Muir Woods National Monument

Visited: June 2014

Nearby city: San Francisco, CA

"Here in this grove of enduring redwoods, preserved for posterity, members of the United Nations Conference on International Organization met on May 19, 1945, to honor the memory of Franklin Delano Roosevelt, thirty-first President of the United States, chief architect of the United Nations, and apostle of lasting peace for all mankind"

-memorial plaque in Cathedral Grove, Muir Woods

A beautiful and pristine forest of old growth coast redwood lies just north of San Francisco, one of the last stands remaining in the Bay Area. The groves of these towering giants create a welcome natural respite from the sprawling metropolis. Created in 1908, and named for the influential naturalist and environmentalist John Muir, Muir Woods National Monument is a perfect complement to the beautiful urban area of San Francisco.

Due to its popularity and proximity to a major population center, starting in 2018, the monument now requires advance reservations for all vehicles and shuttle riders. This makes sense, when we visited we had to park way beyond the visitors center along the highway for a long walk into the monument. There is very limited parking, so taking the shuttle is probably the best way to visit. The monument is a now a part of the larger Golden Gate National Recreation Area and is a day use area only. Stop by the Visitor's Center and take a pleasant stroll through these mighty trees. There is one loop trail in the monument, you can either take the loop for a half hour hike or up to an hour and half hike, it's up to you. There are also trails that start at the monument and extend up to the top of Mt. Tamalpais.

The loop trail is very pleasant and easy. It goes right through the grove of coastal redwoods.

There is a nice exhibit and display to learn about dendrochronology (the study of dating by tree rings). These impressive trees can live up to 2,000 years old.

We were lucky to have a fog free day at the Monument. The sunlight shining through these massive trees is very pleasant. The trail continues...

The highlight of Muir Woods is the Cathedral Grove. Near the end of World War II, with the Allied Victory apparent, FDR and delegates from 51 other nations were set to meet in San Francisco to organize and create the United Nations. Unfortunately, FDR passed away on April 12, 1945, a mere two weeks before the conference was scheduled to start. Despite the pall cast by this great loss, the Conference proceeded as scheduled and on the first day, delegates from all these nations met in this grove to hold a memorial honoring the legacy of the recently passed President. It is a very special place.

On our way back to the Visitor Center, we saw a deer and her young.

Muir Woods is an excellent place to visit on any trip to San Francisco. More info here: https://www.nps.gov/muwo/index.htm

Top Ten Sights

Why do people visit our National Parks? To unwind, to get away from the hustle and bustle, to hike, camp, paddle, or to spend time with the family. But ultimately, we go to see amazing natural beauty. The best that the natural world has to offer. It is inspiring, it is awesome, it is enriching.

My goal with this Top 10 list is to rank very specific spots or sites in our National Parks that have been the most inspiring, awesome, and enriching for Tara and I on our quest to visit all of them. This was a very hard list to make. There are so many.

Links to my other Top 10 posts:

Top 10 Hikes: http://paulnationalparks.blogspot.com/2017/10/top-ten-hikes.html

Top 10 Scenic Drives: http://paulnationalparks.blogspot.com/2017/12/top-ten-scenic-drives.html

Top 10 National Monuments: http://paulnationalparks.blogspot.com/2018/04/national-monuments-that-could-be.html

First, some honorable mentions:

Inspiration Point, Bryce Canyon National Park

Inspiration Point is the best viewpoint in this exceptional park because it overlooks Silent City. Silent City's metropolis of hoodoos is so dense and numerous; it is very impressive and awe inspiring. Best to visit in the early morning, the sunrise creates very intense colors.

Double Arch, Arches National Park

I love Double Arch. It's so massive, powerful, and unique. It's an incredible monument to the power and creativity of nature.

Hall of the Giants, Carlsbad Caverns National Park

The most impressive feature in the Big Room of Carlsbad Cavern is the Hall of Giants. On the left is Giant Dome (a massive column that is 62 ft high) and on the right are the Twin Domes.

Grand Prismatic Spring, Yellowstone National Park

The largest hot spring in the United States, the intense colors (best seen on a clear cloudless day) will take your breath away.

Wow! That's quite a list of Honorable Mentions (I told you this was a hard list to make). And now, the Top 10.

10. Cliff Palace, Mesa Verde National Park

I know, I know, putting a man-made structure on this list seems kind of sacrilegious, but Cliff Palace needs to be seen to believed. The largest cliff dwelling in North America blends and integrates so well with the incredible scenery, it is truly a wonder to behold.

9. Discovery Point, Crater Lake National Park

Just about any point along the 4 mile Discovery Point Trail is amazing. Outstanding views of the incredibly blue water of the deepest lake in the country. Also offers great views of mysterious Wizard Island. 

8. Delicate Arch, Arches National Park

Delicate Arch keeps popping up in my Top 10 lists, and its not hard to see why. As much as I love Double Arch, Delicate Arch is truly the pinnacle of this Park. It's jaw-dropping incredible. Best viewed in the evening as the sun sets.

7. Observation Point, Zion National Park

So, if Tara and I hadn't chickened out on Angels Landing 😊 it would probably be here. But Observation Point is also downright incredible. It's quite a hike to get up here, but it is absolutely worth it.

6. Cadillac Mountain, Acadia National Park

The tallest mountain on the Atlantic seaboard offers outstanding and spectacular views of Acadia National Park, the town of Bar Harbor, the Porcupine Islands, Frenchman Bay, and the Atlantic Ocean. It is one of the best spots in the country to view the sunrise.

5. Artist's Point, Yellowstone National Park

Artist's Point, along the South Rim of the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone, offers a picture perfect frame of the Lower Falls and the rocks that gave the park it's name. No visit to Yellowstone is complete without a stop at this overlook.

4. Margerie Glacier, Glacier Bay National Park

One of the few stable and advancing glaciers in the park, Margerie Glacier is incredible. Viewed by millions of cruisers each year, Margerie Glacier is over a mile wide and towers 350 ft at its terminus. We were so lucky to have beautiful, clear weather for our cruise there and we saw lots of calving (where gigantic chunks of ice fall off the glacier's face and plunge into the ocean). 

3. Mather Point, Grand Canyon National Park

There's a reason why Theodore Roosevelt urged every American to make the trek to see the Grand Canyon. One of the seven natural wonders of the world, the majesty and beauty of the canyon continuously unfolds before you. Come witness the work of the Colorado River. There are plenty of incredible overlooks all along the North and South Rim, but Mather Point is probably the most easily accessible. 

2. Glacier Point, Yosemite National Park

Although Tunnel View is more well-known and popular, Glacier Point is simply incredible. I will never forget the moment I first gazed upon the Yosemite Valley from this incredible overlook. We rounded a bend in the road, and BOOM!...there was Half Dome. It took my breath away. From this Point you can view Half Dome, Nevada Falls, Vernal Falls, Yosemite Falls (the tallest waterfall in North America), and the tranquil beauty of Yosemite Valley.

1. Old Faithful, Yellowstone National Park

I know this is pretty cliche, but Old Faithful is THE thing to see in our National Parks. There's just something about it. Geysers are an incredible and rare natural feature to witness, a reminder that just beneath the surface of the Earth, lies a tumultuous, chaotic world of magma, vapor, and water ready to burst at any moment. There are more impressive and taller geysers in Yellowstone, but obviously none so reliable as Old Faithful. It has been erupting about every hour, on the hour, for well over a hundred years if not longer. It is iconic. The best sight in our best park. A special place that everyone should visit at least once in their life.

What do you think? What are your favorite spots in our National Parks?