Ironically, the area that
is now Muir Woods National Monument was saved because in the
19th century it was just too hard for loggers to get there.
Located just 12 miles from the Golden Gate Bridge, this old-growth
stand is now wonderfully accessible to anyone who wants to
take a walk in the woods. If you’re looking for a backcountry
experience, you’ll have to go elsewhere, but if you
want a leisurely stroll in an ancient forest, Muir Woods is
a great choice.
The 560 acre park is 256 feet above sea level and is a unit
of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area. It is surrounded
by Mt. Tamalpais State Park.
The park is cool, shaded and moist year-round, due to summer
coastal fog and winter storms. Daytime temperatures at average
between 40 and 70 degrees F, with an annual rainfall of about
40 inches. Most of the precipitation occurs during the winter
and spring months.
Redwoods
There are two species of Redwood in the USA: the Coast Redwood
and its cousin the Giant Sequoia (also known as the Sierra
Redwood) They are both found in California but grow in very
different regions.
The Coast Redwood grows only along the northern California
coastline, from Big Sur in the south to just over the Oregon
border in the north, and only up to forty miles inland and
below 2500 feet.
The Sequoia grows only in about 75 isolated groves in the
Sierra Nevada, the eastern mountains of California.
The Coastal Redwoods are the tallest trees on Earth, reaching
heights of over 368 feet (112 meters). They are one of the
widest trees on earth, reaching diameters at their base of
over 30 feet (9.3 meters) and one of the oldest trees in existence,
the oldest on record having lived 2,200 years when it was
cut down.
The Latin name for the coast redwood is sequoia sempervirons,
the ever-green sequoia, often translated as "ever-living."
Redwoods are survivors from an ancient time (250 million years
ago) with the adaptations to continue to be the dominant tree
in the forests where they grow.
Only 5% of the original old growth redwoods exist today.
Most redwoods live for 500 – 700 years. Most trees die
from windthrow (falling over) or from excessive fire damage.
Redwood roots only penetrate 10 – 13 ft and spread 60
– 80 ft. The trees have no known diseases and do not
suffer from insect damage. The thick bark (12 inches) will
protect the tree from all but the most intense fires. The
foliage is far from the forest floor and thus protected. The
color of the tree comes from tannin and related compounds
in the heartwood and bark. Redwood forests generate the world’s
greatest volume of living matter per unit of land surface.
Frequent fires ignited by lightning are an important part
of the forest ecosystem. These fires will remove less fire
resistant trees, recycle nutrients, and modify the ground
vegetation.
History
The Native Americans living in the area, which later became
Marin County, were Miwoks. They were, for the most part, coastal
dwellers, with the largest centers of population located near
present-day Bolinas, Sausalito and San Rafael. These areas
put them close to a dependable food supply of clams, mussels,
limpets and acorns. Most likely the Miwoks never lived in
Muir Woods; however, it is probable that they did pass through
the area and, on occasion, hunt in this vicinity.
Western man came upon the scene with the arrival of the Spanish
missionaries in the mid 1700’s. The Spanish practiced
occasional logging to provide timbers for their ships and
missions. Some grazing was done on coastal grasslands, and
of course, crops were planted to provide the settlements with
food. The most important legacy left by the Spanish on the
environment of Marin County was their very great cultural
influence, which is still seen today, especially reflected
in architectural themes.
In 1838, William Richardson received a Mexican grant of land,
Rancho Sausalito (Little Willow Ranch), which contained all
the Marin land southeast of Mt. Tamalpais, and included Redwood
Canyon and the lands now within Muir Woods National Monument.
The tranquil Spanish way of life was maintained until gold
was discovered in California, at Sutter’s Mill, in 1848.
This caused a mass migration of those who hoped to make their
fortunes in the gold fields. The password of the day became...get
in, get rich quick, and get out. San Francisco became the
center for this horde of humanity, and the tradition of leisured
living came to an abrupt halt. Timber, meat and crops were
now needed in much greater quantities. As a result black tail
deer populations were reduced, and elk, antelope, grizzly
and black bear, cougar and coyote disappeared completely.
Early settlers regarded the Redwood as inferior lumber and
continued to import lumber from the east. However, in the
1850’s carpenters started to recognize the durability
and workability of the Redwood and the cutting began. Most
of the easily accessible timber in Marin County was logged
between 1850 and 1870. Luckily Redwood Canyon escaped much
of this onslaught because of its inaccessibility, and the
extreme difficulty of logging such steep slopes.
Early visitors arrived either on foot, horseback, buggy,
or via the Mill Valley and Mt. Tamalpais Railroad, dubbed
the “crookedest railroad in the world” because
of the many twists and turns made by the tracks as they climbed
Mt. Tamalpais. In 1908 the first automobile reached Muir Woods
over the wagon road from Mill Valley. This early use of the
Monument was quite casual as people wandered as they wished,
and vehicles passed through the length of the canyon. Needless
to say, such indiscriminate use caused severe damage to the
understory (ground cover) vegetation, and eventually necessitated
stronger regulatory measures. Cars were excluded from redwood
groves in 1924, and the elimination of picnicking, the fencing
of trails, and the prohibition of plant, animal and rock collecting
soon followed. Also, small tracts of private land were added
to the Monument to prevent incompatible land uses on contiguous
lands.
Noting that Redwood Creek contained one of the Bay Area’s
last uncut stands of old growth redwood, Congressman William
Kent and his wife, Elizabeth Thatcher Kent, bought 295 acres
here for $45,000 in 1905. To protect the redwoods the Kents
donated the land to the Federal Government and, in 1908, President
Theodore Roosevelt declared it a national monument. Roosevelt
suggested naming the area after Kent, but Kent wanted it named
for conservationist John Muir.
John Muir: Philosopher, Scientist, Author: Young John Muir’s
family emigrated from Scotland to Wisconsin in 1848. Muir
had a lively interest in nature and after brief studies at
the University of Wisconsin he left school for what he would
call “the University of the Wilderness.” On his
lengthy wanderings Muir contemplated man’s relationship
to nature, concluding that all life forms have inherent significance
and the right to exist. Humans, Muir decided, are no greater
or lesser than other forms of life. Muir eventually won public
acceptance of conservation as an environmental ethic and inspired
generations of wilderness advocates.
Today Muir Woods stands as a reminder of the way much of
the surrounding Marin County land once appeared. Here may
be found an environment, which can heighten our awareness
of the gaps between “progress” of the 20th Century
technology and the quality of our lives.
Reproduction
All mature Redwoods can reproduce in one of two ways: seed
or sprout
Seed Reproduction:
Redwoods have both male (pollen) and female (ovulate) cones.
They form on the tips of high branches in mature redwoods
in the fall. Pollen from the peppercorn-sized male cones is
fertilizes the female cones after being transported by wind
and gravity.
Over the next year, the female cones mature into hard-sided
cones from .5 to 1.5 inches in length. Protected by the hard
scales are from 60 to 120 seeds. The seeds of the redwood
are tiny, about the size of a small oatmeal flake.
Some seeds are released from the cone while the cone is still
on the tree, drifting down to the ground or blown by the wind.
Other seeds remain in cones until the cone falls to the forest
floor, dries, and opens.
Very few of these seeds will ever produce a tree. Many seeds
cannot penetrate the leaf litter to reach the soil. Some will
land in water or on animals and will be carried away from
the redwood forest. Many more will reach the soil but will
be destroyed by fungus, bacteria, and insects. Many will be
washed away by rain, and some will be eaten by animals.
Seedlings will grow best under shady conditions, under the
protection of larger trees. When larger trees fall, opening
light gaps, seedlings will spring up to fill the void. After
their first few years, redwoods can grow very rapidly, 2 to
6 feet in height and up to one inch in diameter a year.
Sprout (burl) Reproduction:
Redwoods are one of a very few coniferous trees that can also
reproduce by sprouting. As early as one year after beginning
to grow, a redwood can begin to produce bud collars, most
commonly referred to as ‘burls’. The dormant root
buds will continuously form, sometimes creating large bulbous
growth on the tree's roots, base, or trunk. Hormones within
the tree keep these burls from sprouting until the tree faces
some form of stress. Fire, erosion, flooding, browsing, or
other injury to the tree will trigger a release on the buds,
causing them to begin to grow.
Redwood sprouts, or suckers, can grow rapidly, receiving their
early nutrition from the roots on which they grow. They are
genetic clones of their parent tree, often forming "family
circles" around the parent tree. Under optimal conditions,
sprouts may reach heights of 8-10 feet in their first year.
Eventually the tree will grow its own root system and is able
to survive even if the parent tree should topple. Some trees
sprout in such proliferation that many of the sprouts cannot
compete and die back. Successful saplings continue to compete,
thinning themselves out naturally. Some day these sprouts
will grow their own burls and produce their own sprouts.
The Forest
West coast redwood trees dominate Muir Woods’ forest.
Douglas fir, big-leaf maple, tanbark oak, and bay laurel grow
along side the redwoods. At the lower end of the canyon, red
alders line the stream and buckeyes cluster nearby. Bay laurels
growing toward the light may assume contorted shapes or topple
over. Each season at Muir Woods has its own character. Fall
is warmest: ladybugs swarm, crayfish are active in Redwood
Creek, and the leaves of big-leaf maple turn yellow and drop.
During winter, steelhead (migratory rainbow trout) and silver
salmon migrate up Redwood Creek to spawn, and toyon berries
turn a vibrant red. In spring, birds nest, wildflowers dot
Redwood Canyon, and blacktail deer birth spotted fawns. Summer
is the season of fog, azaleas, aralias, buckeyes, Steller’s
jays, and chipmunks.
Wildlife
Below the cool redwood canopy a number of plant layers develop
with a variety of niches. A diversity of plant communities
also contributes to the variety of life within the small Monument
area.
Muir Woods’ nearness to cities has been detrimental,
but it is buffered by surrounding undeveloped land. This has
helped to maintain the integrity of the Redwood Creek watershed
and its wildlife—best seen during the early morning
hours.
You may notice the relative silence in these woods. Animal
life in a redwood forest is limited because the shaded conditions
provide scarce food. Many animals that do live here feed at
night, as owls and bats do, or in early morning and around
dusk, as deer do. Mammals most often seen are the Sonoma chipmunk
and blacktail deer. You may hear the scolding of Steller’s
jays or the raucous cawing of raven. Warblers, kinglets, and
thrushes migrate through the woods in spring and fall. Western
garter snakes, rubber boas, several species of lizards, salamanders,
and newts represent reptiles and amphibians.
Hiking:
The Main Trail Loop: An easy one-mile hike along a level,
paved trail. Follow the paved path along one side of the creek.
Cross over one of the four bridges and make your way back.
Fern Creek Trail: Hike to a picnic area at the Alice Eastwood
Campground 1-1/2 miles away. This is a beautiful, meandering
moderate uphill hike along Fern Creek. Hike along the Main
Trail to Fern Creek on your right. Follow trail signs to Camp
Eastwood.
Bootjack-Ben Johnson Loop: Recently reopened from last year's
landslide. See if you can find evidence of the slide as you
hike along Redwood Creek. Follow the main trail to the end
of the pavement. Bootjack is a moderate to strenuous six-mile
loop trail. The first part ascends to Van Wyck Meadow. From
Van Wyck take the TCC trail down to the Ben Johnson trail
and back to Muir Woods.
Redwood Creek Trail to Muir Beach: This gentle downhill trail
follows Redwood Creek on its way to the ocean. Take a full
day and enjoy exploring Muir Beach. The Pelican Inn, at Muir
Beach, is an elegant spot for lunch.
Muir Woods’ main trail begins at the visitor center
and follows Redwood Creek on both sides of the stream. Though
a level, easy stroll, you can shorten your walk by crossing
on the second or third of four bridges and returning to the
visitor center. The path is wide, paved and wheelchair and
stroller accessible. Numbered signs begin after the second
bridge. The numbers correspond to the stops described in our
Nature Trail Booklet. You’ll find a close-up map of
the main trail on the inside cover of our guide.
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