Redwood Forests Tours: Muir Woods, Armstrong Grove  (Russian River Valley)

​​        What's so special about redwoods? Their majestic beauty. Their height—some individuals of the species are taller than a 36-story skyscraper. Third, their longevity—some have lived for two millennia. Find a quiet spot and experience true serenity. 
   
     We offer an unhurried visit to Muir Woods as part of our Everybody's Favorite City tour. Or you can make Muir Woods the focus of a half-day itinerary. Or you can walk quietly into Muir Woods as part of our West Marin tour, the pastoral world just north of San Francisco. Marin County is a rare gem, beloved by locals, hidden in plain sight. (FYI there's a modest admission fee that you pay to the National Park Service at the entrance.)

     Take our Wine, after Redwoods tour and start your day visiting Muir Woods, then we drive you about an hour further to premium grape-growing regions (the Napa, Sonoma or Russian River Valleys)--for lunch and an afternoon of tastings at 2 beautiful wineries, learning about the mysteries of viticulture while enjoying spectacular scenery. 

     FYI the only routes into Muir Woods National Monument involve 12-15 minutes of riding on steep two-lane roads, both coming and going. Over a million people visit Muir Woods annually without incident; however, if someone in your party finds more than a few minutes on winding or mountainous roads disturbing, s/he should come prepared with a motion sickness aid. There'll always be one seat available next to the driver, if that helps. Otherwise, s/he may enjoy hanging out in Sausalito or Tiburon while the rest of the party visits Muir Woods. 
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      If experiencing a primeval redwood forest, without steep winding roads, is important to you, there is an excellent alternative: Armstrong Grove State Park...less visited than Muir Woods and often more peaceful...5 minutes outside Guerneville on the emerald Russian River. There is disagreement as to which is more  beautiful--Muir Woods or Armstrong Woods: when the sun comes as dappled light through the canopies and falls on the forest floor, both captivate. 

     There're even more old-growth and second-growth redwood forests in our Bay Area, among them Henry Cowell, Samuel P. Taylor, Purissima Creek. If the most popular Muir or Armstrong do not easily fit your itinerary, then consider Henry Cowell State Park in Felton, near Santa Cruz. It's much less likely to be crowded on weekends and holidays, and it's close to the Roaring Camp Railroad, a very worthwhile venture in itself; on select weekends and over the summer on weekdays you can ride in their open-air  (or not) coaches through a second-growth forest down to the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk to enjoy 2 hours of their great wooden roller-coaster (the Giant Dipper), arcades, etc. before returning through the woods again to Roaring Camp.

      FYI there's yet another large stand of ancient redwoods near San Francisco: Big Basin State Park in the beautiful Santa Cruz Mountains--about 90 minutes to the south, off a winding two-lane highway. Unfortunately, 2020's wildfires did tremendous damage, which will probably take years to repair before tourists, hikers and campers can enjoy Big Basin's tall trees again.

      What about those big trees you can drive through? You're probably thinking of the large redwood forests (some privately owned) 4-5 hours north of San Francisco near California's "Lost Coast," or the giant sequoias in and near Yosemite, in the Sierra Nevada mountains 4-5 hours east of The City. You can sometimes walk, but not drive, through them. If you're driving several hours north on your way to Oregon's Shakespeare Festival in Ashland or to Portland, it's well worth your time to take the easy detour through the 31-mile-long Avenue of the Giants.

Why Tour with Us?
     Because most other companies get you there at the most crowded time of the day and give you less time to actually be in the forest. And if you're thinking "we'll just rent a car and drive there ourselves," the Park Service now requires on-line reservations in advance, which are harder to get on holidays and weekends.
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     “I still can't get over how you treated us. It was really like we were your long lost best friends or cousins who came to San Francisco for the day. Even though you must do this every day your enthusiasm for the wonderful city of San Francisco was with you every step of the way. We loved everything about it. The murals, the Mission and Muir Woods were our favorites. But the Districts, Legion of Honor, your history lessons and the Chinese Fortune Cookie Factory were great. You do an incredible tour: no one in town can come close to what you offer to the lucky visitor who finds out about you.”  – Lynda & Richard K. (Tustin, California)

A Private Custom Sightseeing Service  for the San Francisco Bay Area