If this is Thursday it must be postcards, 758

 

 

 

 

 

Muir Woods National Monument, ca 1980s

 

Featured on this unused color postcard is a section of the Muir Woods Loop Trail found in the Muir Woods National Monument. Part of the Golden Gate National Recreational Area the Monument is about 12 miles north of San Francisco, California.  It is one of the few remaining stands of old-growth coast redwood forests.  The card was published by Muir Woods Inn, Mill Valley, California.  At the bottom of the center line on the reverse is:  MW-13.  At the upper left corner on the reverse is a blurb:  “The Muir Woods Loop Trail.  A familiar sight in the Muir Woods National Monument is the amazement and grandeur of the oldest living trees in this area.”  The photographer is not identified.  The card is one from Bob’s scrapbook and probably dates from the early 1980s. 

 

Before the Gold Rush and commercial logging began here in the mid 1800s, redwood forests extended from Oregon south to Big Sur.  That was an estimated 2 million acres of trees.  In the 1880s the redwoods were heavily logged due to building in San Francisco and later in 1906 to rebuild the city after the earthquake and fire.  By 2023 only about 5% of the historic range remains as an old-growth forest.  Trees now in the coast redwood forests are younger second-growth, not as old nor as large.  The redwoods in Muir Woods survived because they were too difficult to reach for logging. 

 

Concerns about preserving the redwood forests were raised in the early 20^th century by a U.S. Congressman, William Kent, his wife, Elizabeth; a banker at Bank of California, Lovell White and his wife Laura; and a Canadian-American botanist and conservationist, Alice Eastwood.  Six-hundred-eleven acres of land were purchased from the Tamalpais Land and Water Company with the goal of protecting the redwoods and the mountain above them.  Originally it was suggested that property be named after Kent, but he insisted it should be named after his friend the naturalist, John Muir.  Before the National Park Service existed, the redwoods became a national monument signed into law by President Theodore Roosevelt in 1908. 

 

As a part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area, Muir Woods is a park that caters to pedestrians.  Parking is limited and found at the entrance to the park.  Hiking trails vary in difficulty and distance.  Camping, picnicking, and pets are not allowed in the park.  About 6,000 visitors per day use the park from April to October, Thanksgiving weekend, and Christmas through New Years.  Hours are from 8 AM to sunset.  There are entry and parking fees.  There are tour buses and a shuttle service from neighboring communities.

 

Thanks to Bob for sharing the card.

 

For additional information, see:

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muir_Woods-National_Monument