Just minutes north of Novato is an incredible forest area tucked in behind the Mill Valley hills below Mt. Tamalpias. I decided on my day off I wanted to go to the Muir Woods National Monument. The shaded paths would provide me protection from the sun on a hot day (it was in the 90s). I arrived there and I spent about an hour trying to park to no avail. I decided to leave and come back after lunch hoping the morning visitors would be clearing out. During that time I drove to the top of Mt. Tamalpias and took scenic shots from the top of the East Ridge (it was not cool there). I was able to capture some spectacular photos as it was a very clear day and visibility was great. To view that set of photos click here. I returned to Muir Woods at 1PM and sat in the overflow parking waiting for someone to pull out. I only had to wait 10 minutes. Some of the parks trails were closed so I walked the fern creek trail. This is a great trail with beautiful scenery with giant redwoods and the fern covered forest floors. Click here to view my photo shoot which includes not only scenic shots but a Great Blue Heron I came upon in a creek and a banana slug made an appearance. Also photo'd is the Kent Tree along with a story behind that massive Douglas Fir. If you do visit, bring good hiking shoes, plenty of water and arrive early to find parking.
