Tag Archives: forest

Arizona

Arizona National Scenic Trail

June 17, 2026 Raven About The Parks 2 Comments

Arizona National Scenic Trail

Arizona

Managed by U.S. Forest Service, National Park Service, Bureau of Land Management

Established 2009

800 miles

Website: aztrail.org

Overview

The Arizona National Scenic Trail (AZT) runs 800 miles from Coronado National Memorial on the Mexican border to Stateline Campground in Utah (where Vermilion Cliffs and Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monuments meet). The AZT has a cumulative elevation gain of more than 100,000 feet and goes above 9,000 feet in several locations, with the low point at 1,646 feet on the Gila River around Mile 270. Credit for developing and promoting the AZT began in 1985 with Dale Shewalter, a Flagstaff teacher who has a memorial in Buffalo Park on the urban alternate route of the AZT. There is also a mountain biking AZT that avoids Wilderness areas and an equestrian route that is mostly the same except for some road crossings and a loop around Flagstaff.

I completed the AZT northbound in spring 2026 and you can read my series of short daily blog posts here:

Highlights

Huachuca Mountains, Mica Mountain, Upper Sabino Canyon, Gila River, Four Peaks Wilderness, East Verde River, Mogollon Rim, Anderson Mesa, Grand Canyon National Park

Must-Do Activity

Must keep moving! How many miles to do in a day is entirely up to the individual backpacker, but the less distance covered the more food carried. Water filtration is also a must-do activity because caches are few and far between, so springs, cattle tanks, and creeks provide the majority of liquid (the FarOut app is the most updated source of information). Popular resupply towns along the route are Patagonia, Tucson, Summerhaven, Oracle, Kearney, Superior, Roosevelt Lake, Pine, Flagstaff, Tusayan, and Jacob Lake.

Best Trail

My favorite section of the trail was west of Gordon Hirabayashi Campground in Coronado National Forest’s Upper Sabino Canyon at the base of the Santa Catalina Mountains (before it started steeply climbing up to Mt. Lemmon). The southernmost section that immediately ascends above 9,000 feet in the Huachuca Mountains was also surprising, pleasantly for the scenery and unpleasantly for the steep grades and loose rocks (and blisters).

Photographic Opportunity

The AZT goes from “spines to pines” and then back and forth between the two again and again. I was excited that after living in Arizona for 11 years of my life, I finally saw my first wild desert tortoise and two Gila monsters in the Sonoran Desert.

Peak Season

March and October

Fees

The only fee required is to pass through 18 miles of Saguaro National Park (an America the Beautiful pass also works)

Road Conditions

A few trailheads are on paved roads, but most require dirt roads and some are no longer accessible at all. A good but narrow dirt road climbs to Montezuma Pass at Mile 2, while House Rock Valley Road at Mile 800 requires a high-clearance vehicle (and can be impassable when wet). Shuttle services are available by reservation for thru-hikers at both ends.

Camping

If thru-hikers wish to camp in the 18 miles of Saguaro National Park that climbs Mica Mountain, they must pay to make a reservation at Grass Shack or Manning Camp. Grand Canyon National Park does not charge for thru-hikers to stay at the hiker-biker campsites on either rim or for a permit to camp at Bright Angel or Cottonwood Campgrounds at the bottom of the canyon. Stateline Campground on the Utah border is small but free with no water available.

Related Sites

Coronado National Memorial

Coronado National Forest

Saguaro National Park

Tonto National Forest

Coconino National Forest

Walnut Canyon National Monument

Kaibab National Forest

Baaj Nwaavjo I’tah Kukveni–Ancestral Footprints of the Grand Canyon National Monument

Grand Canyon National Park

Vermilion Cliffs National Monument

Explore More – One of only 11 National Scenic Trails in the U.S., what year was the first official thru-hike on the AZT once the final gap was completed along the Gila River?

Arizona

Arizona Trail Days plus+1 to plus+3

June 10, 2026 Raven About The Parks 1 Comment

After completing the southernmost 713 miles of the Arizona National Scenic Trail (AZT) in March, I took 45 days off to wait for the North Kaibab Trail to reopen so I could finish hiking through Grand Canyon National Park and north to the Utah border. I had gone hiking in the time between, but was unsure how “backpacking ready” my body would be after the time off. I surprised myself by starting with a 26-mile day that included going to the bottom of the Grand Canyon and turning around, then following that up with a 31- and 37-mile day to reach where I left my vehicle parked at the end. Again, I could not have done this without assistance from my wonderful Mom who drove up north from Pine, Arizona with me.

This has been a wonderful experience, and I met some fascinating people even though I spent 95% of the trail miles alone. It has me excited about doing the 214-mile John Muir Trail in California’s Sierra Nevada in August. Now, I am fairly certain that I am not mentally ready to take on a multi-month-long trail at this point in my life.

Arizona Trail Day plus+1, Mile 721 to 713 to 730 returned to Ribbon Falls in the Grand Canyon where I made it day one on March 4. There were lots of people out on the trail early, plus trail crews working hard to fix and maintain the steep route. Today had a 7,000-foot cumulative elevation gain and 6,000-foot cumulative loss. However, thanks to my Mom, I just carried a day pack. Got to start hiking through part of the 2025 Dragon Bravo Fire as I left the National Park and entered Baaj Nwaavjo I’tah Kukveni–Ancestral Footprints of the Grand Canyon National Monument.

Arizona Trail Day plus+2, Mile 730 to 761 on the Kaibab Plateau through the 2025 Dragon Bravo Fire. Started by climbing to 9,139 feet, the highest point on the entire trail. Big thanks to the sawyers who cut thousands of dead trees for safety in Kaibab National Forest. Saw mule deer, grouse, and my first Kaibab squirrel (with the long ear tufts), but no bison. Had a nice dinner at Jacob Lake Inn with my Mom and trail buddy Jake (“Earthshaker”) who I met today.

Arizona Trail Day plus+3, Mile 761 to 798 to finish at the State Line Campground on the Utah border for my highest mileage day of the journey. This was my 33rd hiking day, plus I took 6 zero days and 45 days off waiting for the North Kaibab Trail to open in Grand Canyon National Park. The scenery was epic the final two miles as the setting sun lit up the Vermilion Cliffs and Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monuments. A wonderful ending to an unforgettable adventure.

Previous trail journal blog posts:

Know someone who loves exploring new National Monuments? Gift them our book Monumental America: Your Guide to All 138 National Monuments that is available for sale on Amazon.com.

Utah

Manti National Forest

December 3, 2025 Raven About The Parks Leave a comment

Manti National Forest

Utah

Managed by U.S. Forest Service, Intermountain Region

735,358 acres

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

Overview

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

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

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

Must-Do Activity

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

Best Trail

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

Watchable Wildlife

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

Photographic Opportunity

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

Peak Season

Spring and fall

Fees

None

Road Conditions

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

Camping

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

Wilderness Areas

None

Related Sites

Fishlake National Forest (Utah)

La Sal National Forest (Utah)

Timpanogos Cave National Monument (Utah)

Nearest National Park

Capitol Reef

Conifer Tree Species

subalpine fir, white fir, Engelmann spruce, Douglas-fir, ponderosa pine, limber pine, Rocky Mountain juniper

Flowering Tree Species

Fremont cottonwood, quaking aspen, manzanita, sagebrush

Explore More – In 1849, Brigham Young sent 225 settlers to the San Pitch (now Sanpete) Valley; where did they get the name Manti?

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.

Oregon

Malheur National Forest

November 5, 2025 Raven About The Parks 3 Comments

Malheur National Forest

Oregon

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

1,541,723 (1,465,287 federal/ 76,436 other)

Website: https://www.fs.usda.gov/r06/malheur

Overview

In central Oregon, Malheur National Forest encompasses the Strawberry Range and Aldrich Mountains that run into the Blue Mountains. Much of its area is high desert, with grasslands, sagebrush, and juniper the predominant vegetation. Malheur National Forest contains the “Humongous Fungus,” a honey fungus (Armillaria solidipes) that spans 2,200 acres and is considered the largest known organism by area in the world. It is located mostly underground, high on a ridgeline immediately west of Clear Creek (44.4731°N 118.4816°W).

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

Journey Through Time Scenic Byway, Cedar Grove Botanical Area, Yellowjacket Reservoir, Indian Rock-Vinegar Hill Scenic Area, Swick Old Growth Interpretive Site, Rosebud Creek, Arch Rock, Magone Lake, Tamarack Creek Trail, McClellan Mountain Trail

Must-Do Activity

The northeast corner of the National Forest includes the 4,000-acre Indian Rock-Vinegar Hill Scenic Area with its beautiful alpine meadows that bloom high in the Greenhorn Mountains. For geology enthusiasts, Arch Rock is an easy hike to a 15-foot opening in soft ashflow tuff, Tex Creek has a natural bridge, and fossilized shells are found around Rosebud Creek.

Best Trail

In the Aldrich Mountains, Cedar Grove Botanical Area preserves the only stand of yellow-cedars found east of the Cascade Range. Some of these trees are more than 300 years old, hanging on for life along Buck Cabin Creek where a fire recently burned more than half of the 60-acre stand. Access is by a National Recreation Trail, which drops precipitously into the grove, making for a strenuous hike out. The trail is lined with plant identification placards and was pocked with deer hoofprints when we visited. The trailhead is well-marked, located 5.5 miles down a dirt road after climbing ten miles on paved Forest Road 21 south of Highway 26. Check conditions before departing, as some roads may be closed within the Rail Ridge Fire area.

Watchable Wildlife

Elevations in Malheur National Forest range from 4,000 feet up to the top of 9,038-foot Strawberry Mountain. Elk, pronghorn, and mule deer are large ungulates found here. Carnivorous mammals include black bears, coyotes, mountain lions, and bobcats that roam the high desert environment. Large birds frequently seen are bald eagles, Canada geese, mallards, and whistling swans. Streams and lakes found throughout the National Forest support a variety of gamefish, including trout. To the south, Malheur National Wildlife Refuge encompasses 185,000 acres of marshes, meadows, and man-made ponds that provide habitat crucial for bird nesting and migration.

Photographic Opportunity

I did my M.S. research project on yellow-cedar (Callitropsis nootkatensis), so I had to visit Cedar Grove Botanical Area. The trees are a popular ornamental species best known for their drooping branches and shallow root systems that allow them to survive in extremely wet soils. Found from sea level up to 7,000 feet, they regularly live more than 1,000 years, growing slowly with chemicals compounds that prevent wood rot.

Peak Season

Summer

Fees

None

Road Conditions

Highway 395 runs north-south through the National Forest, while Highway 26 runs east-west. The dirt roads we drove to access Cedar Grove Botanical Area were in good condition, although dry and dusty at the end of the summer.

Camping

There are numerous campgrounds in Malheur National Forest; none take reservations and some have fees that apply from May through October. Some campgrounds are free, like Cane Crossing, Crescent, and Elk Creek, and dispersed camping is also allowed.

Wilderness Areas

Monument Rock Wilderness (also in Whitman National Forest)

Strawberry Mountain Wilderness

Newberry National Volcanic Monument (Oregon)

Fremont National Forest (Oregon)

Nearest National Park

Crater Lake

Conifer Tree Species

ponderosa pine, Douglas-fir, grand fir, white fir, yellow-cedar, western juniper

Flowering Tree Species

curlleaf mountain mahogany, sagebrush

Explore More – The Malheur River is named for the French word for “misfortune;” why was it given that name?

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.

California

Los Padres National Forest

October 8, 2025 Raven About The Parks 2 Comments

Los Padres National Forest

California

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

1,963,836 acres (1,762,767 federal/ 201,069 other)

Website: http://www.fs.usda.gov/r05/lospadres

Overview

Los Padres National Forest stretches more than 200 miles from Monterrey south beyond Santa Barbara. It contains most of Big Sur, a name that conjures images of craggy cliffs dropping precipitously into white-capped ocean waves. This sparsely inhabited stretch of coastline is known as much for its historic bohemians as its coast redwood trees. It is home to multiple rare tree species with limited native ranges, especially those that can tolerate serpentine soils. As the only National Forest in California that touches the Pacific Ocean, a road trip down scenic Highway 1 should be on everyone’s bucket list, including stops at Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park, Bixby Creek Bridge, Hearst Castle State Park, and the elephant seal rookery at Piedras Blancas. We have hiked many trails here since Scott taught for three years at Cal Poly State University in San Luis Obispo.

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

Big Sur, Sykes Hot Springs, Salmon Creek Falls, Jade Cove, Cuesta Ridge Botanical Area, Figueroa Mountain, Mt. Pinos, Knapp’s Castle, Seven Falls, Sespe Hot Springs

Must-Do Activity

Los Padres National Forest is 48% designated Wilderness, so the recommended activity is to hike into those natural areas. The Matilija Wilderness is in the Santa Ynez Mountains that loom above the coastal city of Santa Barbara, home to a university, art museum, and historic Presidio built in 1782. If you go to hike to the ruins of Knapp’s Castle in the National Forest, also make a quick stop at Chumash Painted Cave State Historic Park, which contains colorful pictographs dating back to the 1600s. Another popular U.S. Forest Service trailhead located closer to town goes either to Inspiration Point or Seven Falls, the latter a better choice on foggy days, which are common on the coast.

Best Trail

There are 323 miles of incredible hiking trails throughout Los Padres National Forest, including a few that access hot springs. Our favorite trails are in the Santa Lucia Mountains that tower above Big Sur. One pinnacle accessible by trail is Cone Peak at 5,155 feet in elevation. The access road is typically closed in the winter, but when it is open the trail is only 2.3 miles to the summit with a vertical gain of 1,400 feet. Do not expect any shade since multiple fires have burned most of the mountain, although there are still a few surviving examples of the rare Santa Lucia fir tree. Although some areas are no longer vegetated, the plentiful sunshine above the fog belt means there are often incredible displays of wildflowers along the trail early in summer, including lupine, sticky monkeyflower, and yucca.

Watchable Wildlife

There is a wide range of wildlife found here from sea level up to 8,847 feet in elevation, and the most famous is the reintroduced California condor that nests in the Sespe Condor Sanctuary. Other birds include barn owls, great horned owls, red-tailed hawks, bald eagles, California quail, and California scrub jays. Coyotes, black bears, bobcats, mountain lions, black-tailed deer, bighorn sheep, and raccoons are common large mammals. Species of concern include the foothill yellow-legged frog and California mountain kingsnake. Look for California newts and banana slugs in the moist understory of coast redwood forests.

Photographic Opportunity

Even if you are not spending the night at Kirk Creek Campground, you can park and walk down the trail to the south that goes past redwood trees to the beach where there is a sea arch and tidepools.

Peak Season

Fall and winter

Fees

$5 per vehicle Adventure Pass (or America the Beautiful pass) required at most trailheads

Road Conditions

There are some steep unpaved roads in Los Padres National Forest, which can be impassable in wet or snowy conditions. Portions of the unpaved Tassajara Road to Chews Ridge are narrow and steep, requiring a four-wheel-drive vehicle to reach Tassajara Hot Springs.

Camping

A night spent listening to the ocean waves breaking far below the U.S. Forest Service’s clifftop Kirk Creek Campground is enchanting, which is why it made it on our list of Top 10 Campgrounds in National Forests. There are 11 campgrounds in total, and a free campfire permit is required if you use a camp stove (which can be obtained online). Sespe Hot Springs is a popular ten-mile one-way backpacking destination.

Wilderness Areas

Chumash Wilderness

Dick Smith Wilderness

Garcia Wilderness

Machesna Mountain Wilderness

Matilija Wilderness

San Rafael Wilderness

Santa Lucia Wilderness

Sespe Wilderness

Silver Peak Wilderness

Ventana Wilderness

Related Sites

Angeles National Forest (California)

Muir Woods National Monument (California)

Point Reyes National Seashore (California)

Channel Islands National Park (California)

Nearest National Park

Pinnacles

Scott’s mother and aunt in the redwood forest

Conifer Tree Species

coast redwood, Monterey pine, Coulter pine, gray pine, Jeffrey pine, ponderosa pine, limber pine, bigcone Douglas-fir, Sargent cypress, Monterey cypress, white fir, Santa Lucia fir

Flowering Tree Species

coast live oak, California black oak, tanoak, western redbud, Pacific madrone, manzanita

Explore More – What is the name of the nomadic group that lived in Big Sur dating back 5,500 years ago?

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.

Arizona National Scenic Trail

Manti National Forest

Malheur National Forest

Los Padres National Forest

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