Yesterday, Le-Thu, her mom and I went for Muir Woods National Monument to see the redwood trees. The drive is pretty scenic on a two-lane road.
If You Go
Muir Woods is a National Monument (did you know that the National Park Service turns 100 in August, 2016).
Before it became a historic, national monument, John Muir discovered this fascinating Californian forest where he called, “home.” On January 9, 1908, President Theodore Roosevelt declared the land a National Monument making Muir’s dreams of preserving these redwoods a reality.
It is located at 1 Muir Woods Rd., Mill Valley, CA 94941. It’s open 365 days a year but times vary depending on the season, so be sure to check their website.
Parking: $8 fee to park. First thing to know is parking is extremely limited. The lot will usually get full by 8:30 a.m. They open a 8:00 a.m. so try to before there a little before they open.
Le-Thu’s mom walks with a cane, so Le-Thu dropped us off at the Visitor Center and then went to park. Depending on where you park, you could have a 10 minute walk or so.
Fee: $10 per adult and children 15 and under are free. There are also annual passes and senior passes available. Le-Thu’s mom had a pass (I believe it was the Golden Age Pass for those over 62) that allowed an additional two people in for FREE. BONUS for Le-Thu and me!
It’s a good idea to bring water! They do have a small cafe. Everything they serve is local and organic, but a bit $$. There’s a nice gift shop attached to the cafe with really nice staff.
Muir Woods has 6 miles of hiking trails of varying lengths and difficulties. No matter your age or fitness level, you can customize your adventure to fit your personal needs. Wear sturdy shoes and versatile clothing for different weather conditions on certain trails, expect most of the park to be cool and dry.
As I mentioned earlier, Mrs Pho walks with a cane, but we were able to borrow a wheel chair for her. For the most part the trails are wheel chair accessible … but at times a bit bumpy … however, there are some trails that I wouldn’t suggest traversing with a wheel chair.
Muir Woods is a National Monument (did you know that the National Park Service turns 100 in August, 2016).
Before it became a historic, national monument, John Muir discovered this fascinating Californian forest where he called, “home.” On January 9, 1908, President Theodore Roosevelt declared the land a National Monument making Muir’s dreams of preserving these redwoods a reality.
It is located at 1 Muir Woods Rd., Mill Valley, CA 94941. It’s open 365 days a year but times vary depending on the season, so be sure to check their website.
Parking: $8 fee to park. First thing to know is parking is extremely limited. The lot will usually get full by 8:30 a.m. They open a 8:00 a.m. so try to before there a little before they open.
Le-Thu’s mom walks with a cane, so Le-Thu dropped us off at the Visitor Center and then went to park. Depending on where you park, you could have a 10 minute walk or so.
Fee: $10 per adult and children 15 and under are free. There are also annual passes and senior passes available. Le-Thu’s mom had a pass (I believe it was the Golden Age Pass for those over 62) that allowed an additional two people in for FREE. BONUS for Le-Thu and me!
It’s a good idea to bring water! They do have a small cafe. Everything they serve is local and organic, but a bit $$. There’s a nice gift shop attached to the cafe with really nice staff.
Muir Woods has 6 miles of hiking trails of varying lengths and difficulties. No matter your age or fitness level, you can customize your adventure to fit your personal needs. Wear sturdy shoes and versatile clothing for different weather conditions on certain trails, expect most of the park to be cool and dry.
As I mentioned earlier, Mrs Pho walks with a cane, but we were able to borrow a wheel chair for her. For the most part the trails are wheel chair accessible … but at times a bit bumpy … however, there are some trails that I wouldn’t suggest traversing with a wheel chair.
Muir Woods provides you with the lush escape from the hustle and bustle of life. It’s serene, breathtaking, and sometimes just damn inspiring. There is no cell service in the park, so no worries about people’s cell phones ringing disturbing your solitude.
When you start off, the redwood trees are absolutely massive and you have to look up to see the tops. It was really hard to get the whole tree in the photos.
You can see from the photo (below) how small the people are compared to the trees.
You can see from the photo (below) how small the people are compared to the trees.
It’s always damp and cool, even on summer days. But, you notice that I wore shorts and just brought along a jacket in case I got chilly.
I love trees. I guess you would call me a tree hugger.
I love how they have their own character with their knobs and growths.
Whether you plan on snapping pics every step of the trail, or silently reflecting … you won’t regret it.
We ended up doing a short hike that circled the inside of the park. Round trip was probably about 3 hours … a great way to spend the day.
It is very close to San Francisco so if you are visiting the area, I highly recommend spending a day there….or at least a couple of hours.
Have you been? What was your favorite hike?
We ended up doing a short hike that circled the inside of the park. Round trip was probably about 3 hours … a great way to spend the day.
It is very close to San Francisco so if you are visiting the area, I highly recommend spending a day there….or at least a couple of hours.
Have you been? What was your favorite hike?
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