“This is the best tree-lover’s monument that could possibly be found in all the forests of the world.” – John Muir

Located 12 miles (19 km) north of the Golden Gate Bridge, Muir Woods National Monument is nestled in the Coast Range, a mountain range that runs down the length of California. The mild climate along the coastal mountains provides an incredible diversity of flora and fauna, and the redwoods are the most famous, dominating the entire ocean coast. Part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area, the Monument protects 240 hectares of old growth coastal redwoods (Sequoia Sempervirens). This is one of the world’s last remaining ancient redwood forests, which is why it was designated a national monument in 1908, even before the National Park Service existed. The Kent family, who purchased the land in 1905 with the goal of protecting the redwoods and the nearby mountains, insisted on naming the park after naturalist John Muir, whose environmental campaigns helped establish the National Park system in the United States.