Point Reyes :
Point Reyes is a cape located in Marin County northwest of San Francisco. It is a nature preserve protected by the US national park service and protected from any development. It is a very popular tourist destination known for its hiking, kayaking, birdwatching and other recreational activities. The park is 71,028 acres and includes many different geographies including beaches, grasslands, forests, and hillsides. The beaches are well known for how clean they are and were named the cleanest in the California in 2010. The park is also home to 1500 different species of plants and animals including the northern elephant seals. Fog is very common throughout the year, visibility can be so slim that it is impossible to see an object just 300 steps away. For this reason there is a lighthouse located on Point Reyes to warn boats in the area because there is not beach for boats to wash up on, just a rocky cliff. The Point Reyes seashore association works to maintain and restore parks and nature as well as educate people about nature and how to take care of it.
Muir Woods :
The Muir Woods is a red wood forest located just a few miles north of San Francisco. It includes trees up to 1,200 years old and 258 feet tall. The forest is 554 acres and has been federally protected as a national monument since 1908. The forest includes many hiking trails with varying difficulty and is open exclusively during the day. Heavy rain occurs throughout the winter but summers are dry excepted for fog. The fog creates a wet environment that is very beneficial to plant growth and the growth of the red woods especially during the dry summer. Also, many animals live in the forest, but most are nocturnal and sleep during the day. There are several spices of bats that use the trees as homes. Historically bears were common throughout Muir Woods but the majority of bears have been exterminated in recent years. And sea otters are becoming more common in the lagoon area of the forest. Also, there is a low insect population which leads to a low population of birds and other insect eating animals. The Muir woods are very well known due to the amount of weddings, commercial filming, and special events done throughout the forest.
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