Muir Woods

If you are ever close to San Francisco, the Muir Woods park is definitely worth a visit. It's not as rugged and pristine as Gatineau Park and nowhere as big, but the giant sequoia redwoods only exist in a few places in the world. This is a sunken moisture rich environment that is necessary to keep the towering water-hungry trees alive, especially as they are not particularly deep-rooted. With a bit of imagination, you could almost be on a different planet. Thorough enjoyment requires time to pause and to reflect, and to explore the less beaten paths (most of the main trails are a little over-used). If one is prepared to be rugged, it might be an interesting experience visiting after heavy rains, with proper footwear of course since it will be very muddy. That might make it even more out-of-this-world.