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

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:

Mar. 4, 2025Happy Fat Tuesday!
Dad on duty
Sep. 28, 2025Town of Pienza in Tuscany, Italy
May 3, 2025Happy International Astronomy Day!
Apr. 4, 2025Taktsang Palphug Monastery, Bhutan
Frosty Finland
Sep. 16, 2023Oktoberfest begins
Nov. 3, 2025World Jellyfish Day
The rivers run through us
Feb. 19, 2025European river otter
Sep. 13, 2024Point Reyes National Seashore, California, USA
May 6, 2025An ultralight aircraft flying over the sands of Namibia
Oct. 10, 2023Mount Sopris, Colorado
May 30, 2025Little Pigeon River, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, United States
Jul. 16, 2024Dinosaur Provincial Park
Oct. 29, 2024Great horned owl
Mar. 25, 2025Tolkien Reading Day
The ancient home of the Minoans
Apr. 17, 2024Black bear cub emerges into spring
Jun. 13, 2025Canadian Grand Prix 2025
A view that’s out of this world
One on land, a million in space
Dec. 13, 2023Svolvaer, Lofoten Islands, Norway
Jan. 17, 2025World Pizza Day
Nov. 29, 2025Red deer stag in De Hoge Veluwe National Park, Netherlands
Oct. 12, 2023Old barn and canola field, Palouse region, Idaho
Mar. 21, 2026International Day of Forests
Oct. 8, 2023World Octopus Day
Jul. 7, 2025Northern gannets, Shetland Islands, Scotland
May 18, 2025International Museum Day