Muir Woods in California features ancient coast redwoods and the Redwood Creek

Muir Woods in California features ancient coast redwoods and the Redwood Creek

When stress levels soar and deadlines hammer you, sometimes you need to escape to a place of refuge. A short rest can reduce fatigue that slows one’s ability to function and robs creativity. Take time to regroup, then you can return to the tasks at hand with clarity and efficiency.

     A delightful retreat can be found in Muir Woods in Mill Valley, near San Francisco, California. Rare ancient redwoods more than 350 feet tall stand guard, holding back the busyness of worldly demands. With no cell service or wifi, quiet prevails. Muted footsteps follow along Redwood Creek as dappled sunlight filters through the trees’ stately branches.

      For hundreds of years, these magnificent sequoias have sheltered many. From the native people (Coast Miwok) to Europeans in the 1700s, travelers have marveled at the primitive forest. A Spanish missionary in 1769 is the first one to record a name for the reddish bark as “palo colorado” which translates to redwood.

     President Theodore Roosevelt declared the area a national monument after William and Elizabeth Kent donated the property in 1908. That history whispers of God’s provision and care throughout centuries. As the trees reach toward the heavens, visitors find themselves in a living green sanctuary.

     The Bible tells us, “But let all who take refuge in you be glad; let them ever sing for joy. Spread your protection over them, that those who love your name may rejoice in you” (Psalm 5:11 NIV).

     More information about Muir Woods can be found at https://www.nps.gov/muwo/index.htm.