A small pool of reliable water at the base of a sandstone bluff has attracted humans and animals for centuries in this arid region. Ancestral Puebloans built a village atop the 200-foot-tall mesa and Spanish explorers carved their names alongside petroglyphs at a place they dubbed “el morro” (the headland). Today, El Morro National Monument is located about 125 miles west of Albuquerque, about 42 miles off Interstate 40.
Highlights
Inscription Rock Trail, Atsinna Pueblo ruins, Mesa Top Trail
Must-Do Activity
The National Park Service visitor center offers a 15-minute film and the half-mile paved Inscription Rock Trail loop to view the carvings. Pick up a free guidebook that provides details on the earliest European inscriptions that date back to 1605 and the petroglyphs that may be around 1,000 years old.
Best Trail
The Mesa Top Trail loop climbs to the top of the bluff where there are Ancestral Puebloan ruins and great views of the volcanic El Malpais National Monument. The hike is about two miles roundtrip, with interesting steps carved into the soft sandstone in places. The trail may be closed during thunderstorms during the summer and after heavy snowfalls in the winter.
Instagram-worthy Photo
It is worth the short but steep climb to check out the ruins of Atsinna Pueblo (built in the late-1200s) atop the sandstone bluff.
The small primitive campground at El Morro National Monument is open year round (except during snowstorms), plus there is a private RV park located near the entrance.
Inscription Rock TrailWater attracts wildlifeCottontail rabbitWinter visitBighorn sheep petroglyphsScott on Mesa Top TrailTiff on Mesa Top TrailRaven about the park
Explore More – Who were the first Anglo-Americans to inscribe their names at El Morro in 1849?
We have only backpacked in about 35 National Forests of the 155 total, but we have camped in many of the most famous Wildernesses in America. Our best memories from National Forests were made in these remote areas where the only way in is on foot or horseback (which is perfect if the physical requirements of carrying all of your gear is too much). We hope you are inspired to don your backpack and hit the trail. Click here to see all of our Top 10 lists, including our Top 10 National Forests for Day Hiking.
10. Mt. Baker (Washington)
There is a short backpacking season in this snowy National Forest, but the mountain scenery is unparalleled
9. Talladega (Alabama)
Incredible views can be found on the Pinhoti Trail, Bartram National Recreation Trail, and Cheaha Falls Trail
8. Routt (Colorado)
Both the Mt. Zirkel Wilderness and Never Summer Wilderness (also in Arapaho National Forest) are worth exploring
Jewel Basin Hiking Area is famous among backpackers, and so is the trail to Holland Lake that continues into “the Bob” (Bob Marshall Wilderness); more than 2,800 miles of trails include 38 miles of the Pacific Northwest National Scenic Trail and a stretch of the Continental Divide National Scenic Trail
Roughly the size of New Hampshire, Chugach National Forest stretches from Seward, Alaska to the east beyond Cordova. It encompasses 3,500 miles of shoreline in scenic Prince William Sound, one of the sport fishing world’s top destinations for halibut, ling cod, and salmon. It is the northernmost and westernmost of all 155 National Forests, and 30% of its acreage is covered by glaciers (including 22 tidewater glaciers). Chugach National Forest was established in 1907 from part of a Forest Reserve originally created in 1892, only 25 years after Alaska was purchased from Russia.
Highlights
Seward Scenic Byway, Turnagain Arm, Portage Glacier, Porcupine Campground, Russian River, Columbia Glacier, Million Dollar Bridge, Childs Glacier, Grayling Lake, Porcupine Creek Falls, Hope Point Trail, Iditarod National Historic Trail, Johnson Pass Trail, Russian Lakes Trail
Must-Do Activity
Cut off from the road system of Alaska, Cordova is a fishing village on Prince William Sound at the end of the Copper River Delta, which is considered the largest contiguous wetlands complex on North America’s Pacific coast. Surrounded by Chugach National Forest, Cordova’s road network was dramatically shortened in 2011 when the mighty Copper River washed out a bridge 36 miles outside of town. Now if you want to get to the dramatic Million Dollar Bridge or stunning Childs Glacier you have to arrange a trip by air boat. Starting in 1911, the Million Dollar Bridge brought railcars full of copper ore from Kennecott Mine (which is now part of Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve). Just across the Million Dollar Bridge, a short climb up a small hill provides great views of Miles Lake and the surrounding area.
Best Trail
There are over 500 miles of designated trails in the National Forest, including several long trails on the Kenai Peninsula, which is accessible by paved roads from Anchorage. Three trails popular with backpackers are the 23-mile Johnson Pass Trail, 22-mile long Russian Lakes Trail (with three Forest Service cabins for rent along its route), and 39-mile Resurrection Pass Trail (with eight Forest Service cabins).
Watchable Wildlife
Chugach National Forest provides nesting habitat for millions of birds, including a huge population of bald eagles and more than 200 colonies of seabirds. Large mammals include moose, caribou, Sitka black-tailed deer, Dall sheep, mountain goats, pine martens, coyotes, gray wolves, black bears, and grizzly/brown bears. Marine mammals include humpback whales, minke whales, Dall’s porpoises, Steller sea lions, and sea otters. Rivers and creeks provide spawning beds for all five species of Pacific salmon: chinook/king, sockeye/red, coho/silver, chum/dog, and pink/humpback.
Instagram-worthy Photo
Boat tours out of the beautiful port of Valdez get close to the massive Columbia Glacier, a tidewater glacier that produces so many icebergs that it is inaccessible from the water.
Peak Season
Summer
Fees
None
Road Conditions
There are not many roads in Chugach National Forest, and to access the Million Dollar Bridge and Childs Glacier outside Cordova you will need to arrange a trip by air boat since a bridge washed out in 2011.
Camping
There are 16 campgrounds in Chugach National Forest, including the Porcupine Campground in Hope near a creek popular for salmon fishing.
Whittier, AlaskaTidepooling in CordovaOrca Adventure Lodge in CordovaWaterfalls abound in the temperate rainforestScott and his father after crossing the Copper River on an air boatMillion Dollar BridgeMillion Dollar BridgeChilds GlacierChilds GlacierSea ottersScott and Tiff near the Columbia GlacierSteller sea lionsThompson Pass outside ValdezThompson Pass outside ValdezBald eagleKenai LakeScott and his father fishing the Kenai RiverKenai RiverRaven about the forest
Conifer Tree Species
Sitka spruce, western hemlock, mountain hemlock, yellow-cedar
Learn more about Chugach and the 154 other National Forests in our new guidebook Out in the Woods
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Katmai National Monument was created after the Novarupta Volcano erupted in 1912 (an event recorded in the skinny tree rings grown throughout Alaska that year). Ash fell in Seattle (1,500 miles away) and piled up to 700 feet deep in the Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes. The valley is no longer smoking, but it is there are still 15 active volcanoes within the park’s boundaries. This remote park on the Alaska Peninsula has few roads and is only accessible by airplane (typically equipped with floats for water landings). Oh yeah, and there are lots of grizzly bears, or brown bears as they are called in coastal areas of Alaska.
Highlights
Brooks Falls, North Arm of Naynek Lake, Hallo Bay, Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes, Baked Mountain Huts, Savonoski Loop
Must-Do Activity
The grizzly/brown bears of Brooks Falls are celebrities due to the annual Fat Bear Week vote for the chunkiest bear on social media. Less famous are the bears that hang out around Hallo Bay on the coastline, eating grass and shellfish until the salmon arrive. Regardless of your destination, flights from road-accessible portions of Alaska (like Homer and Kenai) can be quite costly. Most of the approximately 50,000 annual visitors come only for a day trip, although there are three expensive lodges and a campground in the park.
Best Trail
Brooks Falls Trail connects the Lower River Bear Viewing Platform 1.2 miles to the Falls and Riffles Platforms at Brooks Falls. Near the visitor center, the short Cultural Site Trail visits a prehistoric camp and reconstructed dwelling.
Instagram-worthy Photo
Brooks Falls is a world-class destination for wildlife photographers from around the world, so you might want to bring along a camera with a good zoom lens if you pay to get there during the peak months of July and September. This photo is from Scott’s father (see more of his photos and paintings at Bruce Sink.com)
The National Park Service does not charge an entry fee, but it is very expensive to fly to Brooks Camp or Hallo Bay.
Road Conditions
There is a 23-mile long road that leads from Brooks Falls to the Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes and a daily eight-hour ranger-guided bus tour is available in the summer. Backpackers can buy one-way tickets and explore the area, with the Baked Mountain Huts a popular destination 12 miles away across two difficult river crossings.
Camping
There are 60 sites at Brooks Camp Campground (reservations required prior to arrival), which is surrounded by an electric fence to keep bears out.
Snaggletooth was a famous bear at Hallo Bay back in 2005Hallo BayNot just bears to seeThe imaginatively named Devil’s Desktop is covered by glaciersMost visitors arrive by float planeBrooks FallsRaven about the park
Explore More – How many grizzly/brown bears are estimated to live within Katmai National Park and Preserve?
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Following passage of the Morris Act in 1902, the Minnesota Forest Reserve was created from 200,000 acres of unallotted lands on Ojibwe Indian reservations. It was renamed Chippewa National Forest in 1928 and 44% of its acreage remains part of the Leech Lake Indian Reservation. The forest includes 1,300 lakes and ponds, 925 miles of rivers, and 440,000 acres of wetlands, which represents 13% of all surface water within the entire National Forest system and provides habitat for a variety of wildlife. Three of the ten largest lakes in Minnesota are located here: Lake Winnibigoshish, Cass Lake, and Leech Lake.
Highlights
Edge of the Wilderness Scenic Byway, Avenue of Pines Scenic Byway, Lady Slipper Scenic Byway, Woodtick Auto Trail, Cass Lake, Camp Rabideau, Lake Winnibigoshish, Benjamin Lake, Norway Beach Recreation Area, Leech Lake, Lost 40 Natural Area, Heartland Bike Trail, Simpson Creek Trail, Cut Foot Sioux National Recreation Trail, Big Pine Forest Trail, Chippewa Adventure Trail, North Country National Scenic Trail
Must-Do Activity
Other than getting out on the water, a great way to explore Chippewa National Forest is by driving one of five designated Scenic Byways: Lake Country, Edge of the Wilderness, Avenue of Pines, Lady Slipper, and the Great River Road. Chippewa National Forest has more than 3,000 archeological and historic sites, including Camp Rabideau, perhaps the best preserved Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) camp left from the 1930s. Free guided tours of the camp are offered in summer, or you can take a self-guided tour around the well-signed buildings during daylight hours.
Best Trail
The Lost 40 is 144 acres of old-growth red and white pine forest that was never logged due to a surveying error that mapped the area as part of Coddington Lake in 1882. The oldest tree here is more than 250 years old and can be seen on an easy one-mile loop trail with interpretive signs. There is also an optional 0.2-mile one-way spur to an overlook of Moose Brook. The trailhead is located east of Blackduck, Minnesota on well-signed back roads and is also popular for snowshoeing in the winter.
Watchable Wildlife
The most vocal and noticeable residents of Chippewa National Forest are its red squirrels, sandhill cranes, and common loons. Its many rivers and lakes make ideal habitat for its 180 nesting pairs of bald eagles, one of the highest densities in the contiguous U.S. Rarer wildlife sightings include Canadian lynx, black bears, moose, and trumpeter swans. Important gamefish include lake trout, smallmouth bass, walleye, northern pike, and muskellunge (muskie).
Instagram-worthy Photo
The largest red pine in the Lost 40 is 120 feet tall and three feet in diameter.
Peak Season
Summer
Fees
None
Road Conditions
The scenic byways seem to all be paved, but the roads accessing the Lost 40 and Camp Rabideau are unpaved, although well-signed and maintained.
Camping
The National Forest contains 21 developed campgrounds and 68 official dispersed camping locations.
Benjamin LakeCommon loonCamp RabideauCamp RabideauScott at Camp RabideauTrumpeter swansRoad to the Lost 40The Lost 40Tiff hugging an eastern white pineMoose BrookDragonfly on Scott’s shirtMoose BrookSandhill cranesQuaking aspen treesRaven about the forest
Learn more about Chippewa and the 154 other National Forests in our new guidebook Out in the Woods
We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.
Start your U.S. National Parks, National Forests, and National Monuments adventure here!
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