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Education Reservations Forms for the 2025-2026 school year are now live! To apply, please submit the form found at the bottom of this page. For questions, please email GOGA_Education@nps.gov
OverviewGrades K - 5
NPS Your students travel on a self-guided inquiry-based journey through Muir Woods and other natural communities along the Redwood Creek Watershed. They consider the interrelationships of the forest communities and understand the healthy patterns of a forest habitat. Together, they'll delve into the interconnected puzzle of forest communities and decipher the captivating patterns that embody a forest habitat. Getting Ready for the Park Visit in Muir Woods National MonumentNational Park Service staff will greet you and your class when you arrive at Muir Woods. Staff will conduct a 15-minute talk on the ecosystem in a special outdoor classroom. Also, you will be provided with resources to guide your class while learning in the woods. Groups, please fill out the education reservation request form for an educational visit.
Rings, Ripples, & Echoes uses the Understanding by Design framework, and aligns with the Next Generation Science Standards and Common Core Standards. 
NPS
Program StructureRings, Ripples, and Echoes is framed by an Essential Question: K - 2nd Grade: What do living things need to survive in their habitat? 3rd - 4th Grade: How do living things thrive in their habitat? 5th Grade: How are our cultures influenced by where we live? Rings, Ripples, & Echoes is structured in three parts: 1. Classroom preparation – lessons delivered by the teacher with resources provided by the park 2. Field session – the forest experience in which students investigate the forest, engage in scientific inquiry, and discuss cultural uses of the land. In-person field sessions are only offered Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursdays. 3. Classroom Assessment – opportunities for students to demonstrate what they have learned through writing stories, illustrated poems, or developing models based on evidence gleaned from plant identification cards, information on Coast Miwok land use, and their own forest visit. Please visit the Save the Redwoods League website to get more information on Redwood Forests.
Education Reservation Request Form – In-Person Park Visit
Use this form to apply for Rings, Ripples and Echoes Self Guided Program. Please note the following: Logistics Ranger-led field trips are offered during the following dates and times:
Group Size Programs are designed for 10-35 students per class, and we can accommodate ONLY 1 class per day. During the program, students will be divided into smaller groups for hands-on investigations. Chaperones One adult chaperone is required for every ten students. Chaperones play a key role in making park programs successful and safe. Here’s what to expect on your park visit:
Safety at Muir Woods Field trips to Muir Woods are full of adventure—and safety is key to a great trip!
Be Prepared Any visit to Muir Woods will include some outdoor walking and exploring. Students should wear sturdy, closed-toe shoes. Layering is essential in the redwood forest—mornings can be chilly, afternoons warm, and conditions may change quickly. Each student should carry a water bottle. Restrooms Restrooms are located in the front plaza near the visitor center, as well as in the café area inside the park. Restrooms are not available along the trails. Please use the restrooms before hiking. NPS Form 10-1750 (Rev. 04/2021) OMB Control No. 1024-0228 NoticesPrivacy Act StatementAuthority: Public Law 114-289 National Park Service Centennial Act and 54 U.S.C. 100701 Protection, interpretation, and research in System. Purpose: To administer education programs for education audiences including but not limited to school groups, scouting groups, extracurricular groups, and home school groups. Routine Uses: To effectively manage requests for education received by the NPS, the Education Reservation Request Form is used to collect basic education reservation information to facilitate operational aspects of scheduling groups for park education programs, including in-park education programs, ranger in classroom programs, and/or online distance learning programs. Disclosure: Voluntary, however, failure to provide the requested information may impede the ability to grant your education reservation request. Paperwork Reduction Act StatementWe are collecting this information subject to the Paperwork Reduction Act (44 U.S.C. 3501) to provide park managers and educators the information needed to schedule and conduct education program activities. All applicable parts of the form must be completed in order for your request to be considered. You are not required to respond to this or any other Federal agency-sponsored information collection unless it displays a currently valid OMB control number. OMB has approved this collection of information and assigned control number 1024-0288. Estimated Burden StatementPublic reporting for this collection of information is estimated to average 5 minutes per response, including the time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the collection of information. Send comments regarding this burden estimate or any other aspect of this collection of information, including suggestions for reducing this burden, to the Information Collection Clearance Officer, National Park Service, 1201 Oakridge Drive, Fort Collins, CO 80525. Do not send your completed form to this address. |
Last updated: August 27, 2025