Vendors fundraise to keep Muir Woods open amid prolonged government shutdown

By Da Lin

Muir Woods National Monument has secured enough private donations to remain open until Nov. 11, but park workers worry that if the ongoing federal government shutdown continues past that date, the park could be forced to close again.

The vendors who raised the funds to reopen the park last month said they cannot afford to cover the costs themselves for much longer and recently launched an online fundraising campaign to solicit public contributions.

“No amount is too small. Every dollar counts, of course. That money will of course be given totally to the national park so we can keep the park [open] longer,” said Faycal Bouaddallah, owner of Must See Tours, who is leading the fundraising effort.

Bouaddallah said small vendors like his company and ExplorUS donated $84,000 to reopen the park on October 23, but that money is expected to run out on Nov. 11. The federal government shutdown forced Muir Woods to close from Oct. 1 through Oct. 22.

“Keeping it open is our way to give back to the national park. It’s been seven years that I’ve worked with them. They are great people,” Bouaddallah said.

He is urging Bay Area tech giants such as Apple, Meta, and Tesla to contribute so that visitors can continue to enjoy the redwood forest. Bouaddallah said it initially cost $4,600 per day to operate the park; that figure has now dropped to just over $3,700 daily. He also emphasized Muir Woods’ importance to local tourism.

“If less people are coming in San Francisco, that means less people book a room, go to the restaurant,” Bouaddallah said.

Visitors Gary Nicolson and Carrie Bruin agreed, saying that keeping the park open is not only good for the economy but also for people’s physical and mental well-being.

“This is a sanctuary of sorts,” said Bruin.

“It feels like you’re a million miles away in the middle of the wilderness. But it’s right in our own backyard,” Nicolson added.

The Pleasanton couple spent three hours walking through the ancient forest on Sunday, praising it as a source of stress relief.

“Life goes pretty fast, but this helps slow it all down and humbles us,” Nicolson said.

“This type of healing just grounds us and allows us to move forward with a little bit more energy, a little bit more hope,” Bruin added.

They noted that many of the park’s redwoods are more than 600 years old and stressed the importance of keeping Muir Woods open for both locals and visitors.

“I am grateful to the donors that have kept this going during the shutdown,” Nicolson said.

More than a million people visit Muir Woods each year, according to the National Park Service.

“All of our guests are particularly happy to be here and express tremendous gratitude the park being open. So it’s a win-win for everybody,” said Phil Garratt, a volunteer at Muir Woods for the past two years.

Bouaddallah said that if the government reopens before Nov. 11, any money raised will be returned to the donors.