Election Section

There’s a lot to be said for hard-to-reach places. If Muir Woods had been more accessible to loggers, it wouldn’t be here today. There’s also a lot to be said for vision. If William Kent and his wife Elizabeth Thacher Kent hadn’t seen something worth preserving, Muir Woods National Monument wouldn’t be here today. 

William Kent’s vision went beyond the establishment of one park. He recognized the importance of wilderness and natural areas and wanted the land he had purchased to be named after America’s foremost conservationist, John Muir. Muir’s response, “This is the best tree-lovers’ monument that could possibly be found in all the forests of the world.” 

In 1905, the sum of $45,000 was sufficient for William Kent to secure 295 acres of the Bay Area’s last old-growth redwood forest. He believed that saving the trees was more important than saving his money, and donated the land to the federal government. In 1908, President Theodore Roosevelt established Muir Woods as America’s seventh National Monument, the first created from privately donated land. 

Today, entering Muir Woods is like entering a sacred habitat—a cathedral of majestic coastal redwoods, some as much as 250 feet tall and 12 feet in diameter. Sequoia sempervirens shares the cool moist forest and diffuse light with Douglas fir, big-leaf maple, tanbark oak, and bay laurel. Among the thick leaf litter on the forest floor, bracken and sword ferns, trillium, redwood sorrel, and ancient horsetails line the banks of Redwood Creek as it flows through the park and out to sea. 

Surrounded by pencil straight trunks shooting up toward the light, the eye is drawn by spotlights of sun highlighting the bright greens of needles and leaves. The breeze doesn’t reach the forest floor but its presence is still felt: you can hear it rustle branches high above, watch slender trunks sway to its gentle rhythm, and follow the path of needles floating to the ground like snowflakes. 

One hundred and forty million years ago coastal redwoods covered most of the Northern Hemisphere. The 560 acres of Muir Woods National Monument on the southwestern slopes of Mount Tamalpais symbolize a commensal relationship between man and nature. Redwoods require moisture for their survival and growth, both from rainfall and fog. In fact, the moisture from fog provides between a quarter and half of their total water needs. Man makes the commitment not only to the trees themselves, valued at around $100,000 each, but also to preserve the unique environment in which they thrive. 

Muir Woods National Monument is visitor friendly, from the helpful staff at the entrance Visitor Center to the numerous information kiosks along the paths. Some criticism has been levied at the park’s paved trails and strict restrictions concerning food, smoking, bikes, and pets, but there is more here than meets the eye. First, liken this monument to an outdoor museum, its collection nature’s works of art, accessible not only to the “fit,” but to everyone. Second, recognize that as with most things in life, a little effort to get off the beaten trail brings vast rewards. 

Within Redwood Canyon, there are six miles of loop trails between Bridge 1 and Bridge 4, crossing Redwood Creek. These paved trails lead you past well known landmarks: the Bohemian and Cathedral Groves, the Gift Shop and Café, Pinchot Tree where Ecology Talks are given four to five times a day, and several Family Circles. These circles consist of a ring of mature redwoods formed from burl sprouts off a central, often dead, original tree. Perhaps these are nature’s homage to the Neolithic standing stones of Great Britain, both preserving the past. A self-guided Nature Trail has ten stops introducing you to the unique features of a redwood environment. 

At intervals along the main path, kiosks with illustrations describe side trails leading into Redwood Creek Watershed, away from 90 percent of the park’s visitors and toward other scenic vistas. The Fern Creek Trail, between Bridges 3 and 4, follows Fern Creek past the, now fallen, Kent Tree, up to Camp Alice Eastwood, a picnic facility. Just a few minutes off the main path, the serenity of the forest settles like a cloak: the water over the creek’s rocks, the chirps and caws of birds and the rustle of the breeze overhead. Time for quiet reflection and enjoyment. Very little effort, much reward. 

After your visit, don’t cross Muir Woods off your list for a return visit. Each season here offers its own experience. In fall, enjoy the red of swarming ladybugs against the yellow carpet of big-leaf maple leaves on the forest floor. Winter brings water in swollen creeks and with it the migration of Coho salmon and steelhead trout. Spring is the season of new life in the park. The bright green of new growth and the colors of wildflowers: blue-eyed grass, Douglas iris, wood anemone, and redwood violet. In summer, the fog returns to nurture redwoods, western azaleas, aralias and California buckeye. 

From the cloisters of the redwood forest to the open expanse of the Pacific. Less than five miles from Muir Woods is the small community and sheltered cove of Muir Beach. Here, Redwood Creek flows down to the sea forming a lagoon and wetland area, crossed by a wooden boardwalk and bridge. Reminiscent of the scenic beauty of the northern coast and the town of Mendocino, Muir Beach consists of a small shaded picnic area, and two white sand beaches rimmed by headlands and rocky outcroppings. 

If your boots yearn for more hiking, from here you can access the Coastal Trail leading to Wolf Ridge and Coyote Ridge with their spectacular ocean views. If, like Steve Martin, you yearn for “Happy Feet”, take those boots off and partake of the sparkling, crisp water. Feet, legs, and, if you’re not watching, maybe more—cooled, refreshed. At low tide, walk on the sand north toward a second, smaller cove, below a hillside of attractive homes in varied architectural styles, from National Park “ranger” to San Francisco “cool modern.” 

John Muir said, “all life forms have inherent value and a right to exist.” A day spent among nature’s offspring from forest to ocean is a day given to wonder and peace. Go early to avoid the crowds at Muir Woods; stay late to enjoy the sunset at Muir Beach. You can’t ask for much more than that. 

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