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Top 10 National Forests for Day Hiking

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We have hiked in all 155 National Forests, and we used those experiences to write our guidebook Out in the Woods.  Most National Forests have hundreds of miles of trails, which are a great way to explore the landscape.  Sometimes it can be overwhelming because there are so many options.  Compared to our Top 10 Day Hiking Trails in National Forests, this list is focused on places where there are many good trails to choose from (and we did our best not to overlap).  We hope you are inspired to throw on your daypack and hit the trail.  Click here to see all our Top 10 lists, including our Top 10 National Forests for Backpacking and Top 10 Summit Trails in National Forests.

10. Tonto (Arizona)

Due to its proximity to Phoenix, many areas like Peralta and First Water Trailheads are often packed with hikers (as is Siphon Draw Trail, another favorite hike that gains 2,781 feet of elevation to the Flatiron, usually starting from Lost Dutchman State Park).

9. Hoosier (Indiana)

Pioneer Mothers Memorial Forest features a 0.8-mile trail that runs through the old-growth forest.  Hemlock Cliffs Trail is a 1.2-mile loop through a sandstone canyon that passes behind two unique waterfalls.  Longer hiking options include the 36.3-mile Terrill Ridge Trail that enters the Charles C. Deam Wilderness (Indiana’s one and only) and the 24.1 miles of trails around German Ridge Lake. 

8. Chequamegon (Wisconsin)

St. Peter’s Dome and Morgan Falls Recreation Area (fee) is one of the best developed sites, as are Aldo Leopold Commemorative Trail and Moquah Barrens Research Natural Area.  The North Country National Scenic Trail traverses a 61-mile stretch of Chequamegon National Forest and the southernmost disjunct section includes 49 miles of the Ice Age National Scenic Trail.

7. Chattahoochee (Georgia)

The Gennett Poplar (a tulip-poplar tree more than five feet in diameter) is accessed by hiking 1.8 miles out-and-back with two stream crossings on the Bear Creek Tail.  Old-growth trees are also found in 175-acre Sosebee Cove Scenic Area.  Trails also access Anna Ruby Falls and the highest point in Georgia (4,784-foot Brasstown Bald).  Ed Jenkins National Recreation Area encompasses Springer Mountain, home of the Appalachian National Scenic Trail’s southern terminus and the Benton MacKaye Trail.

6. Mt. Hood (Oregon)

Some of the best waterfalls in the country are in Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area, and that does not include the trail that allows you to walk behind the roaring Tamanawas Falls.  Two great spots to photograph snowy Mt. Hood are from Trillium Lake and Lost Lake (where a three-mile hiking trail encircles it).

5. Ozark (Arkansas)

Hawksbill Crag (Whitaker Point) is an iconic Arkansas landmark in the Upper Buffalo Wilderness.  Alum Cove Natural Bridge National Recreation Trail is a 1.1-mile loop that crosses over a 130-foot-long sandstone bridge that is 20 feet wide with installed guardrails.  Another natural bridge (60 feet long) on Hurricane Creek can be found along the 165-mile Ozark Highlands National Recreation Trail.

4. Lolo (Montana)

Right outside Missoula are numerous hiking trails in Blue Mountain Recreation Area and Rattlesnake National Recreation Area.  Morrell Falls National Recreation Trail leads to a 90-foot-tall waterfall on the western slope of the Swan Range, and the nearby Pyramid Pass Trailhead provides access to the Bob Marshall Wilderness in adjacent Flathead National Forest.

3. White River (Colorado)

Hanging Lake and the Maroon Bells are two of the most picturesque places in Colorado, so parking can be an issue at both.  Most visitors do not make it beyond the photo-ops along Maroon Lake, but a hike up the valley at least to Crater Lake (1.8 miles one-way) is worth the effort.

2. Sierra (California)

A paved wheelchair-accessible walking path of less than a half-mile leads through the McKinley Grove of giant sequoia trees, plus there are two National Recreation Trails at Rancheria Falls and Lewis Creek (not to mention parts of the John Muir Trail and Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail). 

…and finally our #1 National Forest for day hiking:

1. Coconino (Arizona)

Mt. Humphreys made it on our Top 10 Summit Trails in National Forests and there are many other great hikes in the Kachina Wilderness on the San Francisco Peaks, plus countless trails around Sedona, Oak Creek Canyon, and Sycamore Canyon.

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Honorable Mentions

George Washington (Virginia, West Virginia)

Crabtree Falls Observation Trail (day use fee) is easy to access from paved State Route 56 east of the Blue Ridge Parkway.  There are actually five waterfalls here with a total drop of 1,200 feet spread over a half-mile.  Other hikes include Bird Knob Loop Trail, Lion’s Tale National Recreation Trail, Waterfall Mountain Loop Trail, McDowell Battlefield Trail, Big Schloss Trail, and Massanutten Trail.

Pike (Colorado)

Devil’s Head National Recreation Trail leads to an amazing fire lookout tower surrounded by giant boulders (similar to The Crags, a 2.5-mile one-way trail near Cripple Creek), which is why it made it on our list of the Top 10 Day Hiking Trails in National Forests.

Green Mountain (Vermont)

Green Mountain National Forest contains part of the Appalachian National Scenic Trail and about half of the 272-mile Long Trail, which in 1931 became the first named long-distance hiking trail in the U.S.  There are shorter trails at Moosalamoo National Recreation Area, Robert T. Stafford White Rocks National Recreation Area, Texas Falls, Robert Frost Wayside, Devil’s Den Cave, Lye Brook Falls, and Mt. Ellen.

San Bernardino (California)

The most developed parts of San Bernardino National Forest for hiking are around Big Bear Lake, Santa Rosa and San Jacinto Mountains National Monument, and the San Gorgonio Wilderness.  An Adventure Pass is required to park at popular trailheads, including Castle Rock, Grays Peak, Hanna Flat, and Cougar Crest to Bertha Peak.  Southwest of Big Bear Lake is the Champion Lodgepole Pine Trail, which is less than a mile hike through the lush Bluff Meadows to a stout seven-foot diameter tree.

Ottawa (Michigan)

Ottawa National Forest has 2,000 miles of streams and countless waterfalls.  Black River Harbor Recreation Area is traced by the North Country National Scenic Trail and has several beautiful falls along its passage to Lake Superior.  The Forest Service visitor center in Watersmeet has a half-mile interpretive loop and access to Agonikak National Recreation Trail.  

Learn more about our favorite hike in each of the 155 National Forests in our guidebook Out in the Woods: An Introductory Guide to America’s 155 National Forests

Alaska

Kobuk Valley National Park

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Kobuk Valley National Park

Alaska

Managed by National Park Service

Established 1978 National Monument, 1980 National Park

1,714,578 acres

Website: nps.gov/kova

Overview

In northwest Alaska, an area roughly the size of Delaware is set aside to protect an 85-mile stretch of the Kobuk River.  Kobuk Valley National Park also includes the Waring Mountains to the south and the Baird Mountains that border Noatak National Preserve.  Hunters have been coming for at least 12,500 years to Onion Portage where caribou gather to cross the river.  In the 1960s, archeologist J. Louis Giddings built a cabin and cache so he could excavate a two-acre plot.  He and his assistants dug through 30 artifact-bearing layers that provided evidence of nine cultural periods from the Akmak Complex to the Arctic Woodland Eskimo.

Learn more about how to visit this National Park in the expanded second edition of our guidebook A Park to Yourself: Finding Solitude in America’s 63 National Parks. 

Highlights

Great Kobuk Sand Dunes, Onion Portage Archeological District

Must-Do Activity

The Northwest Arctic Heritage Center in Kotzebue is located 75 river miles from the western edge of the park.  Riverside ranger stations operate in the summer at Kallarichuk in the west and Onion Portage in the east.  A flightseeing tour of the park typically lands on the Great Kobuk Sand Dunes, which are the remnant of a dune field that once covered as much as 200,000 acres after the Pleistocene glaciation.  Float trips take at least a week on the wide Kobuk River or the rougher Salmon River, which is designated a Wild and Scenic River.  The Kobuk River starts within a narrow canyon with Class V rapids inside Gates of the Arctic National Park and Preserve, but soon flattens out and becomes a braided channel, like many rivers in Alaska. 

Best Trail

There are no established trails in the park, but it is easy to wander through the sand dunes and soft enough to go barefoot.

Photographic Opportunity

The Great Kobuk Sand Dunes are a geological anomaly sitting north of the Arctic Circle, once studied by NASA as an analog for polar dunes on Mars.

Peak Season

Summer

Hours

https://nps.gov/kova/planyourvisit/basicinfo.htm

Fees

None

Road Conditions

There are no roads into Kobuk Valley National Park, so most visitors arrive by small airplane, which can cost around $5,000 to charter for the day.  If you are leaving from Fairbanks, we recommend flying with Sven from Aviation Expeditions who will do a combination trip that also lands in Gates of the Arctic National Park and Preserve.

Camping

Backcountry camping is allowed throughout the park, but is not permitted on the 81,000 acres of Native Corporation lands that are typically situated along the rivers. 

Related Sites

Gates of the Arctic National Park and Preserve (Alaska)

Noatak National Preserve (Alaska)

Denali National Park and Preserve (Alaska)

This was the last of the 63 National Parks for Scott to visit in person
Kobuk River

Explore More – What is the current estimated size of the Western Arctic caribou herd that crosses the Kobuk River at Onion Portage?

Know someone who loves National Parks? Gift them our travel guidebook A Park to Yourself: Finding Solitude in America’s 63 National Parks. 

Montana

Lolo National Forest

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Lolo National Forest

Montana

Managed by U.S. Forest Service, Northern Region

2,639,224 acres (2,197,966 federal/ 441,258 other)

Website: https://www.fs.usda.gov/r01/lolo

Overview

Located in western Montana, the elevation of Lolo National Forest ranges from less than 2,400 feet on the Clark Fork River below Thompson Falls to the top of 9,186-foot Scapegoat Mountain.  West of Missoula off Interstate 90, the Ninemile Historic Remount Depot preserves a Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) camp and pack stock training facility.  Founded in 1907, the Savenac Historic Tree Nursery Area is also well developed for visitors, including an arboretum and cabin rentals in what were formerly the cookhouse and bunkhouse. 

Know someone who loves the National Forests? Gift them our travel guidebook Out in the Woods so they can learn more about this and the 154 other National Forests.

Highlights

Rattlesnake National Recreation Area, Lolo Pass Visitor Center, Lolo National Historic Trail, Fort Fizzle, Blue Mountain Recreation Area, Cascade Falls, Savenac Nursery, Petty Creek Bighorn Sheep Viewing Site, Clearwater Canoe Trail, Stark Mountain Vista, Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail

Must-Do Activity

Lolo National Forest surrounds Missoula, where the Aerial Fire Depot and Smokejumper Center offers guided tours and exhibits.  Right outside of the city are numerous hiking trails in Blue Mountain Recreation Area and Rattlesnake National Recreation Area, which contains 73 miles of trails (and has its own blog entry on our website).  Following a path used by the Corps of Discovery in 1805, the Lolo National Historic Trail shadows Highway 12 west into Idaho (see Clearwater National Forest). Take time to stop at the Lolo Pass Visitor Center managed by the U.S. Forest Service.

Best Trail

Morrell Falls National Recreation Trail leads to a 90-foot-tall waterfall on the western slope of the Swan Range.  The trail is 5.5 miles out-and-back, mostly flat with some short inclines as it cuts through a burned area now full of beargrass and fireweed.  The waterfall cascades down a rocky outcrop and is well lit in the afternoon.  The trailhead is located 7.5 miles from Highway 83 on a good gravel road that has well-signed intersections.  Also nearby, the Pyramid Pass Trailhead provides access to the Bob Marshall Wilderness in adjacent Flathead National Forest.

Watchable Wildlife

There are 60 species of mammals found in Lolo National Forest, including grizzly/brown bears, black bears, mountain lions, gray wolves, mountain goats, bighorn sheep, elk, moose, and mule deer.  Among the largest of the more than 300 birds spotted are bald eagles, golden eagles, and trumpeter swans.  The five rivers and over 100 lakes are home to 30 varieties of ducks and 20 types of fish.

Photographic Opportunity

Located on the western slope of the Swan Range, 90-foot-tall Morrell Falls is accessed on a 5.5-mile out-and-back hike.

Peak Season

Summer

Fees

None

Road Conditions

The unpaved roads we took were in good shape to Morrell Falls National Recreation Trail and Rattlesnake National Recreation Area.

Camping

The forest has 12 improved campgrounds and several historic fire lookout towers available for overnight rental through the website Recreation.gov. 

Wilderness Areas

Rattlesnake Wilderness

Scapegoat Wilderness (also in Helena and Lewis and Clark National Forests)

Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness (also in Bitterroot, Clearwater, and Nez Perce National Forests)

Welcome Creek Wilderness

Related Sites

Deerlodge National Forest (Montana)

Upper Missouri River Breaks National Monument (Montana)

Beaverhead National Forest (Montana)

Nearest National Park

Glacier

Douglas-fir cone setting on a larch branch
Fireweed
Beargrass
Fireweed
Lolo Pass Visitor Center

Conifer Tree Species

western redcedar, alpine larch, western larch, whitebark pine, ponderosa pine, grand fir, subalpine fir, Engelmann spruce, mountain hemlock

Flowering Tree Species

quaking aspen, Rocky Mountain maple, western serviceberry

Explore More – What is the origin of the name Lolo?

Know someone who loves the National Forests? Gift them our travel guidebook Out in the Woods so they can learn more about this and the 154 other National Forests.

Montana

Rattlesnake National Recreation Area

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Rattlesnake National Recreation Area

Montana

Managed by U.S. Forest Service, Northern Region

28,000 acres

Website: https://www.fs.usda.gov/r01/lolo/recreation/rattlesnake-national-recreation-area-wilderness

Overview

Situated only four miles from Missoula, Montana within Lolo National Forest, Rattlesnake National Recreation Area is a popular area for outdoor recreation year-round.  It was established in 1980, at the same time as the adjacent 32,976-acre Rattlesnake Wilderness, which ranges in elevation from 4,200 feet up to 8,620-foot McLeod Peak.  The National Recreation Area has one of the only Sphagnum bogs in the western U.S. and Rattlesnake Creek hosts bull trout, cutthroat trout, and mountain whitefish. 

Highlights

Rattlesnake Main Trail, Ravine Creek Trail. Sawmill Curry Gulch Loop Trail, Spring Gulch Trail, Stuart Peak Trail

Must-Do Activity

There are 73 miles of hiking trails in the National Recreation Area, but the most heavily used are the first three miles of Rattlesnake Main Trail along Rattlesnake Creek.   These trails are also open to horseback riders, mountain bikers, and cross-country skiers.  Be aware that mountain lions and black bears frequent the area, and we came across a bear on a warm morning in early August. 

Best Trail

Rattlesnake Main Trail follows an old logging road along the creek for the first nine miles before it gets steeper.  Other popular hiking options include Ravine Creek Trail, Sawmill Curry Gulch Loop Trail, Spring Gulch Trail with its moderate elevation gain, and Stuart Peak Trail that climbs steeply up into the Rattlesnake Wilderness.

Photographic Opportunity

Rattlesnake Creek attracts many animals, including the American dipper or ouzel, an aquatic songbird.

Peak Season

Summer

Fees

None

Road Conditions

From the Van Buren Street exit #105 off Interstate 90, head north as it turns into Rattlesnake Drive, which you drive for approximately three miles to the entrance.

Camping

There is no campground within the National Recreation Area and the closest ones in Lolo National Forest are much further west on Interstate 90 or to the north off Highway 83.

Related Sites

Helena National Forest (Montana)

Bitterroot National Forest (Montana)

Clearwater National Forest (Idaho)

Nearest National Park

Glacier

Snowshoe hare
Snowshoe hare
Black bear
Black bear

Explore More – What species of native orchids can be found growing here?

Indiana, itinerary

Indiana Road Trip Itinerary

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22,928,710 acres

Statehood 1816 (19th)

Capital: Indianapolis

Population: 6,785,528 (17th)

High Point: Hoosier Hill (1,257 feet)

Best time of year: Summer

Last year we published our guidebook 50 States of Great: Road Trip Guide to America, so we decided to start a new type of blog post where we create a travel itinerary for all 50 states, in addition to our usual National Forest and National Park entries.  After starting by jumping around to Kansas, Georgia, Idaho, Rhode Island, Minnesota, Hawai’i, Arizona, Louisiana, and South Dakota, we headed to the Midwest for our tenth state.  We start in the northwest corner of Indiana on the shores of Lake Michigan near Chicago, then all roads lead to Indianapolis, so we head south with plenty of options to extend the trip. See for yourself why Indiana made it on our Top 10 States for State Parks list.

Day 1

Indiana Dunes National Park (click here for our complete blog post)

Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore was originally created in 1966 as a compromise between industrialists seeking to build more steel mills and conservationists wanting to preserve biodiversity.  Though it is now one of the 63 National Parks, the quiet Dunewood Campground still provides hot showers in a wooded setting inland from the lakeshore.

Optional stop at Indiana Dunes State Park

Complete the 3 Dune Challenge by climbing the three tallest dunes in the State Park (separate entrance fee) to earn a prize at the visitor center shared with the National Park.

Day 2

Raclin Murphy Museum of Art

This museum on the University of Notre Dame campus in South Bend offers free admission and highlights Christian art from Europe.  Guided tours are offered of the famous football stadium year-round, and the Basilica of the Sacred Heart and adjacent Grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes spiritual shrine are always open.  On a college football gameday, do not miss the midnight drumming circle beneath the golden dome and other traditions throughout the day.

Optional stop at Studebaker National Museum

South Bend was once the headquarters for manufacturing Studebakers and the museum displays many made-in-Indiana automobiles.

Day 3

RV/MH Hall of Fame

Elkhart is recognized as “the RV Capital of the World” since so many Recreational Vehicles are built in local factories.  The Hall of Fame first opened in 1991 then moved to a larger building where it exhibits more than 50 historic vehicles dating back to the 1913 Earl Travel Trailer.  You can also take a free plant tour of Jayco, Inc. to see RVs being manufactured in nearby Middlebury.

Optional stop at Hall of Heroes Superhero Museum

Six miles down the road in Elkhart, the Hall of Heroes Superhero Museum has more than 50,000 comic books and countless toys and movie props on display.  All-you-can-play arcade games are included with your admission.

Optional stop at Turkey Run State Park

This popular state park is about an hour west of Indianapolis and offers camping, hiking, swimming, kayaking, and fishing.

Day 4

Indianapolis Motor Speedway

The first auto race took place here in 1909 and the first Indy 500 was held two years later.  The car that won that inaugural Indy 500 was the Marmon Wasp and it is held in the track’s Hall of Fame Museum, along with the Borg-Warner Trophy.  This is considered the world’s largest stadium (with a capacity of 257,325).  When cars are not running, you can take a bus tour around the oval (at significantly less than 200 miles-per-hour) and kiss the 36-inch strip of bricks at the finish line left unpaved. 

Optional stop at James A. Allison Exhibition Center

Down the road from the racetrack, the free James A. Allison Exhibition Center tells the story of a local auto parts builder who expanded his company (founded in 1915) into engines for military airplanes.

Optional stop at the Children’s Museum of Indianapolis

Hands-on exhibits abound in this renowned museum southeast of downtown.

Day 5

Spring Mill State Park

Today you can still buy cornmeal ground by the historic gristmill that runs for ten minutes every hour, part of Pioneer Village where costumed reenactors demonstrate chair caning, broom making, and fiddle making.  The park also contains trails, an elevated flume reconstructed by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC), Hamer Pioneer Gardens, guided boat trips that enter 500 feet into Twin Caves, and the Grissom Memorial Museum dedicated to the local hero who was the second American astronaut in space and died in a 1967 launchpad fire.

Optional stop at White River State Park

Located in downtown Indianapolis, this unique State Park surrounds the Indiana State Museum, Eiteljorg Museum of American Indian and Western Art, Indiana Zoo, and NCAA Hall of Champions featuring many interactive exhibits next door to the National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA) headquarters.

Day 6

Hoosier National Forest (click here for our complete blog post)

Created in 1935 from cutover and abandoned farmland, the National Forest’s best hike is Hemlock Cliffs Trail, a 1.2-mile loop through a canyon that passes two unique waterfalls.  A 0.8-mile trail runs through the 88 acres of old-growth forest of Pioneer Mothers Memorial Forest.  The tall trees here range in age from 150- to 600-years-old, and the black walnuts that grow in a moist cove known as Walnut Cathedral are considered the finest specimens in the country.

Optional stop at Muscatatuck National Wildlife Refuge

A visitor center and auto trail make this the most developed National Wildlife Refuge in Indiana for birding and fishing.  The nearby Big Oaks National Wildlife Refuge encompasses a former military property and requires special authorization to visit.

Day 7

Lanier Mansion State Historic Site

The beautiful Lanier Mansion was built for James Franklin Doughty Lanier, a prominent businessman in the state of Indiana around the mid-1800s. The Greek Revival-style house was completed in 1844 and is one of the finest buildings in Madison’s National Historic Landmark District on the Ohio River.  Well-preserved Madison was an important waystation on the Underground Railroad. 

Clifty Falls State Park

This park protects a deep, boulder-strewn canyon with several waterfalls, including one with a 60-foot drop.  It also has a campground and the blufftop Clifty Inn built in 1924 with views of the Ohio River.

Optional stop on the Indiana Cave Trail

A driving route connects several show caves in the southern part of the state where the brisk air is always a humid 57°F.  Highlights include Indiana Caverns, Wyandotte Caves State Recreation Area, Squire Boone Caverns, Marengo Cave, and Bluespring Caverns that offers a one-hour boat ride through America’s longest navigable underground river. 

Day 8+

George Rogers Clark National Historical Park (click here for our complete blog post)

A beautiful 80-foot-tall granite memorial was built on the site of Fort Sackville in the 1930s to commemorate the victory Clark led there on February 25, 1779.  After watching the 20-minute film in the visitor center in Vincennes, go inside the circular memorial with 16 columns in classic Greek style to see a bronze statue surrounded by seven murals.  You can then walk down the Wabash River to see the home of President William Henry Harrison and the old territorial capitol.

Holiday World

Located in the town of Santa Claus, this Christmas-themed amusement park has roller coasters, a water park, and many shops.

Lincoln Boyhood National Memorial (click here for our complete blog post)

Take a walk past the pioneer cemetery to the Cabin Site Memorial where a bronze casting of sill logs and the fireplace hearthstones are at the site of Abraham Lincoln’s family cabin from 1829.  The Living Historical Farm has costumed interpreters in the summer that depict homestead life at an authentic cabin and several outbuildings that were moved here from other parts of Indiana.

Angel Mounds State Historic Site

Near Evansville is a 430-acre site where there are 11 grass-covered Mississippian mounds built as early as 1,000 years ago, plus a replica village, simulated excavation site, and a visitor center full of artifacts. 

Milan ’54 Museum

Commemorates the town’s 1954 high school boys’ basketball team that defeated the mighty Muncie Central for the state championship, as immortalized in the 1986 film Hoosiers.

Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame

In a state obsessed with basketball, this museum was moved from the capital city to New Castle in 1990 so it could have more room for expansion. 

Learn more about Indiana’s Most Scenic Drive, Top Backpacking Destination, and other categories in our travel guidebook 50 States of Great: Road Trip Guide to America.