A visit to any place will be incomplete if I can’t, at least, visit one of its parks. Muir woods or The Muir Woods National Monument, a scenic park with giant redwood trees, lies just northwest of San Francisco, California. It was within minutes drive from most part of San Francisco. I had been longing to see the giant redwood trees and giant sequoia trees ever since I saw them pictured on the pages of National Geographic. The proximity of the park and the presence of the giant redwood trees were too good to pass.

The park was still restricting entry but has eased it enough to allow for more people to visit it. Face masking and social distancing were still highly recommended whenever applicable. Accessing the park by vehicle required advanced reservation. Once in the park, people were roaming around within the designated areas with no additional restrictions.

There was a sizable crowd mingling at the entrance of Muir woods and its immediate vicinity. The crowd began thinning farther into the trail and hiking became more peaceful. Redwood trees grew in abundance and were indeed towering as expected. I was awestruck looking at the towering trees. It had me thinking of another majestic tree – the giant sequoia tree. It grows in another part of the Sierra Nevada mountains. Recent report state that quite a number had burned down. I lamented that I may not see it anymore.

The surrounding flora and fauna kept reminding me of our visit to Yellowstone National Park. The flora and fauna that I was seeing up close at Yellowstone National Park were like pages from magazines that were coming to life. The feeling was the same at this place except that it was more focused on the giant redwood trees.

We were following the trails and stopped every so often to admire the trees. The trails were looping to the top of the hill and brought us back to the visitor center. We survived hiking the loop despite stopping frequently to catch our breath. I wish that I had the chance to do this when I was younger and stronger. I was still thankful that I was given the opportunity to visit this place.

The end of the trail was not the end of the adventure. It was just the beginning of another one.