The document provides information about Muir Woods National Monument located just north of San Francisco. It discusses the history of the redwood forest and how it was established as a national park in 1908 after being donated to the government for protection. It highlights some key facts about the size and age of the coastal redwood trees, which can be over 1,000 years old. The summary encourages visitors to experience the beauty and history of Muir Woods for themselves.

1. michael dolan

2. muir woods

3. Skyscrapers
Millenia
in the making.
Let’s put this another way: these things have
been around since the
time of Christ. That means
they’re older than a lot of
countries. Buildings from
the same time period aren’t
so common.
Part of this is because
these trees are rather
particular about where they
hang out. They only grow on
a strip of land that stretches
from California to Oregon.
Take a coastal environment,
add mountainous altitudes,
and you’ve got the perfect recipe for larger-than-life
coastal redwoods.
No Short Order
The largest living organism on the planet
is a coastal redwood that’s over 379 feet tall. To
put that in
perspective, it’s
the height of
54 basketball
players
standing on
one anothers’
heads.
But these
trees don’t just
grow up. They
also grow out.
And if you’ve
ever tried
counting the
rings on a stump, we’ve got another one for you to
try your hands at. We’ve set up a cross-section of
a tree that was born over a millenium ago. If you
want to see how many rings you can count before
giving up, we’ve pointed out key parts like the Battle
of Hastings and the signing of the
Magna Carta. Tree-huggers
love ones
like this because
it means they have
to invite all their
friends over to
give the tree all the
love it deserves. But
even if you’re not a
tree-hugger, you’ll
probably temporarily
convert, just to see
how many people it
takes to circle some of
the bigger specimens.
Across the bay
Muir Woods offers the
perfect chance to do just
that. There are also plenty of
opportunities for volunteering, if you’re so inclined.
Regardless of how you choose to spend your time
here, you’ll find a number
of options to keep you
busy. We’re open around
the year, from 8am to
sunset. And we’re only
about twelve miles from
those skyscrapers on the
other side of the bay.
We don’t know how long
it takes for a leaf to fall
from the top of a tree, but
we think that’s because no
one wants to wait long
enough to find out.
Cross-sections like this let botanists
learn about a tree’s past, which also
tells them about how the local climate
has undergone change.
Unlike redwoods, the
Transamerica Pyramid
probably isn’t going to
look as good as it does now
after two millenia.
Find out more, call (415) 388-2596 or www.nps.gov/muwo

4. They’ve been waiting
for centuries.
You’ve put off visiting long enough.
Fortunately, trees are some
of those things that get better
with age. Yes, it’s true that it
means that the trees grow taller,
but there’s more to it than that.
As time passes and Muir Woods
becomes more historic, more gets
added that makes each visit a tad
more interesting.
Trading Hands
Even though it’s really
easy to get there now, Muir
Woods wasn’t always that way.
Fortunately, its inaccessability
helped to protect the land from
those who wanted to develop it during the 19th century.
As you probably know, tree trunks get bigger as the trees get older. It’s not
quite the same thing as a beer belly, but you can think of it as one if it
But that didn’t
makes you feel better.
stop people from
visiting for long. The
Mt. Tamalpais and
Muir Woods Railway
was called the
“Crookedest Railroad
in the World,” and
was popular in
the early 1900s.
Then congressman
William Kent came
along and bought
the land in 1905.
He wanted to
expose people to
the wonders of the wilderness
and combine the best parts of
tourism and nature.
So when a private
company threatened to take
over a portion of the land,
he did what any reasonable
person would do: give nearly
300 acres to the government.
Not long afterward, President
Roosevelt declared the area
a National Monument.
Dedicated in 1908 and named
after famous preservationalist John
Muir, it became the country’s tenth
National Park.
Get Involved
To this day, people continue
The San Francisco Bay Area
is one of the last places where
coastal redwoods still live.
to visit Muir Woods and enjoy its
combination of history and beauty.
Whether you prefer beauty over history or vice versa, there
are plenty of opportunities for you to preserve both. We work
with organizations like the Golden Gate
National Parks Conservancy that are
dedicated to community service in local
parks. Volunteers are always welcome to
come to the park to contribute their time
and work.
It’s not uncommon for these trees to be
between 200 and 300 feet tall. That’s a
lot of shade.
Find out more, call (415) 388-2596 or www.nps.gov/muwo

5. Every national park owes
its existence to john muir.
Only one
was named after him.
He’s been called
“The Father of our
National Parks,”
“Wildnerness Prophet,”
and “Citizen of the
Universe.” Good thing
Muir Woods is named
after John Muir’s real
name, not his nicknames.
Gone Hiking
When he was 29
Muir spent most of his time walking through the Californian and
Alaskan Wildernesses. But he also made time to lobby for the creation of
National Parks and draw attention to the importance of conservation.
years old John Muir
walked from Indiana
to Florida, nearly 1000
miles. From Florida, he moved on to New York and booked
passage to California. There was no question in his mind about
what to do with his time there.
He immediately visited
Yosemite, fell in love with the area,
and began taking action to aid
its preservation. His work finally
paid off in in 1890 when Congress
passed the bill that created Yosemite
National Park.
In addition to spending a lot
of time walking and exploring, he
also dabbled in writing. Most of his
books revolved around his adventures
while wandering the Californian and
Alaskan wildernesses.
Muir also founded the Sierra
Club with this goal in mind. It
started in May 1892 with 182 members. Now it has 1.3 million.
Think of him as a precursor to the green movement we know and
love today.
Kent’s Woods
You might be asking what all of this has to do with Muir
Woods. Obviously, the park is named after Muir, but that wasn’t
the original plan. When President Roosevelt was planning to
dedicate the park, he wanted to name it after William Kent, who
had donated the land. Kent said no, insisting that it be named
after the man who made national parks possible.
After learning that the park would be
named after him, Muir wrote in a letter,
“This is the best tree-lover’s monument that
could possibly be found in all the forests of
the world.”
And if it’s good enough for John Muir,
it should be good enough for you.
Created in 1951, the NPS
Arrowhead represents the three
elements of National Parks: wildlife,
recreation, and history.
Muir’s Our National
Parks brought him to the
attention of President
Theodore Roosevelt.
Find out more, call (415) 388-2596 or visit www.nps.gov/muwo

6. 2,000
Years
And Still
Growing.
THE
BAY
AREA’S
ORIGINAL
SKYSCRAPERS.

7. Time for a change of scenery.
Time for a change of scenery.
Time for a
change of scenery.

8. Concrete Jungle
To Redwood Forest.
12 Miles.
Take a hike.

9. Coastal Redwood Cross-Section
This replica of a coastal redwood cross-section will be placed outside
the Ferry Building, a popular San Francisco destination for both tourists
and business people. The life-size installation will stand 15 feet tall. A sign
next to it will say “Muir Woods. It’s a big deal.”

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12. “I can’t get up until I’ve
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13. “Mom, I want
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14. “I could go for some
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15. “Just a few
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16. “Nothing beats
a handful of
blueberries.”
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