Muir Woods National Monument - hiking the trails to see the redwood trees - Marin County, California USA.

Muir Woods is a place where Mother Nature is large and people feel humble.

"Muir Woods National Mounment is a remnant of ancient coast redwood forests that blanketed many northern California coastal valleys before the 1800s. Local businessman William Kent and his wife Elizabeth Thatcher Kent bought land in this valley in 1905 to protect one of the last stands of uncut redwoods. To ensure permanent protection, they donated 295 acres of redwoods to the federal government. In 1908 President Theodore Roosevelt proclaimed the area a national monument. At William Kent's request, it was named for the conservationist John Muir." From the Muir Woods National Monument brochure.

"I only went out for a walk, and finally concluded to stay out till sundown, for going out, I found, was really going in." John Muir. See the music video by Steve Eulberg - Walk in the Redwood Forest Cathedral at Muir Woods National Monument.

"This is the best tree-lover's monument that could possibly be found in all the forests of the world" John Muir

"God has cared for these trees, saved them from drought, disease, avalanches, and a thousand, straining, leveling tempests and floods, but he cannot save them from fools - only Uncle Sam can do that." John Muir

"In every walk with Nature, one receives far more than [one] seeks" John Muir

• More BRT photos: Muir Woods National Monument photos 2010-12-23.
• Olympus Stylus 720SW camera. Photos edited with IrfanView software.
• JimH photos: Muir Woods hiking photos - JimH 23dec2010.

Sunny day delight after a rainstorm at Muir Woods National Monument.

Hiking on the first sunny day after a long period of rain was a magical experience. When JimH, KimF and CarolynD agreed to hike at Muir Woods I had a moment of regret, thinking that perhaps it would have been a better day to hike to a big waterfall somewhere else. That was not a problem because at Muir Woods we found Redwood Creek, Fern Creek and many smaller creeks gushing noisily down the hillsides making a multitude of small waterfalls.

We started out hiking on the Main Trail along Redwood Creek and then turned off on the Fern Creek Trail. At these lower elevations the trail goes through the most incredible old growth redwood forest. For hydration while hiking I used my PowerT Hydration Juice energy-sports drink recipe made with black tea and Northland Superfruits 100% Juice.

Mount Tamalpais State Park.

As the Fern Creek Trail continues up the canyon at some point we left the redwood forest and crossed into Mount Tamalpais State Park. At Camp Eastwood we picked up the Sierra Trail and continued climbing up, up, up the canyon to find some sunny places with great views. The Troop 80 Trail traverses across the canyon wall with little change in elevation while crossing many noisy little creeks rushing down the hillside. We had a quick lunch at Van Wyck Meadow and then continued on Alpine Trail and T.C.C. Trail. When it was time to hike out we reentered Muir Woods National Monument on the Ben Johnson Trail and hiked steeply down the canyon back to the Main Trail and the main entrance.

Hiking Map - trails at Muir Woods National Monument.

• Map user FAQ. The map is interactive. Click and drag to reposition map.
• Use the tool on the left to zoom in and out. Point on the red markers to see their names.
• Map button = road map. Terrain = 3D shaded topo map. Topo = topographic map.
• Full-Screen Trail Map: Muir Woods National Monument and Mount Tamalpais State Park.


For more information:
• Map and trailheads for Muir Woods National Monument - Marin County.
• Hiking trails in Marin County - Marin Wiki.
• Hiking, Camping and Biking Trip Reports - BRT Insights.
• California Hiking Trails - Statewide Information.
• California Maps - Atlas & Gazetteer by Delorme, 2008.

IceRocket Tags: hiking, trails, Muir Woods National Monument, Mount Tamalpais State Park, Marin County, California.
Tags: redwood trees, photography, landscape photography.