During the 1930s, the Civilian Conservation Corps built much of the trail and stream infrastructure still in use at Muir Woods. The crews worked here as part of Franklin Roosevelt's Depression-era public works program.
Details
- Type
- Historic Site
- Accessibility
- Limited accessibility
Overview
The Civilian Conservation Corps operated at Muir Woods and adjacent Mount Tamalpais State Park beginning in 1933, with work continuing through the late 1930s. More than 200 men were stationed at the working camp. The first arrivals came from New York State and were later joined by World War I veterans transferred from other camps and bases. The national program drew junior enrollees aged 18 to 26 along with veterans and experienced local crews.
What They Built
Corps work included fire protection, flood control, trail improvements, new bridges, signs, benches, comfort stations, and picnic facilities, plus a new entrance gate and administration building. Their largest project was erosion control along Redwood Creek, where crews installed long sections of boulder riprap on the banks, wire-bound rock revetments, and redwood-log check dams to slow the cutting of the creek bed.
Know Before You Go
Some of the CCC riprap is still visible along Redwood Creek from the main trail. The park has removed parts of it over time to restore natural stream flow for endangered coho salmon.