Muir Woods National Monument

Muir Woods National Monument Transportation Access Plan
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LOCATION: Marin County, California
CLIENT: National Park Service
DATE COMPLETED: 2012

In 1908 President Theodore Roosevelt declared “Muir Woods” America’s tenth national monument.  Named after noted environmental activist John Muir, this significant ancient stand of Coast Redwoods was gifted by private individuals to the federal government to protect it from development.  Muir Woods’ popularity over the past century has created complex park management concerns to balance landscape preservation with visitor use. The National Park Service needed to re-examine issues of transportation, vehicular and pedestrian access, parking, water quality, and  landscape management in the Redwood Creek Watershed and its relationship to high-use entry areas.  Ed Hamm, working with Rhodeside & Harwell, was regional planner and park planner on the Muir Woods Transportation Plan. The project required careful analysis of natural systems, site use and visitor needs. Ed produced a detailed environmental assessment, investigated site design opportunities and made sustainable, realistic proposals for the National Park Service. Developing new strategies for site interpretation and environmental education was a strong component of the plan.