michael dolan

muir woods

Skyscrapers

Millenia in the making.

Let’s put this another way: these things have been around since the time of Christ. That means they’re older than a lot of countries. Buildings from the same time period aren’t so common.

Part of this is because these trees are rather particular about where they hang out. They only grow on a strip of land that stretches from California to Oregon. Take a coastal environment, add mountainous altitudes,

and you’ve got the perfect recipe for larger-than-life coastal redwoods.

No Short OrderThe largest living organism on the planet

is a coastal redwood that’s over 379 feet tall. To put that in perspective, it’s the height of 54 basketball players standing on one anothers’ heads.

But these trees don’t just grow up. They also grow out. And if you’ve ever tried counting the

rings on a stump, we’ve got another one for you to try your hands at. We’ve set up a cross-section of a tree that was born over a millenium ago. If you want to see how many rings you can count before giving up, we’ve pointed out key parts like the Battle of Hastings and the signing of the Magna Carta. Tree-huggers love ones like this because it means they have to invite all their friends over to give the tree all the love it deserves. But even if you’re not a tree-hugger, you’ll probably temporarily convert, just to see how many people it takes to circle some of the bigger specimens.

Across the bayMuir Woods offers the

perfect chance to do just that. There are also plenty of opportunities for volunteering, if you’re so inclined. Regardless of how you choose to spend your time here, you’ll find a number of options to keep you busy. We’re open around the year, from 8am to sunset. And we’re only about twelve miles from those skyscrapers on the other side of the bay.

We don’t know how long it takes for a leaf to fall

from the top of a tree, but we think that’s because no

one wants to wait long enough to find out.

Cross-sections like this let botanists learn about a tree’s past, which also

tells them about how the local climate has undergone change.

Unlike redwoods, the Transamerica Pyramid probably isn’t going to

look as good as it does now after two millenia.

Find out more, call (415) 388-2596 or www.nps.gov/muwo

They’ve been waiting

for centuries.You’ve put off visiting long enough.

Fortunately, trees are some of those things that get better with age. Yes, it’s true that it means that the trees grow taller, but there’s more to it than that. As time passes and Muir Woods becomes more historic, more gets added that makes each visit a tad more interesting.

Trading HandsEven though it’s really

easy to get there now, Muir Woods wasn’t always that way. Fortunately, its inaccessability helped to protect the land from those who wanted to develop it during the 19th century.

But that didn’t stop people from visiting for long. The Mt. Tamalpais and Muir Woods Railway was called the “Crookedest Railroad in the World,” and was popular in the early 1900s. Then congressman William Kent came along and bought the land in 1905. He wanted to expose people to

the wonders of the wilderness and combine the best parts of tourism and nature.

So when a private company threatened to take over a portion of the land, he did what any reasonable person would do: give nearly 300 acres to the government. Not long afterward, President Roosevelt declared the area a National Monument.

Dedicated in 1908 and named after famous preservationalist John Muir, it became the country’s tenth National Park.

Get InvolvedTo this day, people continue

to visit Muir Woods and enjoy its combination of history and beauty. Whether you prefer beauty over history or vice versa, there are plenty of opportunities for you to preserve both. We work with organizations like the Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy that are dedicated to community service in local parks. Volunteers are always welcome to come to the park to contribute their time and work.

As you probably know, tree trunks get bigger as the trees get older. It’s not quite the same thing as a beer belly, but you can think of it as one if it

makes you feel better.

The San Francisco Bay Area is one of the last places where

coastal redwoods still live.

It’s not uncommon for these trees to be between 200 and 300 feet tall. That’s a

lot of shade.

Find out more, call (415) 388-2596 or www.nps.gov/muwo

Every national park owes its existence to john muir.

Only onewas named after him.

He’s been called “The Father of our National Parks,” “Wildnerness Prophet,” and “Citizen of the Universe.” Good thing Muir Woods is named after John Muir’s real name, not his nicknames.

Gone HikingWhen he was 29

years old John Muir walked from Indiana to Florida, nearly 1000 miles. From Florida, he moved on to New York and booked passage to California. There was no question in his mind about what to do with his time there.

He immediately visited Yosemite, fell in love with the area, and began taking action to aid its preservation. His work finally paid off in in 1890 when Congress passed the bill that created Yosemite National Park.

In addition to spending a lot of time walking and exploring, he also dabbled in writing. Most of his books revolved around his adventures while wandering the Californian and Alaskan wildernesses.

Muir also founded the Sierra Club with this goal in mind. It

started in May 1892 with 182 members. Now it has 1.3 million. Think of him as a precursor to the green movement we know and love today.

Kent’s WoodsYou might be asking what all of this has to do with Muir

Woods. Obviously, the park is named after Muir, but that wasn’t the original plan. When President Roosevelt was planning to dedicate the park, he wanted to name it after William Kent, who had donated the land. Kent said no, insisting that it be named after the man who made national parks possible.

After learning that the park would be named after him, Muir wrote in a letter, “This is the best tree-lover’s monument that could possibly be found in all the forests of the world.”

And if it’s good enough for John Muir, it should be good enough for you.

Muir spent most of his time walking through the Californian and Alaskan Wildernesses. But he also made time to lobby for the creation of National Parks and draw attention to the importance of conservation.

Created in 1951, the NPS Arrowhead represents the three

elements of National Parks: wildlife, recreation, and history.

Find out more, call (415) 388-2596 or visit www.nps.gov/muwo

Muir’s Our National Parks brought him to the

attention of President Theodore Roosevelt.

2,000Years

And Still Growing.

THEBAYAREA’S

ORIGINALSKYSCRAPERS.

Time for a change of

scenery.Time for a change of

scenery.

Time for achange of scenery.

Concrete JungleTo Redwood Forest.

12 Miles.

Take a hike.

Coastal Redwood Cross-Section

This replica of a coastal redwood cross-section will be placed outside the Ferry Building, a popular San Francisco destination for both tourists and business people. The life-size installation will stand 15 feet tall. A sign next to it will say “Muir Woods. It’s a big deal.”

jelly belly

“I ate like thirty watermelons.”

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“Mom, I wantcantaloupe for dessert.”

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“I could go for some strawberry daiquiri.”

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“Just a fewpiña coladas before

bedtime.”

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“Nothing beats a handful of blueberries.”

50 lovable flavors

merrell

When you’re hiking 80 miles,

only 10 inches really matter.At Merrell, we’re committed to ensuring that the distance from your foot to heel are comfortable, no matter the circumstances. So when we make boots, we’re not content with the stuff that’s built to take you from your parking space to the office. We look for material that’ll hold up in the face of countless expeditions. ’Cause when you find yourself in the middle of the wilderness, your footwear is something you shouldn’t be worrying about.

When you’re climbing a 4700 foot

wall of sheer rock,

11 inches make all the difference.At Merrell, we know that you have to take footwear seriously in the great outdoors. So we do, too. And after we’ve put our products to the test, we find even greater challenges to measure their mettle. That way, no matter where your adventures take you, you don’t have to worry about being held back. Just like you, our shoes will be sure to rise to the occasion (no pun intended).

A 12,000 foot elevation isno match

for a 12 inch foundation.Nature throws whatever it can in our way to keep us from conquering it. At Merrell, we view this not as an obstacle, but as a challenge. Our products are designed to make every expedition into the wild outdoors fun, even if they aren’t easy. That’s why we only make the best stuff available. So whether you just need better ankle support or the whole waterproof getup, we’ve got you covered.