California Coast & Ocean

In 1908, shortly before president Theodore Roosevelt established Muir Woods as a national monument--the nation’s tenth--a U.S. Forest Service official wrote in a report: “There is no other Redwood grove in the world so remarkably accessible to so many people.” He also noted that the grove of ancient coast redwoods was in “absolutely primeval condition.”

Surely neither this official nor Roosevelt foresaw the dilemma these twin attributes of the park would present: How to protect the grove while accommodating crowds of visitors. Throughout the park’s history, its caretakers have struggled to balance the public’s right to use it with the need to protect its natural resources, and they didn’t always succeed. Today, however, 100 years after its founding, Muir Woods National Monument is an inspiring example of how--with much work, creativity, and dedication--it is possible to protect and restore a fragile ecosystem, even in a highly popular park.

Nestled within a steep canyon on the western slope of Mt. Tamalpais, only 12 miles northwest of the Golden Gate Bridge and three miles from the ocean, Muir Woods National Monument is within a metropolitan area of 7 million people. It is managed by the National Park Service (NPS) as part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area (GGNRA).

The park encompasses 553 acres, which is more than twice its original size but minuscule compared to other highly popular national parks. About a million visitors come to admire the redwoods each year--in some peak years, as many as 1.5 million. Yosemite National Park, with 760,000 acres, and Yellowstone, with 2.2 million acres, each averages around 3 million visitors per year.

Muir Woods is frequently overcrowded, its limited parking overwhelmed. During the summer, the California Highway Department posts a sign just north of the Golden Gate Bridge when the lots are full, to spare prospective visitors a long ride along a winding two-lane mountain road that would end in disappointment, and to let them know that a shuttle is available. The sheer number of visitors virtually guarantees a certain amount of disturbance of the park’s flora and fauna, not to mention its tranquillity. Despite the crowds, however, today the natural systems in Muir Woods are healthier than they have been during several decades of the park’s existence.

A History of Wear and Tear
Even on a chilly winter weekday, the main parking lot at Muir Woods is nearly full. People wander through the groves in clusters, children race along the boardwalk shrieking and giggling, camera flashes twinkle in the gloom beneath the canopy. Visiting this grove is not a solitary experience, and yet there’s something in the trees that grabs you, makes you look up in wonder, regardless of the distractions around you. They are serene, they are beautiful, they are . . . really, really big. Here in Muir Woods, you cannot help but respect your elders.

Further up the trail, the crowds grow more sparse and human sounds begin to drop away. Now you hear more clearly the rushing of Redwood Creek, which flows through the park, and the coo of a lone band-tailed pigeon somewhere in the woods nearby. At least to the untrained eye, the forest floor looks lush and healthy, covered with sword ferns and redwood duff and bright green redwood sorrel. Back at the parking lot, the bushes are a-twitter with tiny birds in search of their dinner, seemingly unperturbed by the presence of people.