On Saturday night, Brendan, Brandon, Maria, and I headed up to Muir Woods National Monument for an evening hike.
Walking through the woods at night is very calming and a nice escape. I live in an apartment, so I never get to escape noise. I really only started to notice how much I missed quietness after moving away from home and going back for a visit. Muir Woods offered this same calmness. I haven’t walked this deep into the woods at night for a long time… probably not since elementary school. At one point the ranger even had us each walk quietly down the trail alone, which was pretty cool.
If you’re in the area and are looking for a different way to experience the forest, I’d recommend giving this a try. The hike is generally offered between March and November on nights with a full moon. You can find it on the events page for the park. It’s a free event and they don’t even charge admission to the park that late, so the entire experience is free. It’s a really easy hike, but remember to bring a jacket or sweatshirt as it gets cold up there at night. They’ll tell you to bring a flashlight, but unless you have horrible night vision, don’t bother turning it on as it takes away from the experience.