Giant Redwood Sequoia Trees
President Theodore Roosevelt first declared Muir Woods a National Monument on January 9, 1908. Today, millions of nature lovers and families from around the world flock here every year to see these majestic thousand-year-old giant Redwood Sequoia trees, towering over 250 feet high. The tallest redwood in the park stands at 260 feet. The Coast Redwood, California’s State Tree, is the world’s tallest living tree species. The average age of the trees is between 600 to 800 years. Each ring of the tree signifies one year’s growth. The oldest Redwoods in the park are the trees in Bohemian and Cathedral Groves. They are more than 1,200 years old.
Hiking Trails
The scenic 560-acre park includes six miles of hiking trails, each with different levels of difficulty, including longer hikes on trails that extend into surrounding parks. The main canyon floor trails are paved and mostly level. Some of the more challenging trails can be rocky and may require climbing. “Quiet” is encouraged along the trails. The peacefulness really enhances your hike. Even though there were many people in the park during our last visit, at some points along the trail, we hardly saw or heard a soul – except for a babbling brook, rustling leaves and singing birds. Pure bliss!
Ladybugs
Every year Convergent Ladybugs migrate to Muir Woods from California’s Central Valley. They usually appear at the park annually, during early Summer to Fall. The exact location of these ladybugs within Muir Woods, periodically changes over the years, so you may want to check at the Information Desk (at park’s front entrance) to find out exactly where you can see them. During a Summer visit, we saw thousands of cute little red-orange ladybugs crawling on plants, logs and fence posts near the entrance to Fern Creek Trail, named for its beautiful green fern and babbling creek.