I always wanted my girls to see the beautiful Giant Redwoods of Northern California, San Francisco and the famous Gold Country. But time and distance can really interfere with what we want to do. When I started off on our vacation I had no plans to get far enough north to see the Giant Redwood Trees. However, I learned while hanging out in the laundry room at our campground just outside of San Francisco that the Muir Woods National Monument is only 11 miles north of the Golden Gate Bridge!
This discovery made my day! We jumped in the truck with no idea what to expect or if we would even find the Muir Woods. (In hindsight I probably should have hopped on my lap top and googled it first) But not to worry, the instructions were simple and much to our delight we found the Muir Woods.
This park was amazing! We parked and went into the little gift shop and paid our admission (which was very reasonable) picked up some literature and progressed into the forest. We left the car and headed into the Giant Redwood Trees along the path. (The path is handicap accessible.) Wow, we were awe struck! The Muir Woods are so tall! The girls were so excited; they read all the signs along the trail that detailed the beautiful plants of the area. They were amazed by the age, history and beauty of this magnificent old growth forest.
I had never heard of this relatively small patch of Giant Redwoods. I am so glad I did not miss this opportunity while seeing the sights around San Francisco. The Muir Woods National Monument is the perfect place to see the giant redwoods. The trail is an easy walk, the shade of the big trees gave us a nice break from the heat of summer and these beautiful Giant Redwoods of the Muir Woods are so close to some of the best and most famous tourist attractions California has to offer.
The Muir Woods were a wonderful addition to our vacation which left us with some wonderful memories to go with our pictures.
For more information about visiting the Muir Woods consult the National Park Service website.