“In every walk with Nature one receives far more than he seeks.”
― John Muir
Well, I did walk into this amazing wonderland, perhaps one of the best preserved places I have witnessed yet. This summer I got an opportunity to visit the west coast of the US and while planning my short schedule I squeezed in a day to make sure I visit this beautiful place. Muir Woods National Monument was established in 1908 and is a unit of the National Park Service on the Pacific coast of southwestern Marin County, California, 12 miles north of San Francisco.
Muir Woods is an old growth costal redwood forest closer to the pacific ocean and to witness the same in person was absolutely inspiring. I also was amazed at the efforts gone into preservation of this wilderness heaven. I spent close to a full day at the park admiring the tall trees of the Sequoia (Sequoia sempervirens) forests. It was a beautiful day and the feel of coastal breeze was absolutely great. There were many visitors - absolutely enjoying their walk, admiring the tall trees, and having a peaceful time with their families and friends.
It was the first time for me to see the redwood trees and it takes quite an effort to reach the canopy unless your neck is very flexible. These coastal redwoods are known for their height and the tallest tree at the monument is about 280 feet. Most of the trees at the monument are between 500 to 800 years old; and the oldest is apparently 1200+ years old. For a moment it all sounded and looked like a dream, but I thought (being a tiny human being of the 21st century) I was absolutely lucky to be there at that moment in time to witness them.
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| Canopy reaching the sky |
It was so thrilling to see those ferns, birds, insects, wild flowers, undergrowth of the forest etc., from the other side of the world. It sure felt home for me with full of surprises. Here are some photographs taken during my visit. Please note that these photographs does not do any justice to what I witnessed with my eyes out there. (click on the photographs to enlarge them)
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| Stream, ferns and the habitat |
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| Ferns and wild flowers |
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| Ferns |
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| Sequoia sempervirens |
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| The trail through the woods |
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| Trillium species (wild lily) |
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| Shhh! |
“There is not a fragment in all nature, for every relative fragment of one thing is a full harmonious unit in itself.” ― John Muir
Cheers,
Srik
