Founders Grove contains some of the largest trees at Muir Woods, including the redwood named for forester Gifford Pinchot. It also shows how the forest floor sustains the towering trees above it.
Details
- Type
- Point of Interest
- Accessibility
- Limited accessibility
Overview
The grove holds several of the monument's biggest redwoods. One is named the Pinchot tree, marked by a plaque dedicated on May 1, 1910 to Gifford Pinchot, the first chief of the U.S. Forest Service, who helped bring the donated land to President Theodore Roosevelt's attention for protection in 1908.
The Forest Floor
Redwood health depends on the soils below. Douglas firs, tanoaks, madrones, ferns, mosses, and mushrooms break down plant material and rebuild the soil. Fallen trees decay as nurse logs and return nutrients to the ground. The understory includes huckleberry, blackberry, and thimbleberry, which feed raccoons and other wildlife. The grove receives about 35 inches of rain a year.
Know Before You Go
The grove is reached on the level main trail and is a common site for ranger talks. It has never been logged, so the natural soil-building cycle continues here.