One of the Bay Area’s most beloved coast redwood forests and a symbol of the country’s conservation movement, Muir Woods National Monument’s condition had been in gradual decline since its establishment in 1905.  By the early 1970’s, suffering from the effects of overuse, ecologically harmful interventions, and a focus on iconic landscape features rather than whole ecological systems, the National Park Service radically changed its management strategies for protection of and access to its irreplaceable resources.  The new focus would be on restoring and sustaining natural ecological support systems balanced with controlled public access.

In the early 1980’s, JNRA was hired to locate a new Visitor Center and design the related site improvements, thus beginning a decades-long participation in ecologically-based design improvements at Muir Woods.  The new building was placed just outside at the main entry point to the forest, replacing a portion of the parking lot (rather than invaluable forest land) with an informal plaza, locally indigenous plantings, and interpretive displays.  The new visitor entry sequence created by the new building will eventually include the removal of the entire interior parking lot and its replacement with a native landscape forecourt to the old growth forest.

The health of the soils and tree roots within the forest (a primary ecological concern for decades) would be addressed with a series of wholly accessible elevated boardwalks and restored understory plantings.  Interpretive displays and outdoor classrooms were integrated into the boardwalks and a generous accessible wood deck/gathering area was created at the existing ranger station/concessionaire building. Subsequent improvements included: reconfigured remote parking lots with a continuous creekside trail leading to the monument; internal trails links to the surrounding park lands; and a shuttle system through the narrow valley helping to disperse visitors and enhance the visitor experience. Separately, the NPS has undertaken dramatic measures to restore the natural hydrologic function of the creek and restore endangered salmonid habitat.

Annual visitation to the park has increased from 400,000 in the 1970’s to around 1 million people a year today. Simultaneously, the environmental health of the old-growth redwood forest has improved exponentially.  Muir Woods now serves as a model of ecologically-based design balanced with thoughtful public access.

Currently, plans for a reconfigured entry area, a new trail bridge at the beloved Dipsea Trail, and four new bridges within the monument to replace deteriorated existing glu-lam bridges are in the final design stages.  The new vehicle-free entry area is designed to handle the crowds in a controlled creekside transition landscape between the old-growth forest and the surrounding mixed evergreen forests and grasslands.  The entry will include a new restroom, gathering areas, interpretive displays, electronic ticketing, ecologically-based stormwater management, service access, native plantings, and restoration of the top of bank flood plain.  The new entry is configured to work seamlessly with the adjacent redesigned main parking lot with its shuttle stop, bus parking, accessible parking, and creekside trail.

The Dipsea Trail’s new 115-foot long cor-ten steel truss bridge will replace the simple wood plank that currently serves as the creek crossing for this popular hiking and running trail.  And the Monument Bridges new cor-ten steel I-beam and rustic wood structures will replace the current deteriorated and low-lying glu-lam structures with longer spans at higher elevations, allowing the 100-year flood flows plus two feet of free-board pass beneath while being fully ADA compliant.  Anchored by rough-hewn redwood log end posts with a top railing chord hewn from salvaged redwood logs and simple metal fin pickets, the new bridges satisfy the historic district’s cultural resource criteria for “streamline rustic” design.