everyone doesn't have to walk from where you park your car.) Note: check ahead to find out about Covid restrictions.

Book about the redwoods: For a wonderful children’s book about redwood trees, packed with facts and illustrated with an imaginative twist, go to Redwoods by Jason Chin.

All text and photos copyright Caroline Arnold
www.theintrepidtourist.blogspot.com

UNDER THE GOLDEN GATE BRIDGE and A WALK IN THE REDWOODS: Marin County, CA

View of the Golden Gate Bridge from Fort Baker, Sausalito, CA

If there is one image that symbolizes San Francisco it is the Golden Gate Bridge, the soaring metal structure that connects the city with Marin County to the north. During the recent Christmas holidays, which we celebrated in Oakland, we had a guest who had never been to California. The Golden Gate Bridge was a must-see on our list of things to show her.

Round safety mirrors mark sharp turns in the hiking path so that bicycle riders–and pedestrians-- can check for oncoming traffic.

So, on a bright sunny day, we headed across the Richmond Bridge from the East Bay to Marin County, where we planned to hike to the north end of the bridge. In Sausalito we took the road to Fort Baker and parked at the end of the road near the fishing pier. Although there were quite a few fishermen, we didn’t see anyone actually catch a fish.

Hiking and biking path from Fort Baker to the north end of the Golden Gate Bridge.

We then proceeded on foot along the path as it wound its way under the bridge and up the hillside to the visitor area on the west side of the bridge. It took us about fifteen minutes to get to the top.

There a series of information signs explain how the bridge was built. On a previous visit with another guest, an engineer, this was his favorite part of our excursion to the bridge.

The Golden Gate Bridge is painted red.

A fenced walkway under the bridge allows pedestrians to cross from one side of the roadway to the other. As we walked under the road we could hear and feel the roar and vibration of the traffic above us as we got a close-up of the giant steel beams that support the bridge.

Lone Sailor Memorial

The visitor area on the east side, called Vista Point,  provides spectacular views–of the bridge, the city, and surrounding San Francisco Bay. In the middle of the parking area stands a large monument–the Lone Sailor Memorial, honoring the people who serve in the Navy, Merchant Marine, Coast Guard and Marine Corps.

View from the Lone Sailor Memorial. In the background is a classic car filled with stuffed teddy bears, apparently also enjoying the view!

After admiring the view along with dozens of other tourists and taking numerous photos, we retraced our steps back to our car at Fort Baker. We had brought a picnic lunch which we ate at one of the picnic tables along the road into the fort.

Redwoods in Mill Park, Mill Valley, CA.

Our next stop was to another classic tourist sight for visitors to California–the giant redwoods. We didn’t have time to go to Muir Woods, the national park famous for its trees, even though it was just a short drive away. Instead, we went to Mill Park in the nearby town of Mill Valley, where a beautiful redwood grove is a city park next to the public library.

Downtown Mill Valley

My parents lived in Mill Valley for thirty-seven years and although I never lived there  I often visited, so, for me, this trip to the redwoods and the Golden Gate  Bridge brought back many memories. 

Enjoying Peet's Coffee, Mill Valley, CA

For the final event of our day’s outing, we stopped for coffee at a shop in downtown Mill Valley. Then we headed back to Oakland as the winter sun set beyond the Golden Gate on the other side of the Bay.
                                               

Muir Woods: California's Tallest Trees

 What is taller than the Statue of Liberty, weighs more than a big ship, and is the world’s tallest living thing?  The answer: the coast redwood tree.  Reaching heights of more than 350 feet, the coast redwood (Sequoia sempervirens) is taller than any other living plant. (The actual tallest tree, named Hyperion, in a remote forest in northern California, is 379.1 feet tall.)  The largest redwood trees, some of which began growing more than 2000 years ago,  are also some of Earth’s oldest living things.  One of the best places to see redwoods is in Muir Woods, a National Monument in Marin County, California, just a 45 minute drive from San Francisco.  Last December (2010), when we were in the Bay Area, we did an excursion to Muir Woods with our family.

I have been to Muir Woods many times, but I am always awed by the towering grandeur of the trees, which seem to go up, and up, and up, and are impossible to capture in a single photo.  The damp wintry weather on the day of our visit lent a forest primeval sense to the air.  And, despite the mass of cars in the parking lot, once we started walking on the trails marked through the park, it did not seem crowded by people.

Muir Woods is home not only to redwoods, but a wide variety of other plants and wildlife.  On the day we visited, everyone was excited because, for the first time in several years, the salmon had returned to the creek to spawn.  (Once hatched, salmon spend their adult life in the ocean, only returning to their home creek to mate and lay eggs.)  As we stood on the bridge over Muir Creek and gazed into the shallow water, we could see the slippery fish churning their way upstream. 

You have to look closely to see the salmon in the water

Entrance fees: The entrance fee to enter the park is $5 for adults and free for children under 15.  However, a number of days in the year are free.  Or, if you have a National Park Pass, as I do, everyone in your group is free.

Getting there:  Muir Woods is located 11 miles north of the Golden Gate Bridge. Take Highway 101 to the Highway 1/ Stinson Beach Exit. Follow the signs to Muir Woods. Roads to the park are steep and winding. Vehicles over 35 feet long are prohibited. Parking space is very limited and fills quickly on most days. There are no RV parking facilities. For an interactive map, please visit http://maps.google.com/maps and type in Muir Woods National Monument. (My advice:  On weekends and in summer, you may have to park up to a half a mile away, so it is best to drop off your passengers at the entrance so everyone doesn't have to walk from where you park your car.)

Book about the redwoods: For a wonderful children’s book about redwood trees, packed full of facts and illustrated with an imaginative twist, go to Redwoods by Jason Chin.