Photo: Tourists taking photos of coastal redwood trees (Sequoia Sempervirens) from path in Muir Woods National Monument, Marin County, California
100 years ago, President Theodore Roosevelt signed a bill creating what is now Muir Woods National Monument. This is truly one of the great must see places in the Bay Area for many tourists. Known for it’s towering Coastal Redwood Trees, Muir Woods lies at the southern base of Mount Tamalpais. During summer, people driving along Highway 101 in Marin will see those big lighted overhead freeway warning signs saying the Muir Woods parking lot is full. That is one of the biggest drawback to this wonderful area. Well, there’s that, and the sudden swarms of tourists that arrive by the bus load. The amazing thing, is that even when crowded, this place is very still with these silent, ancient sentinels standing guard. Somehow, there seems to be a sense of quiet reverence among visitors that I’ve found at very few other locations.
See more Marin County photos in my online web gallery.
Muir Woods is a nice place to stroll though I agree about the excessive amount of tourists. It’s a hard place to shoot. I’ve never gotten an image from Muir Woods that I felt strongly about. I liked going there when it was raining = less people.
This is certainly a place I would love to visit. I like how little the tourists are compared to the enormous trees. I have a blog too … if you get a chance, please check it out (http://www.chriskaylerphotography.com/blog). I really love your landscape work … hope to see some more of it in your blog in the future. I’ll be back to check for updates.