Muirs Wood National Monument

We made Alex and Serene's cousin Sophie get up at 6am on a Saturday to go with her little cousins to Muir Woods National Monument just 12 miles north of the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco. There are only a handful of parking places available to accommodate thousands of daily guests (especially on summer weekends). Many take shuttle buses or tour buses from San Francisco, while others park roadside and walk miles before even reaching the gate.

We arrived just after 8am, parked easily, were able to skip the $7 adult entrance fee (ticket window not open yet) and enjoy the majestic Redwood trees well before the crowds arrived. A wooden boardwalk along the entire path makes it very easy for strollers. The kids loved climbing inside the trees and running along the trails.  We spent a few hours and gave one lucky van our coveted parking spot as we pulled away.

The Coast Redwood grows only along the northern California coastline, from Big Sur in the south to just over the Oregon border in the north, and only up to forty miles inland and below 2500 feet. The Coastal Redwoods are the tallest trees on Earth, reaching heights of over 368 feet (112 meters). They are one of the widest trees on earth, reaching diameters at their base of over 30 feet (9.3 meters) and one of the oldest trees in existence, the oldest on record having lived 2,200 years when it was cut down.