Chapter 8: Appalachia and the Ozarks

San Francisco does not compare to the forestry and rugged terrain of the Appalachia and the Ozarks. Twelve miles from San Francisco, there is a preserved forest called the Muir Woods National Monument. It is the closest forestry near San Francisco. Muir Woods is the home of the tallest tree, the Coast redwood, Sequoia sempervirens.

Source:
wikipedia.org/wiki/Muir_Woods_National_Monument

Another place near San Francisco is the Calaveras Dam, located at the Alameda-Santa Clara County line. The dam and resevoir is owned by the city and county of San Francisco. The dam is a 230 foot high barrier which holds the largest drinking water reservoir in the 9 county region. Since its location is on an active fault zone, dam regulators drained the reservoir to about a third of its capacity.

source:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calaveras_Reservoir