"Muir Woods National Monument." a California Travel Page by AYARI

Only a few miles north of San Francisco, in an isolated canyon grows the ancient coast redwood forest known the world over as Muir Woods. Come stroll through 1000 year old giant trees towering 260 feet high and find out why famed naturalist John Muir called this, Muir Woods National Monument, 12 miles north of the Golden Gate Bridge, is reached by U.S. 101 and California Hwy 1. Roads to the park are steep and winding; vehicles over 35 feet long are prohibited. No public transportation serves the park though commercial tours are available from San Francisco.

Giant sequoia and a redwood. Both trees are in the cypress tree family and closely related. However, they are different species: giant sequoia (sequoiadendron gigantea) and coast redwood (sequoia semprevirens). The coast redwood is the world's tallest tree, attaining heights of 365 feet. In terms of total volume of wood, the giant sequoia is the world's largest tree. The giant sequoia is also one of the fastest growing and oldest trees - some are around 3,000 years old.

Sequoia sempervirens is the sole living species of the genus Sequoia in the cypress family Cupressaceae (formerly treated in Taxodiaceae). Common names include Coast Redwood and California Redwood (it is one of three species of trees known as redwoods, but "redwood" per se normally refers to this species). It is an evergreen, long-lived, monoecious tree living for up to 2,200 years, and this species includes the tallest trees on Earth, reaching up to 115.5 m (379.1 ft) in height and 8 m (26 ft) diameter at breast height. It is native to coastal California and the southwestern corner of Oregon within the United States.