City Sightseeing San Francisco has increased the number of departures of this tour because of high demand. Tours will now depart every 30 minutes from 10am to 5pm. he tour includes stops at the Marina, Palace of Fine Arts, Golden Gate Bridge and Sausalito.
Feel free to Hop On and Hop Off as often as you like at any of the stops.
Redwood forests generate the world’s greatest volume of living matter per unit of land surface.
Redwoods tend to dominate their environment because of their resistance to fire, drought, shade and disease and their ability to reproduce from burls. They will survive all but the very worst floods or fires and they can live with very little sunlight for decades. On floodplains they will often grow almost exclusively. In areas where they grow less vigorously such as on steeper slopes or after logging, many other plant species have learned to live alongside the redwoods. Douglas firs are one of the most common and may rival the height of the redwoods in some drier areas. The tallest tree in Muir Woods is a Douglas Fir. The Broad-leaf tan Oak is the most successful tree under the canopy – it grows very well in the shade and will grow in the decaying leaf matter, not tolerated by most other plants. Other trees include the Western hemlock, California laurel, maple, alder, huckleberry, Sitka spruce and rhododendron.
The forest floor is covered in ferns, evergreen huckleberry, salal, and the western azalea. Wildflowers include redwood violets, trilliums, Douglas iris, calypso orchids, and redwood sorrel. The floor is covered in ‘duff’, which is the decaying leaves and twigs. This duff absorbs much of the water and keeps roots moist as well as protecting them from erosion. This layer contains many fungi and bacteria, which convert the dead plant and animal matter into nutrients. A fallen redwood tree may survive for hundreds of years on the forest floor.
Reproduction
One of the reasons the Coast Redwood has survived is its ability to reproduce in two different ways: seed or sprout
Seed Reproduction: This is the primary means of reproduction in an old-growth forest, and it allows the genetic variation which is necessary for the long term survival of the species. If the tree is exposed to enough sunlight it can produce seeds at around 20 years of age. Seed production peaks at 250 – 1000 years. Redwoods have both male (pollen) and female (ovulate) cones, which grow on separate branches of the same tree. They form on the tips of high branches on mature redwoods in the fall. Pollen from the peppercorn-sized male cones is released in streams in the fall. It drifts and descends through the canopy to settle in the female cones. Fertilization will happen 4-8 weeks later.
Over the next year, the female cones mature into hard-sided cones from .5 to 1.5 inches in length. Protected by the hard scales are anywhere from 60 to 150 seeds. The seeds of the redwood are tiny, about the size of a small oatmeal flake. The will remain viable for up to a year. Some seeds are released from the cone while the cone is still on the tree, drifting down to the ground or blown by the wind. Most will settle within a few hundred feet of the tree. Other seeds remain until the cone falls to the forest floor, dries, and opens.
Less than 1% of these seeds will ever produce a tree. Many seeds cannot penetrate the leaf litter or duff to reach the soil. Some will land in water or on animals and will be carried away from the redwood forest. Many more will reach the soil but will be destroyed by fungal attack, bacteria, and insects. Many will be washed away by rain, and some will be eaten by animals. Probably fewer than one in a million seeds will ever become mature trees.
Seedlings will grow best under shady conditions, under the protection of larger trees. When larger trees fall, opening light gaps, seedlings will spring up to fill the void. They can grow roots of over an inch after just one day. Most seedlings will die within 3 months. Lack of moisture is the most likely cause, although many seedlings will also be washed away, eaten by animals or attacked by fungi. Their best chance of survival is after a fire, flood or fallen tree, when most of the competition is gone.
After a year the roots will be around 1 ft deep and the stem around 5 inches. After their first few years, redwoods can grow very rapidly, 2 to 3 feet in height and up to one inch in diameter a year. The trees can be 30ft (10m) at 20 years, 100ft (30m) at 50 years and fully grown at 200-300. After 300 years the tree will grow wider but not taller. Sprout (burl) Reproduction: Redwoods are one of a very few coniferous trees that can also reproduce by sprouting. As early as one year after beginning to grow, a redwood can begin to produce bud collars, most commonly referred to as ‘burls’. These dormant root buds will continuously form, sometimes creating large bulbous growth on the tree’s roots, base, or trunk. Hormones within the tree keep these burls from sprouting until the tree faces some form of stress. Fire, erosion, flooding, browsing, or other injury to the tree will trigger a release on the buds, causing them to begin to grow within a few weeks. Redwood sprouts, or suckers, can grow rapidly, receiving their early nutrition from the roots on which they grow. They are genetically identical to their parent tree, often forming “family circles” around the parent tree. Under optimal conditions, sprouts may reach heights of 8-10 feet in their first year. Eventually the tree will grow its own root system and can survive even if the parent tree should fall. After a fire, trees will often sprout in such proliferation that many of the sprouts cannot compete and die back. Some day these sprouts will grow their own burls and produce their own sprouts. Most sprouting will occur when a tree is 200 – 400 years old.
The Latin name for the coast redwood translates as the ever-green sequoia, often translated as “ever-living.” Redwoods are survivors from 250 million years ago and continue to be the dominant tree in the forests where they grow. Around 25 million years ago they could be found across the entire northern hemisphere, making them older than the Rockies or the Swiss Alps. The trees have changed very little since then. As the earth changed over this time the redwoods did not adapt well to meet the new challenges, and they retreated over the years to remain only on the far west of the old continent.
The redwoods belong to the swamp-cypress family of conifers, or cone-bearing trees. From over a dozen original species of redwoods, only three have survived to the present day. All of them live in mostly protected areas:
The Dawn Redwood lives in central China and grows up to 140ft (42 m) tall and 6 ft (2m) wide.
The Giant Sequoias, living in 75 groves in the Sierra Nevada Mountains of eastern California are the largest trees on earth in terms of volume, growing up to 270ft (82m) tall and 36ft (11m) wide. They live up to 3500 years. The largest is the General Sherman, which lives in Sequoia National Park, just south of Yosemite.
The Coast Redwood grows only along a 475mile strip of northern California coastline, from Big Sur in the south to just over the Oregon border in the north. The trees do not grow less than 2 miles or more than 42 miles from the Ocean. Within 2 miles of the Ocean, the salt spray and coastal breeze dehydrates the trees, killing the foliage. They also do not survive too far from the ocean – the trees require a cooler climate and need the moisture from the coastal fog to survive the dry Californian summer. The highest elevation they will grow is 3200ft (1000m). They grow best where the climate is warm and moist, the ideal temperature being around 65 degrees. Only in the far north of California is there enough rainfall to sustain the trees. Elsewhere, the trees rely on the California coastal fog for moisture during the summer months. In Muir Woods, the annual rainfall averages 40 inches (1 metre) – around 90% of it between October and March. The summer fog keeps the valley cool, reducing evaporation from the needles. Droplets also condense on needles and create ‘fog-drip’ which is the equivalent of around 10 inches (25 cm) of rainfall per year. The soil in the redwood forest is rich and high in organic content. The trees prefer sandy soil, especially areas with high alluvial deposits along riverbeds. They do not survive in soil with high mineral content. The color of the tree comes from tannin and related compounds in the heartwood and bark.
The trees also grow far better on the north slopes. If you walk into Muir Woods from the entrance and follow a trail up to the right, the redwoods will very soon give way to a drier mixed evergreen forest. On the opposite (north) slope the redwoods continue for around half a mile.
The Coastal Redwoods are the tallest trees on Earth. The National Geographic Society measured the ‘Tall tree’ in Redwoods National Park in 1963 at a height of 367.8 feet (112 m). The tallest trees are taller than a football field is long, and taller than the Statue of Liberty or a 35-story building. The tallest trees grow in the low elevation slopes within a few miles of the coast. Here, they are protected from strong winds and are closer to water and moisture-laden fog. Under ideal conditions they will grow at 2-3 feet (60 – 90cm) per year. On average it takes a tree 200 years to reach full canopy size. They are also one of the widest trees on earth, reaching diameters at their base of over 30 feet, (9.3 meters) and one of the oldest trees in existence, the oldest on record having lived 2,200 years when it was cut down. The redwoods in Muir Woods are relatively young – none are over1000 years old. There are two explanations for this – one is that the environment is too dry and windy and the soil is too thin. The second theory is that the whole forest burned down around 1000 years ago.
The average redwood lives for 500 – 700 years. Most trees die from wind throw (falling over) – one of their few weaknesses is that their roots only penetrate 8 – 12 ft down into he soil. However, the roots will spread out 60 – 80 ft. and they will intertwine with roots from other trees for strength. Others may die from excessive fire damage or a severe flood. The trees have no known diseases and do not suffer from insect damage.
Ironically, the area that is now Muir Woods National Monument was saved from logging because in the 19th century it was just too hard to get there. Located just 12 miles from the Golden Gate Bridge, this old-growth stand is now wonderfully accessible to anyone who wants to take a walk in the woods. If you’re looking for a backcountry experience, you’ll have to go elsewhere – around 1.5 million people visit the park each year. If you want a leisurely stroll in an ancient forest to see some of the tallest and oldest trees in the world, then Muir Woods is a great choice.
The 560-acre (226 hectare) park is 256 feet (78 metres) above sea level. It is surrounded by the 6300 acre (2400 hectare) Mt. Tamalpais State Park, and is part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area, which stretches from the Presidio in San Francisco to 28 miles north at Point Reyes.
The park is cool, shaded and moist year-round, due to summer coastal fog and winter storms. Daytime temperatures average between 40 and 70 degrees F (5–21 Celsius), with an annual rainfall of about 40 inches (1 metre). Most of the precipitation occurs during the winter and spring months.
Bay Cruise departs daily and hourly from Pier 43 ½ in Fisherman’s Wharf (stop A11 on Downtown Loop).
Downtown Loop departs daily from City Sightseeing office (2800 Leavenworth St.) every 30 minutes from 9:00am to 5:00pm. More frequent departures April-October.
Bay Cruise tickets may be purchased individually as well.
Description:
San Francisco’s ultimate city and sea adventure!
This is the absolute best way to see San Francisco’s most popular sights in one complete package. Take a ride on our Double-Decker, open-top bus (the Downtown Loop) and then a cruise on Red and White Fleet’s Bay Cruise.
Both tours can be taken at your leisure and departures are throughout the day every 30 minutes.
Tour runs daily.
This combo must be booked at least 48 hours in advance (October – April) and 96 hours in advance (May-September).
Customers must redeem tickets at 9:00am on the day of their tour at the City Sightseeing office (2800 Leavenworth St.).
For Alcatraz – only the day of the tour, not the time can be booked. Alcatraz tours are normally in the late afternoon.
A full tour on Alcatraz Island can be added to an All Loops Ticket. The price includes round trip ferry from San Francisco to Alcatraz Island and the award winning 35 minute audio headset tour inside the prison cellblock. The audio tour is available in seven languages.
The tour is self guided and you can stay on the island for as long as you like. The All Loops ticket allows you to hop-on and off of four double decker tours for 48 hours of unlimited use. These open top bus tours are all fully narrated by live, professional guides and will get you to all the highlights and best areas of San Francisco and Sausalito.
Tour is available on Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday – year round.
Tour meets at the Ferry Building (Market St. and Embarcadero) at 8:30am.
Approximately 4-5 hours in length with some walking.
Short Description:
Ride, walk and chew your way through San Francisco! Everyone knows that San Francisco is a foodie’s paradise and this tour will show you some of the best tastes in several unique neighborhoods. All food is included in price.
Long Description:
This interactive (ride, walk and chew) tour skips the landmarks and shines a spotlight on our unique San Francisco neighborhoods, histories and colorful cuisines. Traditional food is one of the best ways to learn about a culture and participants will dive right in and taste their way through an area’s story and customs.
Starting with a chat over fresh roasted coffee at San Francisco’s landmark Ferry Building, you’ll head off to enjoy a pre-selected “by-the-bite” tasting menu throughout the city. Neighborhoods visited include North Beach, Chinatown, Fisherman’s Wharf and more. The menu varies depending on what is fresh and in season, but ranges from pastries and chocolate to dim sum and tea tasting, and maybe even a famous Irish coffee.
Get a behind the scenes peek at where real San Franciscan’s live, work and eat. Learn why food lovers from all over the world flock here for tastes found nowhere else!
This tour is great paired with the Half-Day Wine Tour for a full day of eating, drinking and gluttony.
Tour departs daily from City Sightseeing office (2800 Leavenworth St.) at 12:30pm. Hotel pick-ups are not available.
Tour is approximately 4-5 hours in length.
Are you short on time but still want to visit the famous Wine Country of Northern California? If so, this tour is perfect for you! This is the only half day wine tour in the city and will allow you time to visit 2-3 wineries.
Visit the world famous California Wine Country in this half-day tour departing from San Francisco. Your tour will start out by crossing the Golden Gate Bridge and having a photo stop at Vista Point for spectacular views of the bridge and of the San Francisco skyline. After driving up Highway 101 and through the heart of Marin County, the first of many vineyards will begin to appear.
You will visit 2-3 selected wineries in Sonoma Valley, giving you time to taste, enjoy the fantastic views, soak up the ambiance and learn about the wine making experience. Embrace the unique culture of California wineries as you visit boutique wineries, as well as mass production.
Tour is fully narrated by a professional and knowledgeable guide.
