Muir Woods National Monument, California, United States Jan. 9, 2026

Muir Woods National Monument, California, United States

Step into the realm of giants. Try embracing a BFG (Big Friendly Giant) as you wrap your arms around a thousand years of wisdom in a single tree trunk. Welcome to Muir Woods National Monument—established on this day in 1908—a majestic hall of coastal redwoods just north of San Francisco. These towering redwoods are the tallest trees on Earth—one here stretches about 80 metres, roughly the height of 43 people stacked head to toe. Most are 600–800 years old, and some have stood for over a millennium, yet they"re still considered "young" for a species that can live for 2,000 years.

© photo by canderson/Getty Images

palette

Today in History

Where buffalo roam
Jan. 9, 2024Rio Grande, Albuquerque
Jan. 9, 2025Sossusvlei sand dunes, Namib desert, Namibia

More Desktop Wallpapers:

Hide-and-go-seek world champion
A book lover’s paradise
A shiver of sharks on the hunt
Jun. 4, 2024Chestnut-headed bee-eater, Bardia National Park, Nepal
When ice imitates art
Feb. 29, 2024Leap Day
Oct. 17, 2023Vieste, Apulia, Italy
Colours of spring
Oct. 9, 2023Thanksgiving Day
Sports where you least expect it
May 8, 2025World Donkey Day
Aug. 30, 2025International Whale Shark Day
A triumphant pose
Dec. 14, 2024Christmas Bird Count turns 125
A labyrinth of luxury
Reflecting its stylish past today
Zebras enjoying their day
Stop and smell the Sakura
Jun. 24, 2025Delicate Arch, Arches National Park, Utah, United States
‘A sustainable and peaceful common future’
Where the rainbow ends
May 15, 2024The Blue City of Jodhpur, Rajasthan, India
Feb. 22, 2026Mam Tor, Derbyshire, England
Feb. 27, 2025International Polar Bear Day
Keyholes to the kingdom
Dec. 27, 2023Kirkjufell, Iceland
Nov. 14, 2024Manarola, Cinque Terre National Park, Liguria, Italy
A beautiful labyrinth
Sep. 30, 2023Shenandoah National Park, Virginia
Jan. 12, 2025Crescent-tail bigeye fish, Great Barrier Reef, Australia