Muir Woods National Monument
John Muir, known as “The Father of the National Parks” was an influential early naturalist, whose work included helping pass the National Park bill in 1890, establishing Yosemite National Park. Muir Woods, in the San Francisco Bay Area, is named in honor of this important wilderness champion.
The park, which is just a short drive from the area's dense population centers, ranges from sea and sand, to deep redwood forest, all within the span of a few miles, perfectly encapsulating many of the astounding natural features of the west coast.
When those elements are combined with the bay area’s notorious fog, the visual results are especially spectacular.
By car the park can be reached in under an hour from downtown San Francisco (and less than two hours by public transport) making it one of the country’s most urban-accessible wilderness areas.