Huron National Forest occupies a strip of land in eastern Michigan that follows the Au Sable National Wild and Scenic River to near its confluence with Lake Huron. The National Forest was established in 1909 after logging in the area went into decline. In 1945, it was administratively combined with the Manistee National Forest, which is on the western side of the state. Two years later, the first Au Sable River Canoe Marathon was held when 46 teams entered, but only 15 teams finished the 120-mile-long race. Held annually the last weekend of July, thousands of spectators watch the event, but if you are not there then at least stop by the Canoer’s Memorial. In the winter, snowmobiling and cross-country skiing are popular activities in Huron National Forest.
Highlights
River Road Scenic Byway, Lumberman’s Monument, Canoer’s Memorial, Iargo Springs Interpretive Site, Cooke Dam Pond, Tuttle Marsh, Bull Gap ORV Trail, Hoist Lakes Foot Travel Area, Highbanks Trail, Eagle Run Cross-Country Ski and Hiking Trail
Must-Do Activity
The 22-mile-long River Road Scenic Byway follows the Au Sable National Wild and Scenic River with 18 stops at memorials, overlooks, dams, ponds, trailheads, and campgrounds. The National Forest’s most developed area surrounds the Lumberman’s Monument, a 14-foot bronze statue dedicated in 1932. The site also has a museum, gift shop, interactive visitor activities, hiking trails, and a campground. Three other popular stops along the River Road Scenic Byway are the Iargo Springs Interpretive Site, Kiwanis Monument, and Foote Pond Overlook where visitors might spot a bald eagle.
Best Trail
A day use fee is charged to park at the two entrances to Hoist Lakes Foot Travel Area in the northern part of Huron National Forest. We started at the west entrance, just 1.8 sandy miles off paved Aspen Alley Road, and hiked a half-mile to Carp Lake, which had a large beaver hut in its center. There are many loop options in this forest that is being managed for old-growth conditions, which makes it ideal for cross-country skiing.
Watchable Wildlife
Huron National Forest manages its jack pine forests to provide summer nesting habitat for the formerly-endangered Kirtland’s warbler. After being placed under protection of the Endangered Species Act when its population fell to 167 nesting pairs in 1974, it was delisted in 2019 after rebounding to 2,300 pairs. Since dense, young stands of jack pine are unsuitable habitat, Kirtland’s warblers need old-growth forests, which are extremely susceptible to crown fires. Other species prefer old-growth forests, too, like pileated woodpeckers, saw-whet owls, and pine martens. We saw one of the rare Kirtland’s warblers at Au Sable Scenic River Highbanks Overlook, in addition to spotting a trumpeter swan, hairy woodpecker, raven, black squirrel, porcupine, and white-tailed deer. The Au Sable River offers trout fishing for people and bald eagles.
Instagram-worthy Photo
We stopped at Au Sable Scenic River Highbanks Overlook and were able to photograph a Kirtland’s warbler.
Peak Season
Summer
Fees
A day use fee is charged to park at the two entrances to Hoist Lakes Foot Travel Area, or you can use the America the Beautiful pass. Access to the Lumberman’s Monument is free.
Road Conditions
The unpaved roads are very sandy, but they were mostly flat without deep sand and easily drivable with a passenger vehicle in the summer.
Camping
There were signs prohibiting camping at the Hoist Lakes Foot Travel Area trailhead and Au Sable Scenic River Highbanks Overlook, and the dense forest offered no dispersed camping options that we noticed. A developed campground is available at the Lumberman’s Monument, as well as at Algona Dam Pond, Loud Dam Pond, Cooke Dam Pond, and Foote Dam Pond.
red maple, sugar maple, American elm, black ash, quaking aspen, paper birch, northern red oak, pin cherry, shadbush
Explore More – When the first 120-mile-long Au Sable River Canoe Marathon was held in 1947, who were the two paddlers that won with a time of 21 hours and 40 minutes?
Learn more about this and the 154 other National Forests in our new guidebook Out in the Woods
Best time of year: Summer for mountain access and whitewater rafting
We recently 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 with Kansas and Georgia, we decided to do a western state. We made an ambitious seven-day plan starting in the northern panhandle of Idaho, with plenty of options to extend the trip.
Located right off Interstate 90, this white-painted, timber-frame church dates back to 1850 (making it the oldest building standing in the state). It was constructed by Coeur d’Alene Indians and Catholic missionaries without using nails and visitors can admire the wooden pegs used instead. There is a parking fee, plus separate admission to the museum.
St. Joe National Forest
Part of the larger Idaho Panhandle National Forest, this area encompasses the famous Route of the Hiawatha bicycling trail that follows the former Milwaukee Railroad grade, dropping 1,000 feet in 13 miles. Due to its 200-foot-tall trestles and a 1.6-mile-long unlit tunnel, a flashlight and helmet are required, as are permits available only at Lookout Pass Ski Area, which also offers equipment rentals and shuttles.
Home to the 173-acre Settler’s Grove of Ancient Cedars, it is part of Idaho Panhandle National Forest that also contains 240-acre Hobo Cedar Grove Botanical Area and 20-acre Roosevelt Grove of Ancient Cedars (technically in neighboring Washington).
An excellent film is shown at the main National Park Service visitor center in Spalding on the Nez Perce Indian Reservation. Nearby, check out interpretive signs at Heart of the Monster and historic buildings of Spalding.
Highway 12 follows the beautiful Clearwater River providing access points for the dusty Lolo Motorway (a section of the Nez Perce National Historical Trail) and its many scenic overlooks. It is worth the short, flat hike to soak in Jerry Johnson Hot Springs.
Day 3
Hells Canyon National Recreation Area
Hells Canyon is considered the deepest in the nation when measured nearly 8,000 feet from river level to the top of 9,383-foot He Devil Mountain. We did a daytrip combination whitewater rafting and jet boat tour that was a blast with stops to see petroglyphs, McGafee Cabin, and Kirkwood Ranch, which can also be accessed via the Snake River National Recreation Trail in Payette National Forest.
Optional stop at Payette National Forest
Fast-flowing Goose Creek Falls is accessed on an incredibly steep 3.3-mile, out-and-back trail. Dispersed camping is allowed nearby on the shores of Brundage Reservoir, which has views to the north of the 8,292-foot-tall Black Tip. The picturesque town of McCall on Payette Lake is home to a Forest Service smokejumper base where tours are available by reservation.
The headquarters of the Peregrine Fund is home to a California condor, red-tailed hawk, American kestrel, Swainson’s hawk, turkey vulture, western screech owl, and Harris’ hawk, in addition to exotic species like the harpy eagle and ornate hawk-eagle.
A different kind of “bird of prey” is on display in this hangar next to the small Nampa Airport, with military artifacts and aircraft, some of which still fly on special occasions.
South of Boise, this 484,873-acre area was established in 1993 because of its dense population of nesting raptors due to huge numbers of ground squirrels and other small burrowing mammals. It is run by the Bureau of Land Management, so dispersed camping is allowed.
South of Interstate 84, this is a fun spot for kids with sandcastle building, swimming, camping, sandboarding (rentals available), and stargazing at night around the park’s observatory.
Day 5
Idaho City
This gold rush town was briefly the largest settlement in the Pacific Northwest with a population of 7,000. It subsequently burned down and was rebuilt four times in 1865, 1867, 1868, and 1871. Today it retains its Wild West charm with saloons, antique shops, and a couple of parlors where you can try delicious huckleberry ice cream.
Follow the Ponderosa Pine Scenic Byway (Highway 21) 131 miles northeast through Idaho City and Lowman, where the road follows the South Fork of the Payette River past the campgrounds at Kirkham and Bonneville Hot Springs (reservations recommended) and up to 7,056-foot Banner Summit at the boundary with Challis National Forest (click here for our blog post).
The jagged Sawtooth Mountains live up to their name, rising majestically above the Salmon River Valley. There are numerous campgrounds, including several on Redfish Lake, which is a gateway for backpackers into the beautiful Sawtooth Wilderness. The Sawtooth Scenic Byway runs 116 miles from Stanley south to Shoshone, through Galena Pass and the ski resort towns of Ketchum and Sun Valley.
In the 1800s, this massive lava flow proved a major obstacle to avoid for immigrants on the Oregon Trail. Most of today’s highways follow in their tracks, going around and not through the 62-mile-long Great Rift. In 1969, the National Monument truly earned its lunar moniker by serving as a field school on volcanic geology for NASA Apollo astronauts. There are several short lava tubes found here, including Boy Scout Cave that retains ice well into the blazing hot summer months.
Day 6
Shoshone Falls
Twin Falls is home to this impressive cascade that drops 212 feet down the Snake River canyon. Its mist can form a brilliant rainbow, especially when the river is flowing strong in the spring before much of its water is diverted for agriculture.
Situated directly beneath a bridge on Interstate 84, this is one of seven units in Thousand Springs State Park. Malad Gorge contains an awesome waterfall known as the Devil’s Washbowl and a beautiful volcanic rock canyon lined with natural springs.
This collection of granite spires served as a rest stop along the California National Historic Trail. At the height of the gold rush in 1852, some 50,000 emigrants passed this site in a single year, many leaving their names painted in axle grease (still legible on Camp Rock and Register Rock). Today the National Reserve is a popular destination for rock climbers, and it also has 78 primitive campsites and 30 miles of hiking and equestrian trails.
Numerous mammal fossils from the Pliocene Epoch are on display at the National Park Service visitor center located on the main drag in the small town of Hagerman. Scenic overlooks of the Snake River and Oregon Trail are located further south, but there is no public access to the fossil beds.
Most of the 13,000 Japanese-Americans imprisoned in central Idaho were from Oregon, Alaska, and Washington (specifically Bainbridge Island where a memorial stands today). There is a new visitor center completed in 2020 with a large museum space and a small theater that shows an excellent film. A 1.6-mile interpretive trail loops past historic structures, including the Hermann House, root cellar, baseball field, barracks, and mess hall.
Located in a six-story building in downtown Pocatello, the museum offers more than one mile of displays, many of them light-hearted and downright hilarious (especially if you like puns). It was established by Don Aslett who started a janitorial services company while studying at nearby Idaho State University. The museum has a reasonable admission fee, and it is easy to spend two hours or more perusing the 10,000 artifacts and pieces of artwork inside.
A 15-foot-long model spud sits out front, providing an excellent photo opportunity. The museum has a collection of exhibits on cultivating the state’s principal crop and also boasts the world’s largest potato chip.
Even though the signs still read Cache National Forest, Minnetonka Cave offers one of the few developed cave tours offered by the U.S. Forest Service. In the 1930s, 444 stairs were installed to allow large groups to visit, and guides make multiple stops on this steep, out-and-back tour to allow you to catch your breath at this high elevation.
Day 8+ optional swing through eastern Idaho
Targhee National Forest
Mesa Falls Scenic Byway provides overlooks of both the 114-foot Upper Falls and 65-foot Lower Falls on the Henrys Fork of the Snake River. Palisades National Recreation Trail may be the most popular trail in Idaho as it leads to two beautiful mountain lakes located at 5,700 and 6,750 feet in elevation.
Salmon National Forest
Salmon National Forest includes a significant section of the 2.4-million-acre Frank Church-River of No Return Wilderness (the second largest Wilderness in the contiguous U.S.). Many multi-night rafting trips on the Salmon National Wild and Scenic River begin around the small town of North Fork. This upper 46-mile segment of the river is designated Recreational, so it only requires a self-issued permit. Those wishing to raft the 79-mile section west of Corn Creek Campground must enter a lottery, but out-of-state travelers typically go with a guide.
An Interpretive Center in Challis celebrates the mining history of this region with audiovisual programs and gold panning stations making this a great place to bring children. The State Park also includes the Challis Bison Kill Site where animals were stampeded off a cliff by American Indians.
During General Sherman’s “march to the sea” in 1864, he dispatched troops under Brigadier General Samuel D. Sturgis to northern Mississippi to protect the 151-mile Nashville & Chattanooga Railroad line from Major General Nathan Bedford Forrest’s Confederate cavalry. The two sides clashed on June 10 at this site in northern Mississippi, when a larger Union force of 8,100 men was routed by 3,500 Confederates. However, Sherman’s supply line remained intact during his march towards Atlanta.
The National Park Service site here is tiny with no facilities and only a couple interpretive signs, but a local battlefield commission owns 1,400 acres with walking trails. The nearby Mississippi Final Stands Interpretive Center is located five miles east of the battlefield in Baldwyn. For a passport stamp, stop at the Natchez Trace Parkway visitor center outside Tupelo. We arrived at Brices Cross Roads National Battlefield Site after dark, but we were still able to explore the small park at the four-way stop at the crossroads of Highway 370.
Best Trail
A local battlefield commission owns 1,400 acres with miles of walking trails.
Instagram-worthy Photo
A monument was erected where the Brice home once stood, used as a place to treat the wounded of both armies during the battle.
Explore More – Who was the Colonel that commanded several regiments of United States Colored Troops (USCT) instrumental in the defensive actions that protected the Union Army’s retreat across the Tishomingo River?
Best time of year: Spring for mild temperatures and flowering dogwood blooms
We recently 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 with Kansas, we decided to do an east coast state. We made an ambitious seven-day plan starting in the northwest corner of Georgia, with many options to extend the trip.
Formerly named after Springer Mountain, the southern terminus of the Appalachian National Scenic Trail (click here for our blog post) is marked with a bronze plaque and trail register. Most backpackers start from potholed Forest Service Road 42 and ascend 0.9 miles south to the summit then spend the night in the open-front trail shelter or turn around to head back north. For day hikers, a nice option is to add the eastern part of the Benton MacKaye Trail to make a 4.7-mile loop that passes Owen Vista.
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. Other large tulip-poplars and yellow buckeyes are found in 175-acre Sosebee Cove Scenic Area. You can spend the night riverside at the free Hickey Gap Campground, one of our Top 10 National Forest Campgrounds.
Half of this park is situated in Tennessee around Lookout Mountain, but at Georgia’s Chickamauga battlefield a seven-mile long driving tour explains what happened there on September 20, 1863.
Optional stops at Brasstown Bald, Tallulah Gorge State Park, Amicolola Falls State Park, and Cloudland Canyon State Park
Start your itinerary a day early in Georgia’s northeast corner by enjoying some State Parks and the state’s high point Brasstown Bald, managed by Chattahoochee National Forest.
Wait out the morning traffic into Atlanta by driving or hiking to the top of this steep hill in the city’s suburbs.
Georgia Aquarium
Holding more than 10-million gallons of water in its numerous tanks, Georgia Aquarium is the best in the nation (even better than California’s Monterey Bay Aquarium). It contains more than 500 aquatic species, but the most impressive are the 30-foot-long whale sharks that reside in the 6.3-million-gallon Ocean Voyager Gallery, the world’s largest indoor marine exhibit.
A short walk from the visitor center is required to enter King’s boyhood home (which is wheelchair accessible). Silence is mandatory while inside. Outside the neighboring King Center, the Reflection Pool contains the tombs of Martin Luther King, Jr. and his wife Coretta Scott King, as well as an eternal flame.
Established in 1978, this park is a combination of government jurisdictions and private land that protects 48 miles of the Chattahoochee River downstream from Lake Sidney Lanier northeast of Atlanta. Due to its lack of large rapids it is popular with canoers.
This notorious Civil War prison remains an active military cemetery and is also home to the National Prisoner of War Museum run by the National Park Service. This may not be the best place to bring children, given that the exhibits in the museum do not pull punches in their depictions of the brutality endured by captured combatants throughout the ages.
One of the best examples of temple mounds from the Mississippian Culture that began around 1,100 years ago. Starting from the National Park Service museum (which contains artifacts dating back to 8000 B.C.E.), walk under the railroad tracks, go inside the replica earth lodge, and up the stairs to access the top of the 55-foot-tall Great Temple Mound.
Day 4
Savannah
Savannah is a great city for walking that offers countless public squares, beautifully landscaped Forsyth Park with its iconic fountain, spooky Bonaventure Cemetery (see photo), legendary River Street shopping district, and architectural gems like the birthplace of Juliette Gordon Low (who founded the Girl Scouts of America in 1912). Do not miss a photo at the tree-lined entrance to Wormsloe State Historic Site, a plantation located on the edge of an expansive marsh.
Optional stop at Tybee Island
After touring the city, drive on to the Atlantic Ocean for some beach time. Once you have soaked up some saltwater, sand, and sun, check out the Tybee Island Light Station and Museum, built at this site in 1773, then reconstructed after the Civil War. Also, check out the nearby World War II-era Battery Garland in the decommissioned Fort Screven.
Located 17 miles from Savannah on Cockspur Island, photogenic Fort Pulaski National Monument protects a brick fort named for a Polish Count who was killed in action during the American Revolution. Claimed by the Confederacy early during the Civil War, it was surrendered to the Union Army in April 1862 after thirty hours of shelling from nearby Tybee Island.
The British established Fort Frederica in the 1730s to stop Spanish encroachment from Florida into their American colonies. The town that formed around the fort peaked at a population of 1,000. Today it is a beautiful setting with tabby wall ruins and Spanish moss-draped trees.
Only accessible by boat, most visitors arrive by ferry from St. Marys (reservations recommended) and spend a full day here. Bicycles can be rented once you arrive on the island (they are not allowed on the ferry) and are permitted on the many miles of roads, but not on the trails or beach. While it is fun to spend time beachcombing or seeing the ruins of the Dungeness mansion, what really sets Cumberland Island apart are the 50 miles of hiking trails that cut through the maritime forest of twisty live oak trees. Watch for feral horses, white-tailed deer, armadillos, turkeys, and other birds along the way.
The largest freshwater wetlands in the country are home to about 12,000 alligators. The baldcypress swamp spreads across 448,000 acres around the Suwannee River. There are no roads across Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge and it is most easily accessible from the west through Stephen C. Foster State Park, which has a campground and kayak rentals to access camping platforms in the swamp.
Clearing the forests for farmland in the mid-1800s is what allowed these 16 gullies to erode the soft red-clay hills into the colorful spectacle they are today (with many shades of orange, pink, lavender, and yellow). The 1,003-acre State Park was established in 1971 to protect the area and it is featured as a U-Haul Super Graphic. The best views are from the rim walk, but to truly appreciate the depth (up to 150 feet deep) and palette of colors you need to hike down into some of the nine canyons with trails.
The former Governor, Nobel Peace Prize-winner, and U.S. President Jimmy Carter is the most well-known peanut farmer in Georgia, and was a regular at the Plains Peanut Festival held every September. The National Park Service manages the Jimmy Carter National Historical Park with two visitor centers, one at the former Plains High School and the other at the family’s 360-acre farm.
Best time of year: Fall for apple picking, football games, OZtoberFest, and fall foliage
We recently 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. We are starting with Kansas, an often-overlooked travel destination where we have had a lot of fun on multiple visits dating back to 2007. We made a seven-day plan starting in the southwest corner of the state, with plenty of options to extend the trip.
The state’s largest parcel of public land at 108,175 acres contains Middle Springs, Cottonwood Picnic Area (with the 10.5-mile Turkey Trail), and Point of Rocks, an important landmark on the Santa Fe Trail and third highest point in Kansas. In the spring, birdwatchers gather at two viewing blinds to watch the elaborate mating rituals of lesser prairie-chickens, one of the more than 360 bird species identified here.
Liberal
Dorothy’s House landed here after it was swept up in the tornado to the Land of Oz, located next to the free Seward County Coronado Museum. While visiting, you can pose with your favorite character from L. Frank Baum’s allegory along a yellow brick walkway.
Optional stop at Dalton Gang Hideout Museum
Walk the 95-foot-long escape tunnel built by the notorious outlaw family beneath their farmhouse to evade law enforcement.
Completed in 1888, it is the world’s largest hand dug well at 109 feet deep (and 32 feet in diameter) to access the massive Ogallala Aquifer. On May 4, 2007, the town of Greensburg was devastated by a powerful tornado, but the resilient population rebuilt around the historic well.
This bloody frontier town earned the moniker “Wickedest Little City in America.” Even though the buildings on Front Street are mostly reproductions, there remains an authentic Wild West vibe in the air as you walk past artifacts from the 1800s. If you plan to spend the night after your visit to the Boot Hill Museum, consider paying extra for the brisket dinner and nightly variety show (in the summer) at the Long Branch Saloon.
Optional stop at Dodge City Zoo
Across the railroad tracks from the Boot Hill Museum, the Dodge City Zoo in Wright Park offers free admission to see a multitude of mammals and birds.
The fort was only active from 1860 to 1878, but after becoming private property it continued to function as a working ranch which explains why it is in such good shape today. Costumed re-enactors are really what make this site special, from the blacksmith to the schoolteacher to the commissar to the officers’ wives.
A 14-mile auto route and hiking trails to observation blinds offer great opportunities to see a variety of birds and mammals in this wetland south of the great bend of the Arkansas River.
Roadside attractions in central Kansas include the Geographic Center of the 48 contiguous states and the hilltop tower at Coronado Heights Park near historic Lindsborg. There is also a small herd of bison in 1,818-acre Big Basin Prairie Preserve. At Mushroom Rock State Park, interesting sandstone concretions held together by calcium carbonate have withstood the erosion that washed away the surrounding bedrock over time.
Strataca takes visitors in an elevator 650 feet down through the Equus Beds Aquifer into an underground salt mine with 67 miles of tunnels. A tram tour (hardhat provided) is part of the admission price, as is the opportunity to take home a big chunk of salt.
Cosmosphere International SciEd Center and Space Museum contains the largest collection of space artifacts outside the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C.
The maple trees were changing colors during our November visit to Fort Scott National Historic Site, their vibrant leaves in sharp contrast to the fort’s white buildings.
There are many miles of trails that wander through the 10,894-acre preserve that is jointly run by the Nature Conservancy and National Park Service. A reintroduced bison herd roams these hills, where you can visit the historic Spring Hill Ranch and the one-room Lower Fox Creek School, which was open from 1884 to 1930.
In downtown Topeka, you can tour the former African-American-only Monroe Elementary School, restored to its 1950s appearance with some classrooms turned into exhibits on the civil rights movement worldwide.
Optional stop at Kansas University in Lawrence
Come for a college football or basketball game and stay to see the original rules for basketball written by Dr. James Naismith, the free Spencer Museum of Art, the historic Natural History Museum, and numerous Jayhawk statues across campus.
Like Liberal on the other side of the state, Wamego also has a Wizard of Oz-themed part of town and holds the annual OZtoberFest in October.
Optional stop at Kansas State University in Manhattan
Sample some Purple Pride and Apple Dapple ice cream at Call Hall Dairy Bar, then visit the free Beach Museum of Art and the American Museum of Baking inside Emerson Library that displays a sample of Egyptian bread dating back 3,800 years (insert fruit cake joke here). Kansas State University Gardens is a great stop regardless of the season given its fountains and Insect Zoo with a modest $3 entry fee.
Day 7
Ft. Leavenworth
Check in and get your day pass from the military visitor center before driving onto the army base to visit the Buffalo Soldiers Memorial and Frontier Army Museum at Fort Leavenworth.
An Oregon Trail town founded in 1855 that still has its old Pony Express Station located downtown near the beautiful 1891 Marshall County Courthouse. It is also home to a population of black squirrels that are reportedly escapees from a traveling circus.
Founded in 1877 by former slaves from Kentucky freed after the Civil War, this historic town is representative of the African-American population boom in Kansas that jumped from only 627 to 43,107 between 1860 and 1880.
Mt. Sunflower
You can drive to the top of Kansas, a small hill near the western border with Colorado.
Buffalo Bill bronze sculpture in Oakley
An impressive 9,000-pound bronze statue stands outside a Cultural Center highlighting Buffalo Bill’s fascinating life. Also worthwhile is the Fick Fossil and History Museum.
Monument Rocks
A dirt road detour south of Interstate 70 takes travelers to Monument Rocks, the first National Natural Landmark designated by the U.S. Department of the Interior in 1968. The 70-foot-tall chalk formations are chock full of fossils formed 80-million years ago during the Cretaceous Period. The white monoliths really light up at sunset and sunrise, but since they are on private property no camping is allowed at the site.
Raven About The Parks | Raven About The Forests 