For those seeking to avoid the crowds at Muir Woods, consider the Dipsea - Ben Johnson - Hillside Loop Trail. This 4.35 mile loop begins and ends at the Dipsea Trailhead in Muir Woods National Monument and affords a different trail experience than those who remain on the Muir Woods Main Loop Trail.

Redwood Creek runs through Muir Woods and crosses the Dipsea Trail

The Dispea Trail leads up through wide coastal meadows before meeting the Ben Johnson Trail

Before the Ben Johnson split, the trail becomes notably forested

Part of an 'old growth' forest, the Redwoods on the Ben Johnson Trail have never been logged

The tannin-rich bark of a coastal redwood tree can range between 6 and 12 inches thick

Redwoods thrive in this area because of perrenial coastal fog which the trees use to extract moisture

Looking down at redwoods in Muir Woods on the Hillside Trail, which parallels the Main Loop Trail