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Muir Woods National Monument is a unit of the National Park Service in Marin County, California, 12 miles (19 km) north of San Francisco. It protects 554 acres (224 ha) of forested area populated by Coast Redwood (Sequoia sempervirens), one of the last remaining stands in the immediate San Francisco Bay Area. English national monument Irish national monument U.S. National Monument This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ...
State nickname: The Golden State Other U.S. States Capital Sacramento Largest city Los Angeles Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger (R) Official languages English Area 410,000 km² (3rd) - Land 404,298 km² - Water 20,047 km² (4. ...
CITY (Citytv Toronto) is a television station based in Toronto, Ontario. ...
Mill Valley is a city located in Marin County, California. ...
This article is about longitude and latitude; see also UTM coordinate system Map of Earth showing lines of latitude (vertically) and longitude (horizontally); large version (pdf) The geographic (earth-mapping) coordinate system expresses every horizontal position on Earth by two of the three coordinates of a spherical coordinate system which...
This article explains the meaning of area as a physical quantity. ...
January 9 is the 9th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ...
1908 is a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will take you to calendar). ...
The National Park Service (NPS) is the United States Federal Government agency that deals with all National Parks, many National Monuments, and other conservation properties with various designations. ...
The World Conservation Union or International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) is an international organization dedicated to natural resource conservation. ...
The National Park Service (NPS) is the United States Federal Government agency that deals with all National Parks, many National Monuments, and other conservation properties with various designations. ...
Marin County is a county located in Californias San Francisco Bay Area, across the Golden Gate Bridge from San Francisco. ...
This page is a candidate for speedy deletion. ...
Binomial name Sequoia sempervirens (D. Don) Endl. ...
USGS Satellite photo of the San Francisco Bay Area. ...
Geography
Ecosystem
 Looking up at coastal redwoods. The Monument is an old-growth coastal redwood forest. Due to its proximity to the Pacific Ocean, the forest is regularly shrouded in coastal fogs, contributing to a wet environment that encourages vigorous plant growth. The fog is also vital for the growth of the redwoods as they use moisture from the fog during the dry summer months. Muir woods Redwoods, Northern California Picture taken in April, 2003. ...
Muir woods Redwoods, Northern California Picture taken in April, 2003. ...
Old growth forest, sometimes called late seral forest or ancient forest is an area of forest that has attained great age and exhibits unique biological features. ...
Early morning fog obscures the surface of this lake in Carrollton, Georgia, but the sky remains clear. ...
Climate The Monument is cool and moist year round with average daytime temperatures between 40 and 70 degrees Fahrenheit (4 to 21 °C).
History Before the logging industry came to California, there were an estimated 2 million acres (809,371 ha) of old growth forest containing redwoods growing in a narrow strip along the coast. Loggers on break, c. ...
By the early 20th century, most of these forests had been cut down. Just north of the San Francisco Bay, one valley named Sequoia Canyon remained uncut, mainly due to its relative inaccessibility. (19th century - 20th century - 21st century - more centuries) Decades: 1900s 1910s 1920s 1930s 1940s 1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s As a means of recording the passage of time, the 20th century was that century which lasted from 1901–2000 in the sense of the Gregorian calendar (1900–1999 in the...
San Francisco Bay, San Pablo Bay, and the Golden Gate The San Francisco Bay is a shallow, productive estuary in which water draining approximately forty percent of California, flowing in the Sacramento and San Joaquin rivers from the Sierra Nevada mountains, enters the Pacific Ocean. ...
This did not go unoticed by U.S. Congressman William Kent. He and his wife, Elizabeth Thacher Kent purchased 611 acres (247 ha) of land from the Tamalpais Land and Water Company for $45,000 with the goal of protecting the redwoods and the mountain above them.
In 1907, a water company in nearby Sausalito planned to dam Redwood Creek, thereby flooding the valley. When Kent objected to the plan, the water company took him to court to attempt to force the damming project to move ahead. Kent sidestepped the water company's ploy by donating 295 acres (1.2 km²) of the redwood forest to the Federal Government, thus bypassing the local courts. Sausalito is a city located in Marin County, California. ...
On January 9, 1908, President Theodore Roosevelt declared the land a national monument, the first to be created from land donated by a private individual. The original suggested name of the Monument was the Kent monument but Kent insisted the Monument be named after naturalist John Muir. January 9 is the 9th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ...
1908 is a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will take you to calendar). ...
Theodore Roosevelt (October 27, 1858 – January 6, 1919) was the twenty-fifth (1901) Vice President and the twenty-sixth (1901-09) President of the United States, succeeding to the office upon the assassination of William McKinley. ...
English national monument Irish national monument U.S. National Monument This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ...
John Muir (April 21, 1838 – December 24, 1914) was an environmentalist, naturalist, traveler, writer, inventor, and scientist. ...
In December of 1928, the Kent Memorial was erected at the Kent Tree in Fern Canyon.
In the spring of 1945, delegates from 50 countries met in San Francisco to draft and sign the United Nations Charter. President Franklin Delano Roosevelt died on April 12, 1945, shortly before he was to have opened the United Nations Conference. On May 19, the delegates held a commemorative ceremony in tribute to his memory in Muir Woods' Cathedral Grove, where a dedication plaque was placed in his honor. 1945 was a common year starting on Monday (link will take you to calendar). ...
This page is a candidate for speedy deletion. ...
The United Nations Charter is the constitution of the United Nations. ...
Franklin Delano Roosevelt (January 30, 1882–April 12, 1945), 32nd President of the United States, the longest-serving holder of the office and the only man to be elected President more than twice, was one of the central figures of 20th century history. ...
April 12 is the 102nd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (103rd in leap years). ...
1945 was a common year starting on Monday (link will take you to calendar). ...
May 19 is the 139th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (140th in leap years). ...
In 1937, the Golden Gate Bridge was completed and park attendance triples, reaching over 180,000.
Biology
Flora  Undergrowth of a redwood canopy demonstrating the deep shadow under the trees. Note the clearing in the background showing other trees growing in the light. The star attraction of the Muir Woods is the Coast Redwood (Sequoia sempervirens). These relatives of the Giant Sequoia are known for their height. While redwoods can grow to nearly 370 feet (112 m), the tallest tree in the Muir Woods is 258 feet (79 m). The average age of the redwoods in the Monument are between 600 and 800 years old with the oldest being at least 1,100 years old. Binomial name Sequoiadendron giganteum (Lindl. ...
While overshadowed (and shaded) by their tall cousins, other tree species grow in the understory of the woods. Three of the most common are the California Bay Laurel, the Bigleaf Maple and the Tanoak. Each of these species has developed a unique adaptation to the low level of dappled sunlight that reached them through the redwoods growing overhead. The California Bay Laurel has a strong root system that allows the tree to lean towards openings in the canopy. The bigleaf maple, true to its name, has developed the largest leaf of any maple species allowing it to capture more of the dim light. The tanoak has a unique internal leaf structure that enables it to make effective use of the light that filters through the canopy. Binomial name Acer macrophyllum Pursh The Bigleaf Maple or Oregon Maple (Acer macrophyllum) is a large deciduous tree to 35 m tall. ...
Binomial name Lithocarpus densiflorus (Hook. ...
Fauna
Fish Two species of salmon spawn each winter in Redwood Creek, which runs through the Monument: Coho or silver salmon and Steelhead salmon. Binomial name Oncorhynchus kisutch (Walbaum, 1792) The Coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch - from the Russian Kisutch - кижуч) is a species of anadromous fish in the salmon family. ...
Birds Muir Woods is home to over 50 species of bird. This relatively low number is due to the lack of insects. The tannin in the trees repels the insects and the volume of flowers and fruits produced by plants below the canopy is limited by the shade of the redwoods.
It is occassionally possible to see Northern Spotted Owls or pileated woodpeckers in the forest. While decreasing in numbers elsewhere, the Spotted Owls appear to be thriving in the Monument and other evergreen forests in the area. A National Park Service monitoring project of the owls is ongoing within the Monument. The project has found that adult owls are finding mates, raising young to adulthood and the young are having new broods of their own. Binomial name Strix occidentalis Xantus de Vesey, 1860 The Spotted Owl, Strix occidentalis, is a species of owl. ...
Binomial name Dryocopus pileatus (Linnaeus, 1758) The Pileated Woodpecker, Dryocopus pileatus, is a very large woodpecker. ...
Mammals The Monument is home to a variety of mammals ranging in size from the shrew mole to much larger deer. The majority of the mammals are not seen as they are nocturnal or are burrowing animals living under the ground or the dense litter on the forest floor. Genera Uropsilus The Shrew moles or Uropsilinae are one of three subfamilies of the mole family Talpidae, the others being the Talpinae and the Desmans or Desmaninae. ...
Subfamilies Capreolinae Cervinae Hydropotinae Muntiacinae Defined strictly, a deer is a ruminant mammal belonging to the family Cervidae. ...
Bears used to roam this area but had not been seen in the area until 2003 when a male black bear was spotted wandering in various areas of Marin County, including Muir Woods. Binomial name Ursus americanus Pallas, 1780 The American Black Bear (Ursus americanus), also known as simply the black bear or cinnamon bear, is the most common bear in North America. ...
Marin County is a county located in Californias San Francisco Bay Area, across the Golden Gate Bridge from San Francisco. ...
There are 11 species of bats that call the Monument home, often time using hollows burned into the redwoods by past fires as a maternity colony. For the flying mammal see bat. ...
Recreation
Facilities
Lodging/camping There are no camping or lodging facilities in the Muir Woods. The Monument is a day-use area only.
Comfort facilities - Restrooms
- Aramark Cafe and Gift Shop - deli food items and souvenirs. Also has a permanent display of historic photographs.
- 1.5 miles (2.4 km) of paved, wheelchair accessible trails
Interpretive facilities - Visitors Center with permanent and changing exhibits. Also contains a gift shop.
Activities
Hiking and biking  One of the paved trails in Muir Woods The monument has a number of paved walking trails where visitors can get a close look at the magnificent giants. Other unpaved walking trails lead up the hills to connect with trails outside of the Monument boundaries.
Bicycles are only allowed on fire roads.
Ranger-led activities Ranger-led walks on a number of different topics, including discussions on the watershed, wildflowers, and tidepools are held on weekends. Moonlight walks are held on nights with a full moon. Reservations are required for the moonlight walks. A watershed is either (1) a region of land where water flows into a specified body of water, such as a river, lake, sea, or ocean or (2) a topographical boundary between catchment basins. ...
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Tide pools at a beach Closeup of a tide pool with some algae and barnacles Tide pools (also tidal pools or rock pools) are rocky pools by the ocean that are filled with seawater. ...
Daily presentations are possible if staffing permits.
Special events are held for the summer and winter solstices. Solstice is an astronomical term regarding the position of the Sun in relation to the celestial equator. ...
Weddings Wedding are allowed in the Monument with a proper permit.
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