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Top 10 Visitor Centers in National Forests

December 30, 2025 Raven About The Parks Leave a comment

We have now published blog posts on more than half of the 155 National Forests and 20 National Grasslands in America, so it seemed like a good time to do another Top 10 list. Visitor centers are much rarer in National Forests than sites managed by the National Park Service (plus they seem to mostly be open only on weekdays), but there are still some good ones. Some are small and tourist-focused like the one at historic Lolo Pass on the Idaho-Montana border, while others are large but mostly serve as the headquarters for employees, like at Black Hills National Forest in South Dakota. Presented here are the best from our travels, plus check out some of our favorite National Forests in our many other Top 10 lists. Still struggling to figure out the difference between a National Park and a National Forest? Read this blog post for help.

10. El Yunque National Forest (Puerto Rico)

The Forest Service’s El Portal Rainforest Visitor Center reopened in January 2022, just weeks after we visited this as our final one of all 155 National Forests.

9. Gila National Forest (New Mexico)

This visitor center is co-managed with the National Park Service due to its proximity to Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument; ask about the hot springs in the area.

8. Ottawa National Forest (Michigan)

An interpretive trail through the forest leaves from this site, a good stop before driving down to Black River Harbor Recreation Area past its many waterfalls.

7. Inyo National Forest (California)

In the White Mountains, a steep paved road leads to a visitor center at the Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest, and visit the one on Mono Lake along scenic Highway 395.

6. Gallatin National Forest (Montana)

Earthquake Lake Visitor Center on Highway 287 is open in the summer to tell the tragic story of August 17, 1959.

5. Toiyabe National Forest (Nevada-California)

There are cool stained-glass windows along the top of this modern visitor center outside Las Vegas.

4. St. Francis National Forest (Arkansas)

Mississippi River State Park has an amazing new visitor center that interprets this small neighboring National Forest, and it has a gift shop.

3. Sawtooth National Recreation Area (Idaho)

There are a couple of visitor centers around scenic Redfish Lake and the town of Stanley in both Sawtooth and Challis National Forests.

2. Mt. St. Helens National Volcanic Monument (Washington)

Gifford Pinchot National Forest runs seasonal visitor centers on both the east and west sides of Mt. St. Helens, plus there is one in Seaquest State Park.

…and finally our #1 National Forest visitor center:

1. Tongass National Forest (Alaska)

The Southeast Alaska Discovery Center in Ketchikan accepts America the Beautiful passes, so bring yours along on the cruise ship, which is how most visitors arrive.

Honorable Mentions

Coconino National Forest (Arizona)

Red Rock Ranger Visitor Center has the best location in the heart of Sedona right off Red Rock Scenic Byway (Highway 179)

Black Kettle National Grassland (Oklahoma)

Located downstairs from the National Park Service visitor center for Washita Battlefield National Historic Site, there is also an excellent interpretive trail outside.

Grand Mesa National Forest (Colorado)

A log cabin atop the mesa shows two films about the region, while the historic Lands End Observatory offers superb views.

Wayne National Forest (Ohio)

Always seem to drive past this Welcome Center on Highway 33 when it is closed, but it looks nice from the outside.

Caribou National Forest (Idaho)

The National Oregon/California Trail Center in Montpelier has a Forest Service flag flying out front, but it does not seem to be run by them at all.

Buffalo Gap National Grassland (South Dakota)

Wall Drug is not the only attraction in the town of Wall, as the National Grasslands Visitor Center serves as the main interpretive site for all 20 National Grasslands (plus Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie, which has its own nice visitor center in Illinois).

Forest Service Information Center (Washington, D.C.)

We have been inside the historic 1878 Sidney R. Yates building on Independence Avenue SW, but do not recall the animatronic Smokey Bear that now resides there.

Learn more about all 155 National Forests in our travel guidebook Out in the Woods

Texas

Chamizal National Memorial

December 23, 2025 Raven About The Parks 4 Comments

Chamizal National Memorial

Texas

Managed by National Park Service

Established 1974

55 acres

Website: nps.gov/cham

Overview

The Rio Grande forms the international border between the U.S. and Mexico for 1,248 miles, but in El Paso the river changed course suddenly in 1864 creating Cordova Island and leading to a 630-acre land dispute that lasted a century. An 1884 treaty agreed in principle that if the river changed course slowly by erosion, then the boundary moved with the deepest channel, but a commission investigating it a decade later found that Americans were settling land owned by Mexico. The issue remained contentious, with a 1909 meeting between Presidents Taft and Diaz almost resulted in the assassination of them both. Finally, a 1963 settlement involved displacing 5,600 Americans, as well as moving a railroad, school, bridge, and the river channel itself. Chamizal National Memorial was authorized by Congress three years later to celebrate the goodwill inherent to this treaty with a history museum, as well as three art galleries and a 500-seat indoor theater.

Highlights

Museum, film, Franklin G. Smith Gallery, Benito Juarez sculpture, Nuestra Herencia mural

Must-Do Activity

There is a film shown in the visitor center, in addition to the museum about the treaty and exhibits in the art galleries that change every few months. Summer concerts take place in the outdoor amphitheater and the Chamizal Festival is held the first weekend in October featuring music, crafts, dance, and visual arts. The park annually holds a Siglo de Oro Drama Festival in the spring, when acting troupes performed plays from the golden age of Spanish theater, including those by Lope de Vega. In September 2025, the first Chihuahuan Desert Festival was held throughout the city of El Paso. Check the National Park Service website or Facebook page for events throughout the year.

Best Trail

There are walking trails around the 55-acre property that pass some of the historic boundary markers along East Paisano Drive.

Photographic Opportunity

Nuestra Herencia is a very colorful mural painted on the outside of the visitor center.

Peak Season

Spring and fall

Hours

https://nps.gov/cham/planyourvisit/hours.htm

Fees

None

Road Conditions

Access roads are paved, but be careful how you get there because it is very close to a border crossing station and you do not want to accidentally wind up in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico.

Camping

There are private campgrounds in El Paso, or visit Franklin Mountains State Park for camping, hiking, mountain biking, and rock climbing opportunities. Encompassing 24,248 acres, this is one of the largest urban parks in the country lying completely within city limits.

Big Bend National Park (Texas)

Fort Davis National Historic Site (Texas)

Guadalupe Mountains National Park (Texas)

Nearest National Park

White Sands

Explore More – What does “chamizal” mean in Spanish?

Missouri

Mark Twain National Forest

December 16, 2025 Raven About The Parks 2 Comments

Mark Twain National Forest

Missouri

Managed by U.S. Forest Service, Eastern Region

3,012,464 acres (1,491,840 federal/ 1,520,624 other)

Website: https://www.fs.usda.gov/r09/marktwain

Overview

In the 1970s, the more northerly Clark National Forest in Missouri was administratively combined with Mark Twain National Forest, encompassing 11% of the state’s forests across 29 counties. Much of the forest was planted by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC), with their work still visible at the Rolla Ranger Station and Winona Ranger Station Historic Districts. Spread across nine separate units throughout southern Missouri’s Ozark Mountains, Mark Twain National Forest’s Karst topography is full of caves, sinkholes, streams, and springs. Greer Spring is the second largest in Missouri with a daily flow of 222-million gallons as it drains 1.25 miles into the Eleven Point National Scenic River. Greer Spring is accessible by a one-mile trail downhill from Highway 19, but no fishing or wading is allowed.

Highlights

Glade Top Trail Scenic Byway, Blue Buck Knob Scenic Byway, Greer Spring, Table Rock Lake, Council Bluff Recreation Area, Overcup Oak Sink, Silver Mine Recreation Area, Bellevue Trail, Cedar Creek Trail, Devil’s Backbone Trail, Ridge Runner National Recreation Trail, Big Piney Trail, Ozark Trail

Must-Do Activity

Most trails in Mark Twain National Forest are open to hikers, mountain bikers, and equestrians, including Ridge Runner National Recreation Trail that totals 33 miles. Two areas at Chadwick and Sutton Bluff are designated for ATV, UTV, and motorcycle use. Fishing is a popular activity on the Eleven Point National Scenic River and numerous lakes, like Noblett Lake and Table Rock Lake. There are so many recreation areas spread around this massive National Forest, it is impossible to cover them all here. We recommend you start with one of the spots listed under Highlights above.

Best Trail

Mark Twain National Forest has several long trails that explore its 78,000 acres of Wilderness areas, including sections of the 350-mile Ozark Trail. Northeast of Branson, Hercules-Glades Wilderness protects 12,413 acres of forested hillsides, limestone outcroppings, and glades of native grasses. There are three trailheads on the edge of the Wilderness, but we chose Blair Ridge because of its paved access 5.3 miles off Highway 160. From a small roadside parking area, the trail follows a ridgeline for 1.2 miles to some excellent backpacking campsites that overlook the countryside before it drops 600 feet in the next mile. At that point the trail intersects with Coy Bald Trail, which can be taken a short distance to a small scenic waterfall on Long Creek.

Watchable Wildlife

The Ozark Mountains provide habitat for common eastern species like white-tailed deer, wild turkeys, gray squirrels, cottontail rabbits, red foxes, and raccoons. You may also encounter venomous copperheads, timber rattlesnakes, and pygmy rattlesnakes. The oak savannahs are home to several endemic plants, as well as prickly pear cacti and animals more associated with the Southwest U.S., like roadrunners, collared lizards, scorpions, and tarantulas. Gamefish include smallmouth bass, largemouth bass, rock bass, walleye, and rainbow trout.

Photographic Opportunity

Between Jefferson City and Columbia, Pine Ridge Recreation Area accesses Cedar Creek Trail, which has multiple trailheads and four loops totaling 36 miles.

Peak Season

Spring and fall

Fees

There are day use fees at several sites, including $5 at Noblett Lake and $2 at Blue Hole Trailhead and North Fork Recreation Area

Road Conditions

Many of the curvy back roads in Mark Twain National Forest are paved, such as Blair Ridge that led to a trailhead 5.3 miles off Highway 160. There are likely some rough unpaved roads in the Ozarks, so check road conditions before departing.

Camping

There are numerous campgrounds in Mark Twain National Forest, although it can be harder to find good dispersed campsites due to the proximity to private land. In the northernmost area outside Columbia, we paid to camp in the quiet Pine Ridge Recreation Area. On the edge of the Hercules-Glades Wilderness at the Hercules Tower (with restrooms) and Coy Bald Trailheads, there are a handful of car camping sites for free.

Wilderness Areas

Bell Mountain Wilderness

Devils Backbone Wilderness

Hercules-Glades Wilderness

Irish Wilderness

Paddy Creek Wilderness

Piney Creek Wilderness

Rockpile Mountain Wilderness

George Washington Carver National Monument (Missouri)

Ozark National Forest (Arkansas)

Nearest National Park

Gateway Arch

Conifer Tree Species

shortleaf pine, eastern redcedar

Flowering Tree Species

sweetgum, water tupelo, sugar maple, red maple, boxelder, honeylocust, Ohio buckeye, red buckeye, black cherry, sassafras, persimmon, Kentucky coffee tree, black gum, blackjack oak, Nuttall oak, overcup oak, white oak, black oak, scarlet oak, post oak, black hickory, shagbark hickory, mockernut hickory, bitternut hickory, brookside alder

Explore More – Mark Twain National Forest’s Greer Spring is the second largest natural spring in Missouri, so which one is in first place?

Learn more about this and the 154 other National Forests in our new guidebook Out in the Woods

New York

Vanderbilt Mansion National Historic Site

December 10, 2025 Raven About The Parks 1 Comment

Vanderbilt Mansion National Historic Site

New York

Managed by National Park Service

Established 1940

211 acres

Website: nps.gov/vama

Overview

The Gilded Age is the term referring to the period from the Civil War to the end of the century, a time of growth in industry and immigration. Gilding is the process of putting a thin layer of gold on an object to improve its appearance and was used as a slight to the nouveau riche families that built lavish mansions and threw extravagant parties. Shipping and railroad tycoon Cornelius Vanderbilt’s grandson Frederick purchased this 600-acre Hyde Park estate in 1895. He and his wife Louise had the mansion there torn down and it took nearly four years to complete their 54-room mansion ornamented in beaux arts style. It was the first in the area to have electricity, which was supplied by its own hydroelectric plant. It was inhabited by the family only in the spring and fall with as many as 60 staff needed to run the place. When Louise’s niece could not sell the property during the Great Depression, her neighbor President Franklin D. Roosevelt suggested she donate it to the National Park Service.

Highlights

Mansion, Pavilion, Formal Gardens, Hyde Park Trail

Must-Do Activity

The only way inside the mansion is on a one-hour guided tour that does not take reservations. They can be purchased at the visitor center inside The Pavilion, a guest house built in 66 days in 1895. The grounds are free to explore, where you can walk on the carriage roads, picnic at the overlook, and peruse the Italian gardens. The mansion was designed by the leading architectural firm McKim, Mead & White, known for their emphasis on high classicism. It features a large living room, grand staircase, and semicircular portico overlooking the Hudson River and Catskill Mountains. The house cost $660,000 at the time, while the interior furnishings pushed the total cost to $2.3-million (equivalent to about $90-million today) since many of the decorations were purchased in Europe.

Best Trail

Vanderbilt Service Road Trail loops through this 211-acre site and Bard Rock Road Trail splits off to a point on the Hudson River. Hyde Park Trail follows the river south to connect with the Home of Franklin D. Roosevelt National Historic Site and Eleanor Roosevelt National Historic Site.

Photographic Opportunity

The landscape design (and a ginkgo tree) on the property dates back to the 1700s, while its current look was restored to its 1930s appearance.

Peak Season

Summer

Hours

https://nps.gov/vama/planyourvisit/hours.htm

Fees

$15 per person for the mansion tour or use the annual America the Beautiful pass

Road Conditions

Parking and access roads are paved from the Albany Post Road (Highway 9).

Camping

Mills-Norrie State Park is located 3.5 miles north on Highway 9 and has a campground offering running water and hot showers.

Eleanor Roosevelt National Historic Site (New York)

Martin Van Buren National Historic Site (New York)

Nearest National Park

Shenandoah

Explore More – Who were the authors who coined the term “Gilded Age” in their 1873 book?

Utah

Manti National Forest

December 3, 2025 Raven About The Parks Leave a comment

Manti National Forest

Utah

Managed by U.S. Forest Service, Intermountain Region

735,358 acres

Website: https://www.fs.usda.gov/r04/manti-lasal

Overview

Manti Forest Reserve dates back to 1903, becoming a National Forest four years later and expanded in 1915 with the addition of Nebo National Forest. Despite being separated by more than 100 miles, Manti and La Sal National Forests were combined in 1949, an early example of improved bureaucratic efficiency by the Forest Service. Due to this longstanding association, it can be difficult to find information for the more northerly Manti National Forest alone. Manti National Forest covers much of the Wasatch Plateau and also manages the busy Maple Canyon Trail system (technically in Uinta National Forest).

Highlights

Energy Loop, Skyline, Eccles Canyon, Drive Scenic Backway, Stuart Guard Station National Historic Site, Electric Lake, Nelson Mountain, Maple Canyon, Fish Creek National Recreation Trail, Left Fork of Huntington Creek National Recreation Trail

Must-Do Activity

Many visitors to Manti National Forest drive the Energy Loop, named for Utah’s coal country, which partially follows the paved Huntington and Eccles Canyons Scenic Byway. Campgrounds, historic sites, reservoirs, trails, and trout streams are all accessible along the 86-mile drive. The more adventurous can take on the unpaved Skyline Drive Scenic Backway that climbs the Wasatch Plateau. This 58-mile route has many side roads popular with ATV and OHV drivers, and it is open to snowmobiles in the winter.

Best Trail

Easily accessible from the Energy Loop drive, the six-mile long Left Fork of Huntington Creek National Recreation Trail follows the canyon gaining 847 feet in elevation. It can be completed one-way downhill from Miller Flat Trailhead by leaving a vehicle at Forks of Huntington Campground. Despite a wildfire on the south canyon wall and subsequent erosion, the creek remains a good fishing spot, especially the lower half-mile that has interpretive signs on hydrology for children. The trail can also be joined with Horse Canyon, Scad Valley, and Mill Canyon Trails to form longer loops, but a vehicle shuttle would still be necessary to avoid walking the highway. Nearby, Fish Creek National Recreation Trail is ten miles long and open to travel by foot, horse, and bicycle.

Watchable Wildlife

The Wasatch Plateau rises from 5,000 to over 10,000 feet in elevation, and its vertical escarpments and subalpine lakes support a diversity of habitats. Huntington Creek is one of the premiere fly-fishing streams in Utah. Joe’s Valley is a 1,200-acre reservoir that offers fishing for splake, and allows motor boats (as does Electric Lake). Large mammals found here include black bears, mountain lions, bobcats, coyotes, elk, mule deer, and pronghorns. Birds of Manti National Forest include bald eagles, golden eagles, northern goshawks, turkey vultures, wild turkeys, common ravens, and various species of owls and woodpeckers.

Photographic Opportunity

Fremont cottonwood trees are named for explorer John C. Fremont and this riparian species is an indicator of permanent subsurface water, with trunks that can reach more than four feet in diameter.

Peak Season

Spring and fall

Fees

None

Road Conditions

The Huntington and Eccles Canyons Scenic Byway is paved, but the Skyline Drive Scenic Backway is not. Check the Forest Service website for updates on road conditions and closures.

Camping

There are several designated campgrounds along Huntington and Eccles Canyons Scenic Byway, plus dispersed camping is allowed along most of the unpaved roads. Maple Canyon Campground is a popular destination with online reservations available May through October.

Wilderness Areas

None

Related Sites

Fishlake National Forest (Utah)

La Sal National Forest (Utah)

Timpanogos Cave National Monument (Utah)

Nearest National Park

Capitol Reef