Fern Creek - Where Two Streams Meet

A stop on Muir Woods, a free self-guided tour.

Here Fern Creek tumbles in from the slopes of Mount Tamalpais to join Redwood Creek. The name is easy to understand: look at the banks and you'll see sword ferns and other ferns thriving in the damp shade.

This spot has a human story too. A man named Ben Johnson once had a cabin near where the two creeks meet; it was torn down in 1928. In the 1930s, young men of the Civilian Conservation Corps worked in Muir Woods for years, building creek walls and a stone-faced bridge on Fern Creek.

The Fern Creek Trail climbs from here toward Camp Alice Eastwood. A short way up, a plaque beside a fallen Douglas fir honors William Kent. If you have extra time and sturdy shoes, it's a lovely detour.

Watch the ground for banana slugs, bright yellow and slow, which help break down fallen leaves. Look but don't touch: the slime protects them.

Getting here: Continue up the Main Trail about a quarter mile past Cathedral Grove to the footbridge and the Fern Creek trailhead sign.

Did you know?: The Civilian Conservation Corps arrived in Muir Woods in October 1933 with up to 200 men and finished its last project here in May 1941.

Photo op: From the footbridge, frame the meeting of the two creeks with ferns in the foreground; a slow shutter on a steady railing smooths the water.

Nearby: None here. The nearest restrooms on this side are up the Fern Creek Trail at Camp Alice Eastwood, or back at the entrance.

More on Wikipedia: Civilian Conservation Corps · Mount Tamalpais · William Kent

Fern Creek - Where Two Streams Meet

Stops on this tour