LF photogenic sites in San Francisco, Napa Valley, Muir Woods, Santa Cruz, Monterey

[diversey]

I will go on a trip to following places, San Francisco, Napa Valley, Muir Woods, Santa Cruz, Monterey California and need suggestions for photogenic sites and equipment (5x7 or 4x5). Thanks! David

[Drew Wiley]

When? Seasonal weather, traffic, and crowds have a lot to do with intelligent site selection. You'll probably receive a hundred different answers, and every one of the will be correct, depending. It also depends on your definition of "photogenic". Avoid Muir Woods like the plague unless it's a cold rainy winter day. There seem to be more tour buses than trees. But there a dozens of trails all around there just as photogenic, where solitude is easy to find. Likewise in the GGNRA : Golden Gate Bridge gawkers double and triple parked, elbowing one another, while five minutes away there are miles of coastline trails where you will encounter a few people, but not herds of them. Likewise, Pt Lobos south of Monterey. Go off-season weekdays, not in summer. Coastal highways are subject to landslides in Winter, so keep updated. The Napa/Sonoma area has been massively burned in portions, so expect a lot of truck activity cleanup and remodeling wise. Just take along whatever view camera equipment you're comfortable with, and can use intuitively. Lighting contrast in redwood groves can be extreme at times, so a black and white film with a long scale like TMY is recommended. SF itself isn't very camera-friendly downtown, but along the public areas, beaches, etc, no problem provided your tripod isn't blocking a path. Beware of slippery cliff edges. "Rock" along much of our coastline isn't solid; it's poorly consolidated mudstone in many places, and yet another person fatally slipped over a SF shore cliff edge this past weekend. There is an utter plague of car smash n' grab break-ins at popular tourist destinations in SF itself - thousands and thousands of such incidents each year now. They move fast, so don't leave anything of value in a car for even minutes unattended. Better yet, just buy a postcard of sights that have already been photographed eight trillion times, and look for something special elsewhere. There is no shortage of possibilities.

[diversey]

Will go there around this coming New Year time. Thanks for your descriptions and warnings.

[Drew Wiley]

Sometimes Dec and Jan can be especially nice beach days at places like Pt Reyes, or for forest walks like the Bear Creek Trail. Less wind, crisp lighting, lots of wildlife, and less people. Just always have along a good raincoat, because conditions can change fast. It's quite windy today; so I might delay going out again until tomorrow, when rain is forecast. A waterproof darkcloth is also a good idea, plus good hiking shoes. But depending, some winter days actually seem like the warm season around here. It's warmer and calmer right now, even with all the wind, than a typical summer afternoon at my house. You could spend your whole photographic life just at Pt Reyes itself, and the vicinity; it's magical most of the year.

[diversey]

Point Reyes is on my list. Thanks!

[Tin Can]

David, are you driving in or flying?

[Hugo Zhang]

There is a Hostel inside the Point Reyes and it is really clean and quiet. Chimney Rock trail at Point Reyes has beautiful views. You could 1-2 days there.

[diversey]

Flying this time.


David, are you driving in or flying?

[Leszek Vogt]

Plenty of beaches around (notable or not), Carmel Mission....and I'd check Carmel Valley Road. The mission may require entry fee (?), which was not the case when I was there. If you have enough time, slide down to Pfeiffer State PK for a sunset - not far from Monterey. Hmmm, forgot about 17mile Drive that offers more sea scenes and secluded beaches - there is a fee attached to that one.

[Tin Can]

I was going to suggest Highway 1 as it has magnificent driving and views.

I drove it twice 45 years ago, with places to stop often enough. It just reopened.

This story does not do it justice.

https://www.visitcalifornia.com/road-trips/highway-one-classic


Flying this time.

[diversey]

Thanks! Take a note of the chimney rock trail.


There is a Hostel inside the Point Reyes and it is really clean and quiet. Chimney Rock trail at Point Reyes has beautiful views. You could 1-2 days there.

[diversey]

Good suggestions, thanks!



Plenty of beaches around (notable or not), Carmel Mission....and I'd check Carmel Valley Road. The mission may require entry fee (?), which was not the case when I was there. If you have enough time, slide down to Pfeiffer State PK for a sunset - not far from Monterey. Hmmm, forgot about 17mile Drive that offers more sea scenes and secluded beaches - there is a fee attached to that one.

[Drew Wiley]

Some weekends have restrictions on parking along the Chimney Rock road. Once past North Beach, the road bifurcates, one direction leading to the Lighthouse, the other toward the Boathouse and Chimney Rock. Getting down onto the beach anywhere beyond the boathouse is risky - believe me, I've done it many times with an 8x10. But there are wonderful views both direction from the cliffs. I don't know if the Drake's Beach area has been reopened from storm damage or not. But the Lighthouse branch of the road ends with straight down views of sea lions, wonderfully tafoni-weathered sculpted rock formations near the road, and a long set of stairs to the Lighthouse itself.
Way across the arc of Pt Reyes you can find, along a different road, Abbots Lagoon and Kehoe Beach, and at the end of the road, fascinating old ranch buildings and the trail to Tomales Point. Every one of these destinations is likely to take up an entire day by itself; so enjoy quality time and photography selectively, because there's just no way to take it all in at once. Limantour Beach is another wonderful location if you want a long sand spit walk with harbor seals popping their heads out of the water, holding Nikonos camera between their flippers, and taking shots of you. This is a lot closer to SF than the Monterey area, but you really have to choose one direction or the other, either N on Hwy 1 into Marin County, or south on 1 toward Santa Cruz, Carmel, Big Sur, etc, unless you have quite a number of days. The choice might get pre-determined any time in winter by another highway landslide.

[diversey]

Will drive on it a little bit. A good suggestion, maybe reservoir for next time. Thanks!


I was going to suggest Highway 1 as it has magnificent driving and views.

I drove it twice 45 years ago, with places to stop often enough. It just reopened.

This story does not do it justice.

https://www.visitcalifornia.com/road-trips/highway-one-classic

[Drew Wiley]

One day at Chimney Rock I watched a gray whale wander into the clear shallows of Drake's Bay right below it, and just cruise around a couple hours before exiting, as if itself a sightseer. Last year I finally figured out how to print an extremely subtle but hue-rich 8X10 Ektachrome fog shot I took from the tiny Chimney Rock beach back when it was still marginally accessible at low tide via a deer path along the cliff, now washed away. I won't go into details about the print, but it was via a tricky contact interneg. That short trail is especially beautiful in May with its wealth of wildflowers. Never crowded. Never disappoints.

[Vaughn]

Someday come up to northern California! Have a great trip!

[angusparker]

With the rain comes the clouds. You can get great clouds skies this time of year. Early morning at the Twin Peaks viewpoint looking down Market to Downtown San Francisco can be glorious. Kind of depends on the wind for LF. Now we have the Salesforce building (somewhat less affectionately nicknamed after a certain object you could buy in a sex store) there is a new skyline.

Angel Island SP is worth a day trip taking the first and last ferries which in the winter might mean leaving or returning to Tiburon rather than Fisherman’s Wharf. Great views of the Golden Gate but lots of abandoned buildings and military buildings. Chinese holding camp (think Ellis Island with interrogations), Military Hospital, And Barracks.

China Beach in China Beach SP in Marin Co. is a gem with old buildings, worn wood, and discarded fishing ropes. Fun to learn about the shrimping history of years gone past.

As mentioned above, you can spend a lot of time getting to and touring around Point Reyes NHS. I’m partial to the old barn at the north area in the Tule Elk reserve and shots across Tómales Bay from the park’s beaches. Also Drakes Estuary and the more famous sights in the South are popular for a reason.

[Drew Wiley]

Er... Twin Peaks? A serial killer from there was taken alive from my own front lawn after a 2 hr standoff with an FBI SWAT team. He killed at an entire family for their SUV atop Twin Peaks, then was spotted two weeks later at a gas station on this side of the Bay, starting a high speed chase that happened to turn onto my street. Police chase cars boxed him in, so he tried driving around them across my lawn. Egad. And it's not the first such incident at Twin Peaks by any means.

[Peter Lewin]

Some suggestions based on my first trip to California about 2 months ago. We never went to Muir Woods, but loved the smaller Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park, less touristed, and all old growth redwoods. I loved Pt. Lobos, not only as a pilgrimage to Weston's "hunting grounds," but for the sheer beauty of it. They restrict the number of cars allowed in, so arrive early morning, preferably not on a weekend. If you can do a short hike with your camera & tripod, I recommend the Cyprus Grove trail, a fairly short loop with some breathtaking views. We did a bunch of other trails, including the North Shore trail out to the Whaler's Cabin, but unless you love hiking carrying camera equipment, the Cyprus Grove trail is the one I would use for photography, In Monterey, starting at Customs House Plaza, there is a historic trail (city streets) that takes you to a number of historic houses, most of which have very nice & photogenic gardens out back. And if you are driving south from Monterey, several posts already mentioned U.S. 1 (the PacificCoast Highway) down through Big Sur. There are frequent turnoffs with impressive ocean views, allowing you to take your equipment out of the car and capture the seascapes. And one last thought, there is a chain of 21 Spanish Missions, again very photogenic, just google "Spanish Missions in California" and see which might fit your itinerary. There is one in Santa Cruz (which you mention on your itinerary) but we skipped that one because it is a "scale reproduction" of the original which was detroyed by earthquake, and there are many truly original missions left.

[Louie Powell]

Our son lived in Silicon Valley for a number of years, and that gave us a reason to visit the area regularly. Some additional suggestions and thoughts -

South of San Francisco:

Mission Carmel - this is one of the original Spanish missions, and unlike the Santa Cruz mission, this is an original structure. The last time we were there, there was no restriction on photography other than to not disturb services - it is an active church.

Point Lobos State Park - to reiterate Peter's concern - they limit the number of cars allowed in each day, so get there early (I think the gate opens at 8:30). The trails are nice, but if you are tired of schepping an LF camera, Weston Beach is an interesting place to photograph rock details, and you can park a few feet away from the beach.

Lick Observatory - this is classic old observatory is in the mountains east of San Jose, at the end of a very narrow, twisted road. Be careful on the drive - the road is a favorite for mountain biking nuts.

Silicon Valley - this is a love/hate situation - there are some interesting places (and fabulous restaurants) in Silicon Valley, but it is horrendously congested and traffic is awful. Stanford University has a pretty campus (a former nut farm although some will say that little has changed - - -), the Cantor Gallery at Stanford has a great collection of Rodin sculptures), the Computer Museum in Mountain View is fabulous, etc.

Wineries - Napa Valley is not the only place in the area with wineries, and there are several near Saratoga, CA that are actually far better than the highly commercialized places in Napa and Sonoma.



In San Francisco:

Street scenes - it's not all that unusual to see street photographers with LF cameras in San Francisco. Schlepping a big camera with those hills is a workout! Be sure to hit Fisherman's Wharf

Alcatraz Island - even though crowds will be much smaller in the winter, you should book ahead to get on the first boat of the day.

Fort Point - this Civil War fortification is directly beneath the south end of the Golden Gate Bridge and is a great place for photography.

Legion of Honor - this is an art museum in the Golden Gate Recreational Area (which also includes Lands' End) that is architecturally interesting and that holds some really great art.

Land's End - this area on the extreme Western end of the City has classic views of the Pacific, as well as the ruins of the old Sutro Baths

Golden Gate Park - the Japanese Garden is nice, and if you have time, the DeYoung Art Gallery and Museum of Science are fabulous - but will consume a lot of time.



North of San Francisco:

Marin Headlands - this is an old military base that has been repurposed as a park. There are a number of old fortifications that are great for photography. Battery 129 is a complex of tunnels and gun emplacements that never actually saw action - the technology became obsolete before construction was completed, but the remains make great photographs. If you want the classic image of the Golden Gate Bridge in the foreground with the City in the distant background, go to Battery Spencer. And for a change of pace, the Marine Wildlife Center is a hospital that specializes in treating ailing seals, walruses, sea lions, etc. Lots of wildlife in the area - fairly tame deer, bob cats, etc.

Sausalito - this village at the north end of the Golden Gate bridge is scenic and a great place for shopping. Very active in warm weather, but it will be quiet in the winter. This is an old fishing village that 'grew up' around a WWII shipyard - the shipyard is no longer there, but there are lots of boats to photograph. And something that isn't well known is that there is a scale model of San Francisco Bay in one of the old shipyard buildings that was built to conduct studies of tidal action in the Bay - it's open to the public and provides a more intimate view of the expanse of that body of water.

Angel Island - this island was a military base, but it's more famous role was as the port of entry Asians immigrating into the US (ie, it was the Ellis Island of the West). It can be reached by ferry from either Fisherman's Wharf in San Francisco, or Tiburon on the north side of the Bay. There are more ferries to/from Tiburon. It's well worth a visit

Muir Woods - for the giant redwood trees. You may need to book ahead to have a place to park. Crowds will be smaller mid-week and in the winter.

Napa/Sonoma - great for wineries. We've done both, and prefer Sonoma because it's less crowded and the wineries are less commercial. Great restaurants in this area. Some of the wineries are good photographic subjects, but some are just tin warehouses.


Caution: there is no toll northbound on the Golden Gate bridge, but there is a toll (around $6 the last time we were there) when traveling southbound (into the City). However, there are no toll collectors. Instead, it is expected that cars will be equipped with transponders (eg, EZ Pass) to register and collect the toll. For cars that don't have transponders, toll collection is done by capturing the license plate number and issuing an invoice. Most of the rental car companies use a contractor to pay these tolls; the ways they work is that if your rental crosses the bridge, the contractor will bill you for the toll plus a service charge for each day of the rental contract. That service charge can easily be several times the cost of the toll. You can avoid that service charge by going on-line to register your rental with the Golden Gate Bridge Authority - you enter the plate number of the car, the period of the rental, and your credit card number, and any tolls charged during that rental period will go directly to your card rather than to the toll collection contractor used by the rental car company.

There are alternate routes to Marin/Napa/Sonoma that involve first going over to the East side of the San Francisco Bay, and then driving north. There are tolls on these routes also.

Final point - take money. San Francisco is expensive!

[Drew Wiley]

There are exactly zero old growth redwoods left anywhere around SF Bay, including Muir Woods. There are a lot of pretty ones, but they're all second growth after total logging. You either have to go way north, or somewhat south on 1 to Big Basin etc near Santa Cruz. Some of the beaches do have massive gray waveworn redwood logs that are highly photogenic. If you look carefully, a number of beaches contain small pebbles of jade.

[Peter Lewin]

There are exactly zero old growth redwoods left anywhere around SF Bay, including Muir Woods. There are a lot of pretty ones, but they're all second growth after total logging. You either have to go way north, or somewhat south on 1 to Big Basin etc near Santa Cruz. Some of the beaches do have massive gray waveworn redwood logs that are highly photogenic. If you look carefully, a number of beaches contain small pebbles of jade.
Drew, since the OP mentioned he was including Santa Cruz in his itinerary, I mentioned the Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park which is a bit north of Santa Cruz, and not far off-route traveling down the PCH from SF to Monterey. The park makes a point that it has groves of both old-growth and second-growth redwoods, including an old-growth tract originally purchased by J.W. Welch in 1867 which is now part of the park. (My earlier post said "all" old-growth, which is incorrect, I checked the information/map that I saved from my visit.) As a New Jersey-ite, I try not to contradict you real Californians (no sarcasm), but my wife and I found this park worth the visit, even just for the .8-mile flat "Redwood Grove Loop Trail" from the main visitor center. While not "hiking," it is quite an introduction to redwoods for a new-comer, and one should be able to easily set up a tripod and 4x5 along the trail.

[William Whitaker]

Without a doubt, the Legion of Honor and the Palace of Fine Arts. Each is an architectural field day.

[angusparker]

Er... Twin Peaks? A serial killer from there was taken alive from my own front lawn after a 2 hr standoff with an FBI SWAT team. He killed at an entire family for their SUV atop Twin Peaks, then was spotted two weeks later at a gas station on this side of the Bay, starting a high speed chase that happened to turn onto my street. Police chase cars boxed him in, so he tried driving around them across my lawn. Egad. And it's not the first such incident at Twin Peaks by any means.

Most days it’s tourists in buses or rental cars. But in the US it is also true that visiting Naval bases, schools, office holiday parties, and the like may also have life altering impacts.

[diversey]

Thank you all for your suggestions and recommendations! I need take notes and study them.

[tgtaylor]

If you find yourself northbound into SF at the golden gate toll box and haven't made the arrangements set out above, don't drive through. Simply pull up on the far right and go upstairs (that's the office) and pay your toll. It happened to me one night years ago when the toll was 2 or $3 and when I pulled my wallet out I to discover that I didn't have any cash. I went upstairs and wrote a check payable to "The Golden Gate Bridge" for the toll.

Thomas

[John Kasaian]

I just heard of a rock slide on HWY 1 in Big Sur. If you're headed in the direction (S of Carmel) check for any road closures before launching. :)

[Drew Wiley]

Yes, and it was a fairly serious slide near Big Sur; and if you're trapped south of a slide along Hwy 1 way down there, it can be impossible to get back north without a very long detour. Narrow roads back into the hills above Santa Cruz etc are particularly prone to very wet storms and slide closures. Ironically, the multiple slides and washed out bridges a few years ago around Hwy 1 just north of SF, around Stinson Beach and Pt Reyes, got a lot of engineering attention and have been completely redone to be significantly more resistant to other such events in the future, so present little worry now. But trees can collapse over roads, and a massive falling cypress missed crushing a friend of mine driving down a street in Berkeley just a couple week ago, and missed his car by mere inches. But rain can be a lot of fun under massive redwood and fir canopies. They're often like big umbrellas, with the ground completely dry near the trunks. One of the most accessible but lightly visited redwood preserves in Marin in Roy's Redwoods, which has a lovely meadow and some of the very biggest second-growth redwoods around, plus some reminders of old-growth - massive stumps that has re-sprouted on their perimeters.

[diversey]

This is interesting! My wife asked me yesterday if we need pay toll when we drive across Golden Gate Bridge, I told her “NO”. Apparently I was wrong.


If you find yourself northbound into SF at the golden gate toll box and haven't made the arrangements set out above, don't drive through. Simply pull up on the far right and go upstairs (that's the office) and pay your toll. It happened to me one night years ago when the toll was 2 or $3 and when I pulled my wallet out I to discover that I didn't have any cash. I went upstairs and wrote a check payable to "The Golden Gate Bridge" for the toll.

Thomas

[diversey]

Thanks for heads up!


I just heard of a rock slide on HWY 1 in Big Sur. If you're headed in the direction (S of Carmel) check for any road closures before launching. :)

[Vaughn]

This is interesting! My wife asked me yesterday if we need pay toll when we drive across Golden Gate Bridge, I told her “NO”. Apparently I was wrong.

And that should be southbound into SF on the Golden Gate Bridge. No toll collected/charged for leaving the city northward.

http://goldengate.org/tolls/documents/paying-golden-gate-bridge-toll-using-rental-vehicle.pdf

http://goldengate.org/tolls/tolltipsforvisitors.php

All tolls collected electronically or by license plate.

I go over the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge often (Hwy 580) -- toll is collected heading west (towards San Rafael) and is Fastrak or cash only. I connect to Hwy 101 and head north.

[Eric Woodbury]

Well, I'm confused. If you are inbound to SF on the GGB, you are SOUTHBOUND. No toll takers any more. Just drive through and look online to pay or they will eventually send you a nasty-gram. There are no tolls leaving the peninsula. Northbound GGB is no charge.

[Willie]

Might be smart to concentrate on one direction only for your photo efforts. You can spend a long time at Point Reyes with so many options available. From the Golden Gate Bridge into Marin County, The towns and bay views, China Camp State Park in San Rafael, the roads to Pt. Reyes - with the small towns and French Marin Cheese Factory - a gold mine of images.
North of San Francisco to the mouth of the Russian River - a ton of great locations to work and not quite as crowded as South of The City.

[Willie]

removed

[diversey]

Thank you all for the valuable information. Can I use credit card or cash to pay Golden Gate Bridge toll?

[Louie Powell]

Yes - but only on line. There are no conventional 'toll booths' at the end of the bridge to accept payments.

You must go on-line to a web site (bayareafastrak.org) to register the plate number of your vehicle, enter you credit card information, and specify a period of time for the registration. Thereafter, any tolls registered against that plate number will automatically be charged to your credit card.

[Tin Can]

https://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/Golden-Gate-Bridge-tolls-broadside-tourists-who-6304954.php

Gotta be figured out by now, perhaps https://www.hertz.com/rentacar/productservice/index.jsp?targetPage=USplatepass.jsp

My car is covered most places...

[diversey]

Good to know, thanks!


Yes - but only on line. There are no conventional 'toll booths' at the end of the bridge to accept payments.

You must go on-line to a web site (bayareafastrak.org) to register the plate number of your vehicle, enter you credit card information, and specify a period of time for the registration. Thereafter, any tolls registered against that plate number will automatically be charged to your credit card.

[diversey]

Thanks, Randy! The best way for me is to pay online, as Louie posted.


https://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/Golden-Gate-Bridge-tolls-broadside-tourists-who-6304954.php

Gotta be figured out by now, perhaps https://www.hertz.com/rentacar/productservice/index.jsp?targetPage=USplatepass.jsp

My car is covered most places...

[tgtaylor]

Then again you can avoid the whole affair by going northbound over the GG Bridge to Marin (no toll) and returning via the San Rafael Bridge. Doing it that way you will have to pay a toll on the Bay Bridge to enter San Francisco but you can pay cash at the toll gate.* At the southern edge of San Rafael Hwys 101 and 580 run coterminous with 580 splitting off to the left and running along Francisco Blvd to the bridge. Infamous San Quentin prison is situated at the foot of the bridge and at least 2 locations you can pull off and photograph the prison and explore the shoreline it sits on: the prison's Francisco Blvd entry gate (there's a parking lot there) and a second along the city streets on the turn off just before you get to the bridge. The city turns into a circus atmosphere during executions.

*You can also continue south on 880 all the way to 233 which swings west to Hwy 101 and 280 and avoid all tolls. Between 880 and 101 on 233 is historic Alviso worth a visit if you're in the area.

Thomas

[Drew Wiley]

The San Rafael Bridge is a roll of dice. Timing can be everything, even on weekends. Same with Hwy 101 in the vicinity. Traffic can back up horribly. Then returning on a loop trip headed back over the Bay Bridge and freeway can be even worse! Whatever direction you go, I strongly recommend crossing any necessary bridges mid-morning, around 10:00 AM, then staying in Marin County till after the evening rush hour, and returning after 8:00 PM. There will be plenty of things to do, and good places to eat etc. For example, hang around Pt Reyes Station when you're done shooting. Trying to fight traffic can be exhausting even if you've learned a few shortcuts. Not worth it on a vacation. Find a destination and relax. I personally regard Sausalito as a tourist trap, and am thinking more of quieter areas well away from Fwy 101 cities, along Hwy 1.

[j enea]

if you like coastlines, the drive south on hwy 1 from SF to santa cruz or all the way down to big sur is nice. lots of pull offs from just past devils slide all the way to DT santa cruz. I really like bean hollow and the area around pigeon point light house. on weekdays, most lots do not charge for parking, but you can pull of the side of the raod in so many places with lots of trails, that there is no need unless you need to use the restroom. greyhound rock is also nice, as is the light house in santa cruz. surfing museum is a nice touch. dont forget to take a photo of the giant dipper roller coaster.

if you are heading south, I think big basin park is worth a stop. if you like hiking, and want to just pack a small 35mm, then there are some great parks on skyline blvd. I love russian ridge park. some of the peaks give you great views of the pacific ocean on 1 side and the SF bay with Stanford bellow on the other.

there are so many photographic places, that I agree with all the others who say pick a direction, north or south. that will make you planning easier.

funny, but I remember growing up that my grandfather told that the original plan for the golden gate bridge was that when the loan was paid off, there were not supposed to be any tolls. Guess thats why the GG bridge board has salaries over 2 million, so that it never gets paid off. and yeh, having to paint every 2 years or so does not help. just throwing out the bureaucracy thing here.

john

[Drew Wiley]

Stop continuously painting the Bridge and all your worries are over. It will rust to bits in that salt air, and you'll be back to ferries entirely, with their own fares. Or maybe swim across? Interestingly, when they DNA tested the coyotes living on the SF Presidio grounds, they discovered they'd crossed the GG Bridge from Marin, and not just wandered up the coastline. But as I recall, the troop of Caesar the chimpanzee in Planet of the Apes commuted the opposite direction, into the woods of Marin. That might certainly explain a lot of the weird behavior of the residents or Sausalito.

[diversey]

I returned from my SF trip and went to many places you guys recommended, many thanks again! Below is a photo I took in Muir Woods. We were lucky, when I took this photo a guy behind us about 10min hiking/walking hit by a 200-foot tall tree, which measured 4-feet in diameter, and died.(https://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/ny-hiker-killed-redwood-tree-muir-woods-national-park-california-20191227-cyhsgryvmncqrgk6dxidmdsuji-story.html).

https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Sfw-V_M_Llw/XgtXfN5enVI/AAAAAAAADUk/ZfWSDZmqRLgMZyyBeTs7ESQNaYWHZM4RwCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/20191230%2BSFtravel008corrweb.tif

[Tin Can]

Glad you survived!

I always fear death from above...

[Vaughn]

Walking thru the redwoods during a big wind storm can be quite exciting...

[tgtaylor]

The next time that you visit the area during the rainy season (that is when it's really raining and not drought) try some of the waterfall trails such as Alamere Falls which drops into the Pacific from an overlooking bluff, Cataract Falls trail a very popular and scenic hike along Cataract Creek, and Carson Falls. All are in Marin county and not far from Muir Woods. I have images posted of each of these locations in the Color Galleries on my website. One of these days I am going to edit the site placing related images together by subject.

Thomas

[Jim Fitzgerald]

Walking thru the redwoods during a big wind storm can be quite exciting...

Also terrifying! I've seen the huge "Widow Makers!"

[Drew Wiley]

That was a close call ! I never camp or set up a camera around a creaky sounding tree. A slider or uprooter might not give an advance warning, but suspect conditions are often detectable. I once saw an entire subdivision slid off a suspect hill - entirely predictable; but the developer didn't have an ounce of ethics (also predictable).

[Vaughn]

Also terrifying! I've seen the huge "Widow Makers!"

You mean the funny dead trees that somehow grew wider as they grew up, but broken off 15 or 20 feet up? :cool:

I am so spoiled having spent the last (almost) 5 decades in the far northwest of California. Taking my boys to the redwoods, creeks and beaches and most times see no one else. Bah Humbug, I say! Looking at photos of Alamere Falls all I see are people. Good on them for taking the hike and it looks wonderful...just glad I have experienced such beautiful places way up here without the people. But I'll be camping in Yosemite Valley in February, so I'll be one of those blasted tourists! You can't win...

I was photographing along Mill Creek (a narrow dirt road runs along it, thru great redwoods -- a popular route best traveled in winter) a few days ago, working with the 11x14 out of the trunk of the car. I found a possible image where I could pull the car far enough off the road, set up the 11x14 and exposed a couple sheets of film...a 5.5"x14" images, then moved over ten feet, a full sheet of 11x14, pointed about the same direction (4 to 12 minute exposures). Several vehicles passed by, but oddly none stopped to make comments, chat or ask questions. A guy on a mountain bike came by and asked what kind of gun I was packing...I realized then that in my open trunk very visible to passing cars was my leather holster for my Pentax Digital Spot Meter. That kept the tourists moving! LOL!

The guy on the mountain bike tried to BS me with tales of Bigfoot, but I refrained from planting a size 13 up his arse.

[Drew Wiley]

Funny. Everytime I've been to Alamere nobody else was around. But that was a long time ago before Bass Lake became the preferred skinny dipper hangout, and when there was still a usable trail over the top to Crystal Lake, which was the real gem around there. But solitude at Pt Reyes is still easy to find. The Cataract Trail on Tam can be popular on weekends, but weekdays tend to be quiet. It's a favorite quickie knee workout for me... Everybody knows Bigfoot is a myth with one notable exception nobody notices because it hides behind a darkcloth. The real danger in the redwoods is carnivorous deer.