On our first and only day in San Francisco we decided to skip China Town, and the Wharf, and Alcatraz, and all the other fun options in favor of seeing some big trees.  While that may sound like a bad choice, I regret nothing. The atmosphere of being in (literally inside) these big trees is pretty moving and amazing.

We started our hike with an easy walk along the main path, but our curiosity quickly overwhelmed us and we began to wander up a trail labeled “Canopy View” that was snaking up the hillside. We hadn’t really prepared for a long hike, and we hadn’t seen the sign at the beginning to tell us how long the trail was, so there was a series of small meetings to decide whether or not we should continue. Each time we decided we had gone too far to turn back.

As the climb got steeper, the droves of tourists thinned out and the people we did see looked much more tired. They all had similar questions along the lines of, “Do you know how much further to the top?”

We did eventually reach the top and despite our tiredness we decided to continue on up a smaller unofficial path to the very top.  The view was worth it.  Although it would have felt much more fulfilling if there had not been a house and road up there.

The hike down was the real treat. Walking back along the “Creeks and Ferns” path we walked through one beautiful scene after another.

In total we walked almost 7 miles, but it was well worth it.

There are a few trees along the path available for careful posing, but for the most part they have you walking away from the trees on a raised walkway to preserve the plant life. What a beautiful place!