Muir Woods National Monument Travel Page by HasTowelWillTravel

Just a hop and a skip away from San Francisco lies Muir Woods National Monument. The 10th National Monument in the country, designated by Theodore Roosevelt, it feels a mile away from the usual frenetic pace of Bay Area life (and vacations). You can feel the difference as you wind through the hills of Marin, approaching this small monument. The whole park is peaceful, it is quiet, and the trees loom over you like silent giants, sentinels of the natural world.

The whole place is moist, with ferns, lichen, and mushrooms growing in abundance. The vegetation is in stark contrast with a lot of Marin, which features a chaparral-like ecosystem. Here it is lush, green, and cool nearly year round. Even in the heat of summer, you can take a walk through the tall redwoods and enjoy some shade and comfort.