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Virginia, West Virginia

George Washington National Forest

October 11, 2023 Raven About The Parks 2 Comments

George Washington National Forest

Virginia, West Virginia

Managed by U.S. Forest Service, Southern Region

1,795,084 acres (1,065,369 federal/ 729,715 other)

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

Overview

First established as the Shenandoah National Forest in 1918, George Washington National Forest covers portions of the Blue Ridge and Allegheny Mountains. It includes the northern 60 miles of the Blue Ridge Parkway and a significant stretch of the Appalachian National Scenic Trail south of Shenandoah National Park. The National Forest’s proximity to Washington, D.C. and Baltimore makes it a major recreation destination, particularly for trail runners. It is now co-managed with the more western Jefferson National Forest, together encompassing 230,000 acres of old-growth forests, 139,461 acres of Wilderness areas, and more than 2,000 miles of trails.

Highlights

Mt. Pleasant National Scenic Area, Big Walker Mountain Scenic Byway, Highland Scenic Tour, Massanutten Visitor Center, Sherando Lake, White Rock Creek Falls, Lake Moomaw, Woodstock Tower, Upper Shamokin Falls, Slacks Overlook, High Knob Fire Tower, Maple Flats, Bird Knob Loop Trail, Lion’s Tale National Recreation Trail, Waterfall Mountain Loop Trail, McDowell Battlefield Trail, Big Schloss Trail, Crabtree Falls Observation Trail, Story Book Trail, Pig Iron Loop Trail, Dragons Tooth Trail, Appalachian National Scenic Trail

Must-Do Activity

Driving the Blue Ridge Parkway through George Washington National Forest is a must-do, but there are other attractions to be found in this ridgeline-running forest. Not far east off Interstate 81, it is a short drive up a gravel road to Woodstock Lookout Tower, where a short, flat trail accesses the metal structure that provides views of the Seven Bends of the Shenandoah River. Downhill on the eastern side of that ridge (and protected from freeway noise) is the free Little Fort Campground with nine campsites. There is a charge to ride the Peters Mill Gap and Taskers Run ATV/OHV trails (covering 40 miles) that leave from the campground. A one-mile hiking trail leaves from Campsite 8 and climbs up to Woodstock Tower.

Best Trail

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. The first overlook of the lower falls is only 500 feet from the parking lot and is handicap accessible. From there, the trail switchbacks up 1.7 miles one-way to a fourth and final view of the falls, then continues on another two miles to the Appalachian National Scenic Trail after gaining more than 1,000 feet in elevation.

Watchable Wildlife

Extensive sections of old-growth forest can be found in Mt. Pleasant National Scenic Area and much of the Rich Hole and Ramsey’s Draft Wildernesses. This provides habitat for a healthy population of black bears, as well as white-tailed deer, bobcats, raccoons, river otters, martens, and weasels. Large birds found in George Washington National Forest include wild turkeys, turkey vultures, bald eagles, peregrine falcons, and several types of hawks. Wetlands, like Maple Flats, are home to cricket frogs, painted turtles, spotted turtles, and many species of salamanders, such as marbled, Cow Knob, Cheat Mountain, Shenandoah, and tiger salamanders. Over 100 species of freshwater fish reside here, and fishing is popular activity in the Jackson River and 152-foot-deep Lake Moomaw.

Instagram-worthy Photo

With five major cascades dropping 1,200 feet in total, there are plenty of places to catch your breath and snap some photographs along the steep Crabtree Falls Observation Trail.

Peak Season

Spring and fall

Fees

There is a day use fee for hiking Crabtree Falls Observation Trail and riding the Peters Mill Gap and Taskers Run ATV/OHV trails.

Road Conditions

Parking at Crabtree Falls is paved and RV accessible, and the one unpaved road we took to Woodstock Tower and Little Fort Campground was in good shape.

Camping

There are many designated campgrounds found throughout George Washington National Forest, including the free, nine-site Little Fort Campground not far east off Interstate 81 (see Must-Do Activity). Although dispersed camping can be hard to find, we read there are sites on the four-wheel-drive road (SR 826) at the top of Crabtree Falls Observation Trail near where it meets the Appalachian National Scenic Trail.

Wilderness Areas

Barbours Creek Wilderness (also in Jefferson National Forest)

Priest Wilderness

Ramsey’s Draft Wilderness

Rich Hole Wilderness

Rough Mountain Wilderness

Saint Mary’s Wilderness

Shawvers Run Wilderness (also in Jefferson National Forest)

Three Ridges Wilderness

Cedar Creek and Belle Grove National Historical Park (Virginia)

Jefferson National Forest (Virginia, West Virginia, Kentucky)

Daniel Boone National Forest (Kentucky)

Nearest National Park

Shenandoah

Crabtree Falls Trailhead is used by AT thru-hikers

Conifer Tree Species

eastern hemlock, eastern white pine, shortleaf pine, Table Mountain pine, red spruce, eastern redcedar

Flowering Tree Species

tulip-poplar, American beech, shagbark hickory, white oak, black oak, northern red oak, rock chestnut oak, pin oak, yellow birch, gray birch, sweet birch, striped maple, red maple, black gum, sassafras, basswood, flowering dogwood, sourwood, cucumber magnolia, mountain laurel, quaking aspen, paper birch, witch hazel, dwarf willow, winterberry, rhododendron

Explore More – In 1972, what company sponsored the planting of the National Children’s Forest in a burned-out area east of Jordan Mines?

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

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Montana

Gallatin National Forest

October 4, 2023 Raven About The Parks 6 Comments

Gallatin National Forest

Montana

Managed by U.S. Forest Service, Northern Region

2,151,461 acres (1,819,515 federal/ 331,946 other)

Website: https://www.fs.usda.gov/main/custergallatin/home

Overview

Gallatin National Forest borders much of the north and west sides of Yellowstone National Park, providing important wildlife habitat in the Absaroka-Beartooth and Lee Metcalf Wilderness areas. The National Forest also contains portions of the Bridger Range and Crazy Mountains north of Bozeman and Interstate 90. The Gallatin Petrified Forest is only accessible by trail, either from a short two-mile one-way jaunt (that gains 650 feet of elevation) or by backpacking the 27-mile Gallatin Divide-Devils Backbone Trail. Free permits are available from Forest Service Ranger Stations to collect up to 20 cubic-inches of petrified wood each year. Since 2014, it has been co-managed as the Custer-Gallatin National Forest, stretching east into South Dakota.

Highlights

Earthquake Lake Visitor Center, film, Fairy Lake, Devils Slide, Flathead Pass, Big Timber Canyon, Palisade Falls, Spire Rock Campground, Natural Bridge, Kersey Lake, Hardscrabble Peak, Pine Creek Falls, Bridger Mountains National Recreation Trail, Spanish Creek Trail, Red Canyon Trail, Petrified Forest Interpretive Trail

Must-Do Activity

Earthquake Lake Geologic Area stretches along Highway 287 to commemorate the events that occurred around midnight on August 17, 1959 when a magnitude 7.5 earthquake hit West Yellowstone, Montana. The strongest earthquake ever recorded in the Rocky Mountains caused a hillside to crumble and block the Madison River and form Quake Lake, which is still there today. Seiches (“lake tsunamis”) on Hebgen Lake and landslides claimed 28 lives and trapped hundreds campers. The next day, after Forest Service smokejumpers parachuted in to assist survivors, the most seriously injured were evacuated out by helicopter. Today there is an interpretive auto tour with multiple stops along the highway. In addition, a visitor center operates in the summer where they show a film and the 0.3-mile Landslide Trail has signs explaining the events and how the massive Memorial Boulder crossed from one side of the valley to the other in less than 20 seconds (see Instagram-worthy Photo).

Best Trail

Pine Creek Falls is located 1.3 miles from the Pine Creek Campground after a 400 foot elevation gain. The popular route first enters a burned forest then crosses a bridge over the creek at a half-mile before reaching the waterfall where most hikers turn around. The trail gets steeper as it continues another four miles to Pine Creek Lake climbing about 3,400 feet, including one grueling stretch that ascends 1,800 feet in only 1.3 miles.

Watchable Wildlife

There are more than 4,000 miles of streams and rivers in the National Forest, including major tributaries of the Yellowstone and Missouri Rivers. This makes Gallatin National Forest one of the premiere fly fishing destinations in the U.S. and also attracts bald eagles and ospreys. Due to its proximity to Yellowstone National Park, there are also gray wolves and grizzly bears. Other large mammals include elk, mule deer, moose, bighorn sheep, pronghorns, mountain lions, and black bears.

Instagram-worthy Photo

Memorial Boulder and Sister Boulder used to be located across the valley, but during the 1959 earthquake these six-million-pound dolomite slabs crossed the half-mile distance in less than 20 seconds.

Peak Season

Summer

Fees

None

Road Conditions

The roads are paved up to the Earthquake Lake Visitor Center, Pine Creek Campground, and Big Sky Mountain Village (south of Bozeman). It is 13 miles (mostly unpaved) from Highway 89 to the Petrified Forest Interpretive Trail, and there is a free campground where Rock Creek Road dead ends at the trailhead. There are also many miles of four-wheel-drive roads to explore throughout the National Forest.

Camping

There are many campgrounds in Gallatin National Forest (like Eagle Creek just outside Gardiner on the northern border of Yellowstone National Park), as well as dispersed camping options.

Wilderness Areas

Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness (also in Custer and Shoshone National Forests)

Lee Metcalf Wilderness (also in Beaverhead National Forest)

Related Sites

Custer National Forest (Montana-South Dakota)

Big Hole National Battlefield (Montana)

Beaverhead–Deerlodge National Forest (Montana)

Nearest National Park

Yellowstone

Looking past a boulder to the lake that was created by the landside

Conifer Tree Species

lodgepole pine, ponderosa pine, whitebark pine, subalpine fir, Douglas-fir, Engelmann spruce

Flowering Tree Species

quaking aspen, balsam poplar, cottonwood, alder, mountain maple, mountain ash

Explore More – Why was the National Forest named after Albert Gallatin?

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

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Illinois

Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie

September 27, 2023 Raven About The Parks Leave a comment

Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie

Illinois

Managed by U.S. Forest Service, Northern Region

20,283 acres

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

Overview

Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie was established in 1996 and opened to visitors eight years later following some ecological restoration and decontamination. It is located on the site of the Joliet Army Ammunition Plant that produced TNT from 1940 to 1976. In combination with neighboring Des Plaines Fish and Wildlife Area and other preserves, over 40,000 acres are protected in this area south of Chicago’s suburbs. Restoration of the tallgrass prairie is ongoing with planting and prescribed burning to promote the growth of native plants. In 2015, 27 bison were introduced on 1,200 acres and the herd has grown to more than 50. Midewin (pronounced “mi-DAY-win”) is a Potowatomi word referring to tribal healers.

Highlights

Midewin Welcome Center, Route 66, historic bunkers, bison herd

Must-Do Activity

The best place to start a visit is the Midewin Welcome Center on Highway 53, just south of the Southwest Bison Overlook. There you can read about the history of the area, pick up pamphlets on birds and wildflowers, and get information on the more than 30 miles of trails, including 21.7 miles open to bikers and equestrians. The 7,000 acres of accessible public lands are open 4 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily.

Best Trail

Several trails leave from the Iron Bridge Trailhead north of the visitor center. We took Group 63 Trail that starts in a forest then opens up as it accesses Bunker 63-1, which is unlocked for exploration. The entire trail makes a 3.5-mile loop around a group of bunkers following the northern border of the fenced-off bison pasture.

Watchable Wildlife

Midewin remains the only federal tallgrass prairie preserve east of the Mississippi River, restoring an extremely rare ecosystem that was mostly converted to agriculture. Golden gophers (or 13-lined ground squirrels) fill the ecological niche of prairie dogs here. Coyotes and white-tailed deer are also found in this area. In 2015, bison were introduced on 1,200 acres of the preserve, and the herd has increased from the original four bulls and 23 cows. A color pamphlet highlighting native birds is available at the visitor center and trailheads. In addition to songbirds, raptors like red-tailed hawks, northern harriers, and short-eared owls can be seen. We came across a flock of turkeys near the turtle pond south of Hoff Road.

Instagram-worthy Photo

A turtle pond is accessible by walking a closed road one mile from the Hoff Road Trailhead.

Peak Season

Spring

Fees

None

Road Conditions

The main access roads are paved and the trailhead parking areas are gravel lots. Many of the trails are former roads, both paved and unpaved. At the Iron Bridge Trailhead, bicycles are available to rent as part of the 75 miles of trails following the Illinois and Michigan Canal National Heritage Corridor.

Camping

There is no camping at Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie, as the public lands are only open 4 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily. Campgrounds outside of Chicago include Starved Rock State Park, Illini State Park, Des Plaines Conservation Area, and across the state border at Indiana Dunes National Park.

Pullman National Historical Park (Illinois)

Cedar River National Grassland (North Dakota)

Nearest National Park

Indiana Dunes

Explore More – During World War II, 3,400 women worked at the Joliet Army Ammunition Plant, representing what percentage of the workforce?

Alaska

Lake Clark National Park and Preserve

September 13, 2023 Raven About The Parks 2 Comments

Lake Clark National Park and Preserve

Alaska

Managed by National Park Service

Established 1978 National Monument, 1980 National Park

4,030,025 acres

Website: nps.gov/lacl

Overview

Lake Clark National Park and Preserve is inaccessible by road and receives only about 15,000 visitors annually. It sits at the northern end of the massive Alaska Peninsula southwest of Anchorage, home to the twin 10,000-foot volcanoes Redoubt and Iliamna. Cloaked in the whitest of snow, on a clear day they dominate the skyline view from a boat bobbing in Cook Inlet or a vehicle driving the Sterling Highway. Behind the mountains lies massive Lake Clark itself, as well as the Twin Lakes made famous in the film Alone in the Wilderness and the book One Man’s Wilderness that both documented Richard “Dick” Proenneke’s cabin building and backcountry lifestyle (see our list of the Top 10 Non-Fiction Books Set in a National Park and Alaska). Many visitors take flightseeing tours and never step foot on the ground, but that does not make their experience any less extraordinary.

Learn more in the expanded 2nd edition of our guidebook to the National Parks— A Park to Yourself: Finding Solitude in America’s 63 National Parks.

Highlights

Redoubt Volcano, Iliamna Volcano, Port Alsworth, Lake Clark, Richard Proenneke Historic Site, Double Glacier

Must-Do Activity

You can easily see the twin 10,000-foot volcanoes (Redoubt and Iliamna) within the park from Anchorage or Homer on a clear day, but getting to them is no easy task. Your best bet is to take a float plane charter service and land on one of the big, glacier-fed lakes. While you are over there try to do some salmon fishing; that is why the brown bears and bald eagles like it here. The park’s visitor center is in Port Alsworth on Lake Clark, and another popular destination is Richard Proenneke Historic Site on Twin Lakes. The park’s best attraction may be the massive glaciers that cling to the peaks of the Alaska and Aleutian Ranges and the Chigmit and Neacola Mountains. Flying over a jagged glacial field offers a unique perspective on these giant rivers of ice and the boulder strewn valleys where gray, milky streams follow the wide pathways left by receded glaciers.

Best Trail

At the park’s visitor center in Port Alsworth, 2.5-mile Tanalian Falls Trail is the only officially maintained trail and a popular destination for backpackers. At Richard Proenneke Historic Site, we hiked the scenic and steep Teetering Rock Trail less than a mile up to its namesake boulder that moves when you push on it.

Instagram-worthy Photo

Viewed from above, Double Glacier appears cracked and fissured like the skin on the back of a human hand. Rocky debris in lines of black accentuate the frozen white that hint at the slow flow of the ice river down the valley. Deeper crevasses reflect a cerulean shade that bewilders the eye in this otherwise monochrome landscape.

Peak Season

Summer

Hours

https://www.nps.gov/lacl/planyourvisit/hours.htm

Fees

None, but it is expensive to access by airplane. We took Kachemak Air Service to Twin Lakes and Talon Air Service to Double Glacier and Big River Lakes/Wolverine Creek.

Road Conditions

Essentially, there are no roads in Lake Clark National Park and Preserve.

Camping

No designated campgrounds exist within the park, so backcountry campers must come prepared with everything they need, plus the supplies required to wait an extra week for pickup should the weather turn bad.

Chugach National Forest (Alaska)

Kenai Fjords National Park (Alaska)

Explore More – Before this area was a National Park, when did Richard “Dick” Proenneke arrive at Twin Lakes to begin building his cabin?

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North Dakota

Cedar River National Grassland

August 29, 2023 Raven About The Parks 1 Comment

Cedar River National Grassland

North Dakota

Managed by U.S. Forest Service, Northern Region

6,717 acres (6,717 federal/ 0 other)

Website: https://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/dpg/recarea/?recid=79471

Overview

Cedar River National Grassland was created in 1998 from part of Custer National Forest, as is true of all four of the units managed as The Dakota Prairie Grasslands by the U.S. Forest Service. The number above showing 0 acres of private inholdings is a little misleading since Cedar River National Grassland is a patchwork of public lands surrounded by the Standing Rock Reservation of the Lakota Sioux. It is administered from the office just across the state border in Lemmon, South Dakota along with 154,783-acre Grand River National Grassland. Although situated close to the Cedar River, the grassland contains no river bottomlands and is primarily composed of rolling hills cut by dry gullies.

Highlights

Knispel Wildlife Area, Cedar River

Must-Do Activity

The soils of Cedar River National Grassland are mostly clay, but we found some interesting rocks on the surface near the buttes at Knispel Wildlife Area off Highway 31. Although it is not in the National Grassland, you should try to drive across one of the bridges over the namesake Cedar River. Using the Forest Service app, we hiked to a small pond with cattails we could see on the aerial photos near the North Community Allotment.

Best Trail

There are no designated trails in Cedar River National Grassland, so we just walked cross-country. We do recommend a stop at the World’s Largest Petrified Wood Park in nearby Lemmon, South Dakota.

Watchable Wildlife

About 25% of the National Grassland was reseeded with crested wheatgrass providing good grazing for white-tailed deer, pronghorn, and cattle. Sharp-tailed grouse and exotic pheasants are also found in this area and the neighboring farm fields (primarily growing sunflowers). Potholes and stock ponds provide habitat for blue-winged teals, gadwalls, and mallards, as well as fathead minnows, painted turtles, and northern leopard frogs. In the summer, listen for the songs of western meadowlarks. Birds of prey reported are red-tailed hawks, ferruginous hawks, Swainson’s hawks, northern harriers, American kestrels, golden eagles, and bald eagles. We saw evidence of a hut on a dry stream built by a beaver, and there are also or muskrats, raccoons, coyotes, red foxes, and badgers.

Instagram-worthy Photo

Cottonwood trees are about the only subject that will break the horizon in a photograph at Cedar River National Grassland.

Peak Season

Summer

Fees

None

Road Conditions

Highway 31 is paved, but most of the roads were unpaved; those with gravel were in good shape in October, although the clay could turn to gumbo during wet spring months.

Camping

There is not a designated campground and dispersed camping might be tough due to the lack of pullouts and the predominance of private land. It is probably better to head south to Grand River National Grassland, which has campgrounds.

Related Sites

Cimarron National Grassland (Kansas)

Knife River Indian Villages National Historic Site (North Dakota)

Fort Union Trading Post National Historic Site (North Dakota-Montana)

Nearest National Park

Theodore Roosevelt

Explore More – After the federal government acquired about 48,000 acres of the Standing Rock Reservation from homesteads in the 1930s, how many acres did they later return to the Lakota Sioux (although the tribe would like it all returned)?

George Washington National Forest

Gallatin National Forest

Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie

Lake Clark National Park and Preserve

Cedar River National Grassland

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