Tag Archives: canyon

Arizona

Kaibab National Forest

July 10, 2024 Raven About The Parks 1 Comment

Kaibab National Forest

Arizona

Managed by U.S. Forest Service, Southwestern Region

1,601,066 acres (1,560,165 federal/ 40,901 other)

Website: https://www.fs.usda.gov/kaibab

Overview

Kaibab National Forest is located both north and south of Grand Canyon National Park, although the paved road from Jacob Lake to the North Rim is closed throughout the winter months due to heavy snowfall on the 9,000-foot Kaibab Plateau. There are numerous dirt roads to explore on each side of the canyon that in 2023 were encompassed into Baaj Nwaavjo I’tah Kukveni – Ancestral Footprints of the Grand Canyon National Monument (see our blog post). The Grand Canyon Forest Reserve was first set aside in 1893, then became Kaibab National Forest in 1908 before Grand Canyon National Park was removed from its acreage a decade later. In 1934, the southern Tusayan National Forest was joined to form the present boundaries.

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Highlights

Kaibab Plateau Scenic Byway, Hull Cabin, Snake Gulch, Kendrick Peak, Sycamore Canyon, Beale Wagon Road, Overland Road, Bill Williams Mountain, Kanab Creek Wilderness, Thunder River Trail

Must-Do Activity

The highest point in Kaibab National Forest is 10,418-foot Kendrick Peak located in the Kendrick Peak Wilderness northwest of Flagstaff, which experienced a large wildfire in 2000. Scott started as a student at Northern Arizona University the next year, and has been able to watch this area recover over the decades since. Seven miles of dirt roads leave Highway 180 to access the Kendrick Mountain Trailhead at 7,980 feet in elevation. A steep, switchbacking 4.6-mile one-way trail partly follows a closed road to the top past Old Lookout Cabin (built in 1912). Bull Basin and Pumpkin Trails also lead to Kendrick Peak, but require more dirt road driving. From the summit, views are good north towards the Grand Canyon and east to the taller San Francisco Peaks within Coconino National Forest.

Best Trail

Bill Williams Mountain dominates the skyline in the town of Williams, the southern terminus of the 65-mile-long Grand Canyon Railway. Several routes climb to the top of the peak, but Bixler Saddle Trail starts higher than the others at 7,700 feet. It is accessed by a rocky road that leads to a small parking area at the saddle. From there the trail gains 1,000 feet in elevation in 2.5 miles before connecting with Bill Williams Mountain Trail to finish climbing a half-mile to the lookout tower at 9,256 feet. No matter how you summit, at the top there are breathtaking views in all directions.

Watchable Wildlife

Elk and mule deer are commonly seen on both sides of the Grand Canyon. Apparently, bison were introduced in the early 1900s and now roam freely in the National Forest, in addition to mountain lions, bobcats, and black bears. The canyon formed a natural barrier for the evolution of distantly-related Kaibab squirrels on the North Rim, a subspecies of the Abert’s squirrels found on the South Rim. Common birds include wild turkeys, robins, nuthatches, northern flickers, rufous hummingbirds, Steller jays, American crows, common ravens, and a variety of hawks. Fishing is a popular activity, with some excellent trout streams found in the National Forest.

Instagram-worthy Photo

There are five trailheads that access the 12-mile Sycamore Rim Trail loop, located south of Interstate 40 after driving ten miles of good dirt road. The trail passes through a ponderosa pine forest with overlooks of the Sycamore Canyon Wilderness, also managed by Coconino and Prescott National Forests.

Peak Season

Summer

Fees

None

Road Conditions

The paved road from Jacob Lake, Arizona to the North Rim of Grand Canyon National Park is closed throughout the winter months due to heavy snowfall. There are countless miles of dirt roads on each side of the canyon that access trailheads and allow for dispersed camping.

Camping

There are numerous campgrounds spread throughout the National Forest, as well as rentals of the historic 1917 Spring Valley Cabin and 1889 Hull Cabin (within the newly created Baaj Nwaavjo I’tah Kukveni – Ancestral Footprints of the Grand Canyon National Monument).

Wilderness Areas

Kanab Creek Wilderness

Kendrick Mountain Wilderness (also in Coconino National Forest)

Saddle Mountain Wilderness

Sycamore Canyon Wilderness (also in Coconino and Prescott National Forests)

Related Sites

Pipe Spring National Monument (Arizona)

Tuzigoot National Monument (Arizona)

Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument (Arizona)

Nearest National Park

Grand Canyon

Kaibab Plateau Visitor Center in Jacob Lake

Conifer Tree Species

ponderosa pine, limber pine, southwestern white pine, two-needle pinyon pine, Utah juniper, one-seed juniper, Rocky Mountain juniper, Douglas-fir, white fir, Engelmann spruce

Flowering Tree Species

Gambel oak, quaking aspen, boxelder, Arizona sycamore, Arizona walnut, Fremont cottonwood

Explore More – Kaibab is the Paiute name for the Grand Canyon, which translates as what?

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

Montana

Helena National Forest

January 24, 2024 Raven About The Parks 1 Comment

Helena National Forest

Montana

Managed by U.S. Forest Service, Northern Region

1,175,125 acres (984,558 federal/ 190,567 other)

Website: https://www.fs.usda.gov/hlcnf

Overview

Helena National Forest surrounds Montana’s capital city of Helena, encompassing several mountain ranges. The Big Belt Mountains were the site of the of the 1949 Mann Gulch Fire, which killed 13 smokejumpers who were immortalized in Norman Maclean’s classic book Young Men and Fire (see our Top 10 Non-Fiction Books on National Forests). There is a Mann Gulch Memorial located in Meriwether Campground. Much of the National Forest is grassland and sagebrush, with conifer trees dominating the canyons and mountain slopes. In the winter, snowmobiling, snowshoeing, and cross-country skiing are popular pastimes.

Highlights

Gates of the Mountains, Mann Gulch Memorial, Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail Interpretive Center, Gypsy Lake, Crow Creek Falls, Elkhorn Mountains, Blackfoot Canyon, Red Mountain, Refrigerator Canyon, Hanging Valley National Recreation Trail, Meriwether Canyon Trail

Must-Do Activity

Meriwether Lewis named the Gates of the Mountains on July 19, 1805, and today a two-hour jet boat tour on the Missouri River details the history of the Corps of Discovery, American Indian pictographs, the Mann Gulch Fire, and the collapse of Hauser Dam. North of Helena on Interstate 15 in Great Falls is the Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail Interpretive Center, which is run by the U.S. Forest Service.

Best Trail

Refrigerator Canyon is less than ten feet wide at its narrowest point, where towering 200-foot limestone cliffs keep it cool and breezy throughout the summer. The trailhead is accessed by driving 12 miles of washboard road that turns left off paved York Road just after crossing near the dam that forms Hauser Lake on the Missouri River. It is a short quarter-mile hike to reach the canyon’s pinch point that was full of rock climbers during our visit. The route then gets steeper, gaining 1,100 feet in two miles and providing excellent mountain views. The trail eventually levels out and continues for another seven miles past Bear Prairie in the Gates of the Mountains Wilderness. It can be connected to the Meriwether Canyon Trail, which dead ends at the Missouri River 18 miles from the Refrigerator Canyon Trailhead.

Watchable Wildlife

Grizzly bears can be found in the Scapegoat Wilderness in the northwest part of Helena National Forest where it borders Lewis and Clark National Forest (considered part of the massive Bob Marshall Wilderness complex connecting to Glacier National Park). Other predators include black bears, gray wolves, wolverines, ermine, mountain lions, bobcats, and Canada lynx. River otters and beavers can be found on the Missouri River. Grazing ungulates commonly seen are elk, moose, mule deer, and pronghorn, in addition to bighorn sheep and mountain goats at higher elevations. Trout streams and lakes provide fishing opportunities for humans, as well as bald eagles and ospreys.

Instagram-worthy Photo

You might see rock climbers blocking narrow Refrigerator Canyon, but be sure to continue through on the steep trail for beautiful views of the Gates of the Mountains Wilderness.

Peak Season

Summer

Fees

None

Road Conditions

The washboard road back to Refrigerator Canyon was in good enough shape for our passenger vehicle.

Camping

A Mann Gulch Memorial is located in Meriwether Campground, plus there are numerous other campgrounds and dispersed campsites located throughout the National Forest’s network of unpaved roads.

Wilderness Areas

Gates of the Mountains Wilderness

Scapegoat Wilderness (also in Lewis and Clark National Forest)

Related Sites

Beaverhead National Forest (Montana)

Deerlodge National Forest (Montana)

Flathead National Forest (Montana)

Nearest National Park

Glacier

Conifer Tree Species

lodgepole pine, ponderosa pine, limber pine, whitebark pine, Rocky Mountain juniper, Douglas-fir, alpine larch, subalpine fir

Flowering Tree Species

quaking aspen, balsam poplar, narrowleaf cottonwood, Rocky Mountain maple, paper birch, willow, red-osier dogwood, choke cherry

Explore More – Before it changed its name to Helena in 1864, what was the name of the gold mining camp that became Montana’s state capital?

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

New Mexico

Gila National Forest

November 1, 2023 Raven About The Parks 8 Comments

Gila National Forest

New Mexico

Managed by U.S. Forest Service, Southwestern Region

2,797,628 acres (2,710,659 federal/ 86,969 other)

Website: https://www.fs.usda.gov/gila

Overview

Nearly 25% of Gila National Forest is designated Wilderness, and the renowned Gila Wilderness became the world’s first such-titled area on June 3, 1924. There are multiple hot springs that attract backpackers to this area and 95% of thru-hikers on the Continental Divide National Scenic Trail (CDT) veer from the official route to enjoy its beauty. The nearby Aldo Leopold Wilderness is named for the Forest Service ranger that helped campaign for that designation and later became a famous ecologist and author of A Sand County Almanac (see our Top 10 Non-Fiction Books on Trees and Forests). In 2016, the Cosmic Campground became the first International Dark Sky Sanctuary in North America (and one of only 18 in the world), so it is a great spot for stargazing. Gila National Forest also manages the part of Arizona’s Apache National Forest that is in New Mexico, adding an additional 614,202 acres.

Highlights

Inner Loop Scenic Byway, Hulsey Lake, Cosmic Campground, Turkey Creek Hot Springs, Lake Roberts, Signal Peak, Quemado Lake, Chimney Rock Canyon, Jordan Hot Springs, Sawmill National Recreation Trail, Catwalk National Recreation Trail, Wood Haul Road National Recreation Trail, Continental Divide National Scenic Trail

Must-Do Activity

You do not have to journey far into the Gila Wilderness to reach Lightfeather Hot Springs on the Middle Fork Trail. Less than a mile down the trail a shallow pool is formed by stacked rocks where 150-degree hot springs water combines with the cool Middle Fork of the Gila River. It is a great place to watch and listen to wildlife. Seven miles further is Jordan Hot Springs, a very popular backpacking destination that requires countless stream crossings (it is best to wear fast-drying shoes and use trekking poles). The trailhead is located 43 miles north of Silver City on the Inner Loop Scenic Byway, not far from a visitor center co-managed by the Forest Service and National Park Service (that operates nearby Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument). The Gila Wilderness is the reason this National Forest made it on our list of the Top 10 National Forests for Backpacking.

Best Trail

The most popular spot in Gila National Forest is the Catwalk National Recreation Trail, which requires driving through two stream crossings that are doable by a passenger car when the water is low. The one-mile trail is partially elevated above Whitewater Creek on wide, steel grates complete with handrails. The Catwalk started in 1893 as a way for miners to service a four-inch water pipe, then fell into disrepair before being upgraded by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) in 1935. Today’s safer, tourist-friendly Catwalk was installed in 1961. This trail made our list of the Top 10 Day Hiking Trails in National Forests.

Watchable Wildlife

The Gila River gives its name to this National Forest, as well as animals like the venomous Gila monster, Gila woodpecker, and fish, including a trout, topminnow, and several species of chub. Mexican wolves have been reintroduced to this region, and other predators like mountain lions, bobcats, and black bears (we saw one and followed another’s wet footprints while backpacking near Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument). Unique mammals include the javelina (collared peccary), gray fox, white-nosed coatimundi, and Coues white-tailed deer. Mule deer, elk, pronghorns, and bighorn sheep are additional ungulates found in Gila National Forest. Large birds include roadrunners, Mexican spotted owls, bald eagles, ospreys, peregrine falcons, and wild turkeys. Most of our wildlife encounters were with reptiles like horned lizards (a.k.a. frogs or toads), western fence lizards, and rattlesnakes.

Instagram-worthy Photo

In May 2020, we did a 72-mile backpacking loop connecting the West Fork of the Gila River with the Middle Fork, through gorgeous canyons and old-growth forests protected as the Gila Wilderness since 1924.

Peak Season

Summer

Fees

There is a parking fee at Catwalk National Recreation Trail (or you can display an America the Beautiful Pass), but some cars parked across the river to avoid paying.

Road Conditions

The eastern part of Inner Loop Scenic Byway is paved to the visitor center co-managed by the Forest Service and National Park Service, but the western portion is unpaved and has some steep grades not recommended for RVs. The unpaved road to Catwalk National Recreation Trail with its two stream crossings is doable with a passenger car when the water is low.

Camping

Cosmic Campground became the first International Dark Sky Sanctuary in North America (and one of only 14 in the world), so it is a great spot for stargazing. Pueblo Park Campground offers a trail through Chimney Rock Canyon and Upper End Campground is near 72-acre Lake Roberts. Cottonwood Campground is located near the Blue Range Wilderness on the Arizona border. In eastern Gila National Forest along Highway 152 are found both Upper Gallinas and Iron Creek Campgrounds. In the north, there are three campgrounds on 131-acre Quemado Lake and the Continental Divide National Scenic Trail cuts through primitive Apache Creek Campground.

Wilderness Areas

Aldo Leopold Wilderness

Blue Range Wilderness

Gila Wilderness

Apache National Forest (Arizona-New Mexico)

Cibola National Forest (New Mexico)

Nearest National Park

White Sands

Conifer Tree Species

two-needle pinyon pine, ponderosa pine, Chihuahua pine, southwestern white pine, white fir, one-seed juniper

Flowering Tree Species

Gambel oak, gray oak, silverleaf oak, New Mexico locust, quaking aspen, narrowleaf cottonwood, Fremont cottonwood, Arizona alder, Arizona sycamore, Arizona walnut, boxelder, velvet ash, netleaf hackberry, mountain-mahogany, chokecherry

Explore More – Gila is a Spanish simplification of the Yuma word “hah-quah-sa-eel,” translated as what?

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

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Washington

Gifford Pinchot National Forest

October 18, 2023 Raven About The Parks 5 Comments

Gifford Pinchot National Forest

Washington

Managed by U.S. Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Region

1,409,966 acres (1,321,506 federal/ 88,460 other)

Website: https://www.fs.usda.gov/giffordpinchot/

Overview

First set aside as Mt. Rainier Forest Reserve in 1897, nearly one-million acres were renamed Columbia National Forest in 1908. It became Gifford Pinchot National Forest in 1949 to honor the chief of the U.S. Division of Forestry (1898-1905) and first chief of the U.S. Forest Service (1905-1910). The Yale graduate studied forestry in Europe and his family founded the Yale Forest School (see Grey Towers National Historic Site). Gifford Pinchot National Forest borders the Columbia River to the south, across from Oregon’s Mt. Hood National Forest. It stretches north to Mt. Rainier National Park and contains 12,276-foot Mt. Adams (the state’s second tallest volcano) and Mt. St. Helens, which was designated a National Monument after its eruption on Sunday, May 18, 1980. There are 1,475 miles of trails and more than 4,000 miles of roads in the National Forest, so there is plenty to explore outside the volcanoes.

Highlights

Mt. St. Helens National Volcanic Monument, Silver Star Scenic Area, Lower Falls of the Lewis River, Tatoosh Range, Packwood Lake, Quartz Creek, Ape Cave, Langfield Falls, Horseshoe Lake, Panther Creek Falls, Ice Cave, Mt. Adams, Midway High Lakes Area, Takhlakh Lake, Lava Canyon Trail, Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail

Must-Do Activity

We will cover Mt. St. Helens National Volcanic Monument in a separate post, so here we will focus on the National Forest’s other attractions. North of Mt. St. Helens, a half-mile trail follows Quartz Creek through an old-growth forest of huge Douglas-firs. To the south, check out Lava Canyon Trail and Cedar Flats Research Natural Area where old-growth western redcedar trees are draped in lichen. There are numerous waterfalls in the National Forest, including dual Panther Creek Falls that drops 175 feet side by side and the triple Falls Creek Falls that cascades 150 feet. This lush region is also known for its berry picking, especially the renowned Sawtooth Berry Fields.

Best Trail

Ape Cave is a lava tube located south of Mt. St. Helens, which at 2.5 miles is the third longest in North America. The cave is not named for a fossil discovery, but rather the local Boy Scout troop that explored its interior in the 1950s after its discovery. It is believed that the lava tube formed during a basaltic flow 1,900 years ago. Ape Cave Trail is a National Recreation Trail receiving approximately 170,000 visitors annually (a timed reservation is required). There are two layers to the cave, a smoother 0.8-mile upper level and a rougher 1.5-mile lower level that requires scaling an eight-foot lava wall. Bundle up if you visit, as the underground temperature is 42°F year round. The 650-foot-long Ice Cave is another lava tube known for its ice stalactites in spring (reservation required).

Watchable Wildlife

Located on the rainy side of the Cascades, Gifford Pinchot National Forest receives plenty of precipitation to feed its many rivers, including the glacier-fed White Salmon National Wild and Scenic River. Four species of fish identified as threatened inhabit this region’s waters: bull trout, steelhead, chinook salmon, and coho salmon. Another threatened species, the northern spotted owl requires buffer zones around its nests. Mammals of Gifford Pinchot National Forest include elk, black-tailed deer, black bears, bobcats, and several species of marmots. The wettest parts of the forest, especially in riparian corridors, have a variety of frogs, salamanders, and newts.

Instagram-worthy Photo

There are numerous waterfalls in this forest due to its high annual rainfall and steep elevation gradients.

Peak Season

Summer

Fees

An America the Beautiful Pass or Northwest Forest Pass ($5 day use) is required at many parking areas in the National Forest, including Ice Cave and Ape Cave (where a timed reservation is required from recreation.gov).

Road Conditions

The major roads are paved to viewpoints in Mt. St. Helens National Volcanic Monument, but there are plenty of unpaved roads throughout the National Forest, some requiring high-clearance vehicles.

Camping

Iron Creek Campground north of Mt. St. Helens has two short trails, a quarter-mile trail through old-growth forest and one that follows a river 1.5 miles under a canopy of Douglas-fir and western redcedar. Dispersed camping is allowed throughout the National Forest, and we have camped here to avoid the crowds while visiting the beautiful waterfalls of Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area, part of Oregon’s Mt. Hood National Forest.

Wilderness Areas

Dark Divide Roadless Area

Glacier View Wilderness

Goat Rocks Wilderness (also in Wenatchee National Forest)

Indian Heaven Wilderness

Mount Adams Wilderness

Tatoosh Wilderness

Trapper Creek Wilderness

William O. Douglas Wilderness (also in Wenatchee National Forest)

Ross Lake National Recreation Area (Washington)

Fort Vancouver National Historic Site (Washington)

Nearest National Park

Mount Rainier

Conifer Tree Species

Douglas-fir, western redcedar, Pacific silver fir, noble fir, subalpine fir, mountain hemlock, western hemlock, whitebark pine, lodgepole pine, Alaska yellow-cedar

Flowering Tree Species

balsam poplar, paper birch, willow, red alder, bigleaf maple, Pacific rhododendron

Explore More – In addition to the White Salmon River, which four other waterways in the National Forest have been recommended to be added to the Wild and Scenic River System?

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

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Utah

Fishlake National Forest

June 21, 2023 Raven About The Parks Leave a comment

Fishlake National Forest

Utah

Managed by U.S. Forest Service, Intermountain Region

1,539,737 acres (1,461,226 federal/ 78,511 other)

Website: https://www.fs.usda.gov/fishlake

Overview

Much of Fishlake National Forest is at high elevation in central Utah, which is also true of its namesake Fish Lake that sits at 8,800 feet. Fish Lake is the largest natural mountain lake in Utah and lent its name to the Fish Lake Cutoff on the Old Spanish Trail, which ran from Santa Fe to Los Angeles. There are hundreds of miles of trails open to ATVs in the National Forest, including the 238-mile Paiute ATV Trail and the Gooseberry ATV Trails accessible from Interstate 70. There are also plenty of trails for hikers, backpackers, mountain bikers, and equestrians, including the trail that crosses the South Fork of North Creek Trail 60 times as it covers ten miles leaving from beautiful Blue Lake at the base of Mt. Baldy.

Highlights

Beaver Canyon Scenic Byway, Wildcat Guard Station, Tushar Mountains, Delano Peak, Bullion Falls, Pistol Rock, Koosharem Canyon, Fishlake Scenic Byway, Fool Creek Canyon petroglyphs, Blue Lake, Bullion Canyon Trail System, Skyline National Recreation Trail, Lakeshore Trail, Old Spanish National Historic Trail

Must-Do Activity

Fish Lake’s most famous resident is the aspen clone dubbed Pando (meaning “I spread” in Latin). Connected by a single root system, stems of Pando cover 106 acres and it is estimated to have started growing 80,000 years ago, arguably making it the oldest and heaviest living organism on the planet. Campers enjoy the popular Lakeshore Trail that is in four discontinuous sections adding up to about 15 miles. We found the road to Pelican Promontory on the north side of the lake too rough for our passenger vehicle and the five-mile Pelican Canyon Trail too overgrown to follow after a mile, although we did see (and hear) a northern goshawk on nest.

Best Trail

In the Tushar Mountains, Beaver Canyon Scenic Byway (Highway 153) switchbacks its way up to several trailheads for the 8.3-mile-long Skyline National Recreation Trail. We attempted to access Lake Stream Trailhead in the middle, but found the road at Puffer Lake required high-clearance. Instead, we drove the rough quarter-mile spur road to Big Flat Trailhead (at 10,220 feet in elevation) and hiked two miles to a rocky outcrop with good views. We did not attempt to drive to the trail’s western terminus at Big John Flat Trailhead that sits beneath 12,173-foot Delano Peak.

Watchable Wildlife

We first heard and then saw a northern goshawk on a nest (see photos) as we struggled to follow the overgrown Pelican Canyon Trail at Fish Lake. Additional birds of note are bald eagles, kestrels, several species of owls, turkey vultures, Canada geese, white pelicans, and wild turkeys. Ungulates found here are elk, mule deer, pronghorns, bighorn sheep, mountain goats, and even some moose. Other large mammals include black bears, bobcats, mountain lions, red foxes, coyotes, pine martens, minks, badgers, porcupines, beavers, snowshoe hares, and pika. As you might expect from a National Forest named Fishlake, fishing is a popular activity in the lakes and streams for rainbow trout, lake trout, splake, and other species, even in the winter.

Instagram-worthy Photo

Stop at the informational pullout on the Fishlake Scenic Byway to read about the Fish Lake Cutoff of the Old Spanish Trail, then get your photo with the metal cutouts of a pack train in the sagebrush flats near Zedd’s Meadow.

Peak Season

Summer

Fees

$5 day use fee at Ponderosa Picnic Area or America the Beautiful pass

Road Conditions

There are some rough roads in this area that require high-clearance vehicles, including the ones to Pelican Promontory and Puffer Lake. Fishlake Scenic Byway and Beaver Canyon Scenic Byway are paved, but connecting between the two required driving some good gravel roads that were already snow free during our mid-June visit.

Camping

The Aquarius Ranger Station is available for rental from May through October, as are the historic cabins at the Gooseberry Administrative Site. There are several campgrounds at Fish Lake and others located throughout the National Forest, in addition to one scenic spot on a ridge adjacent to the Second Crossing of Salina Creek in the White Mountains.

Wilderness Areas

None

Related Sites

Dixie National Forest (Utah)

Bryce Canyon National Park (Utah)

Cedar Breaks National Monument (Utah)

Nearest National Park

Capitol Reef

Conifer Tree Species

subalpine fir, white fir, Engelmann spruce, Douglas-fir, ponderosa pine, singleleaf pinyon pine, Utah juniper

Flowering Tree Species

quaking aspen, Gambel oak, bigtooth maple, Fremont cottonwood, sagebrush

Explore More – Which famous American explorer named the Old Spanish Trail in the 1840s (hint: he has a National Forest named after him, but maybe not the one you first think)?

Learn more about this 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.

Kaibab National Forest

Helena National Forest

Gila National Forest

Gifford Pinchot National Forest

Fishlake National Forest

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