Muir Woods Rises With the Apes

One of the Bay Area's most iconic attractions is getting a little help from some monkeys. Some Hollywood monkeys at that.

The Marin Independent Journal reports that the new Hollywood blockbuster "Rise of the Planet of the Apes" is helping draw new visitors to Muir Woods.

The movie, which stars Palo Alto's James Franco, features a scene where apes run across the Golden Gate Bridge and escape to Muir Woods.

And while none of the CGI filled movie was actually filmed in the park, the movie's producers took pictures of Muir Woods' famed redwood trees and replicated them on screen.

The park has seen an uptake in visitors this summer. For the first time since Sept. 11, 2001, Muir Woods has at times drawn 5,000 people a day. There hasn't been a day like that for over two years.

Park officials tell the paper that the boost from the movie combined with more staycations are probably two contributing factors that are helping draw more people to the park.

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