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Vermont

Green Mountain National Forest

December 20, 2023 Raven About The Parks 2 Comments

Green Mountain National Forest

Vermont

Managed by U.S. Forest Service, Eastern Region

821,040 acres (399,151 federal/ 421,889 other)

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

Overview

The only National Forest in Vermont is divided into a north and south section, each with its own National Recreation Area. In the north, Moosalamoo National Recreation Area has the Voter Brook Overlook and trails to the Falls of Lana and Silver Lake, which has a popular backpacking campground. In the south, Robert T. Stafford White Rocks National Recreation Area includes a portion of the historic Long Trail where the Appalachian National Scenic Trail overlaps it. Vermont literally translates as Green Mountain from French, the name of the range that forms the state’s granite backbone. Winter recreation is a big deal here, with three alpine ski areas in the National Forest and seven designated cross-country ski areas, as well as 900 miles of trails for snowshoeing and some areas open specifically for snowmobiling. Green Mountain National Forest also co-manages Finger Lakes National Forest in central New York.

Highlights

Moosalamoo National Recreation Area, White Rocks National Recreation Area, Hapgood Pond Recreation Area, Texas Falls, Robert Frost Wayside, Voter Brook Overlook, Falls of Lana, Devil’s Den Cave, Lye Brook Falls, Moss Glen Falls, Mt. Ellen, Robert Frost Interpretive Trail, Long Trail, Appalachian National Scenic Trail

Must-Do Activity

Texas Falls is not located in the right place on the Forest Service visitor app, but it is easy to get to right alongside paved Texas Falls Road off State Route 125. The falls formed at the end of the Ice Age around 12,000 years ago, when meltwater scoured the quartz-chlorite schist. A footbridge crosses the Hancock Branch over an interesting glacial pothole in the rock, and a nature trail continues uphill forming a 1.2-mile loop. We did not make it to Lye Brook Falls or Moss Glen Falls, but found the off-trail Falls of Lana worth the effort (see Moosalamoo National Recreation Area).

Best Trail

Green Mountain National Forest contains about half of the 272-mile Long Trail, which in 1931 became the first named long-distance hiking trail in the U.S. In Robert T. Stafford White Rocks National Recreation Area, the Long Trail is coincident with the Appalachian National Scenic Trail (AT) with several overnight shelters (some of which charge $5 per person, per night).

Watchable Wildlife

The National Forest contains 450 miles of streams, which is great for trout and salmon fishermen, especially since some wildlife management projects have been done to improve their habitat. Other work has been completed to support ruffed grouse, wild turkey, black bear, and Bicknell’s thrush. We were told by a local that there is a black bear named Jenny that hangs out around the White Rocks Day Use Area. Additional species of interest include moose, white-tailed deer, coyote, porcupine, and beaver.

Instagram-worthy Photo

Less than a mile up the Ice Beds Trail, a short climb reaches a viewpoint of the white rocks, a glacier-scoured cliff of Cheshire quartzite that is (part of) the namesake for Robert T. Stafford White Rocks National Recreation Area.

Peak Season

Fall

Fees

Ski areas at Mount Snow, Stratton Mountain, and Bromley Mountain have recreation fees. Along the Long Trail/AT, there is a camping fee of $5 per person, per night at Little Rock Pond, Peru Peak, Stratton Pond, and Griffith Lake.

Road Conditions

All the gravel roads we drove were in good shape during the spring, including the roads to Voter Brook Overlook and White Rocks Day Use Area.

Camping

One of the most developed parts of the National Forest is at 7-acre Hapgood Pond where there is a campground, swimming beach, and boat ramp. Moosalamoo Campground has 18 campsites located at the base of the Mt. Moosalamoo Trail, near Voter Brook Overlook. There are a couple dispersed campsites also on the road, but we had one of our worst nights camping here with college kids blasting music late and another group waking us up before sunrise. The backpacking campground at Silver Lake is nice, or you can stay at Branbury State Park on Lake Dunmore.

Wilderness Areas

Big Branch Wilderness

Breadloaf Wilderness

Bristol Cliffs Wilderness

George D. Aiken Wilderness

Glastenbury Wilderness

Joseph Battell Wilderness

Lye Brook Wilderness

Peru Peak Wilderness

Saint-Gaudens National Historical Park (New Hampshire)

White Mountain National Forest (New Hampshire-Maine)

Nearest National Park

Acadia

Conifer Tree Species

eastern hemlock, eastern white pine, red pine, red spruce, balsam fir

Flowering Tree Species

sugar maple, American beech, yellow birch, white birch, paper birch, mountain ash

Explore More – Texas Falls is located on the Hancock Branch, which feeds the White River that converges with what major river?

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

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Colorado

Grand Mesa National Forest

November 29, 2023 Raven About The Parks 3 Comments

Grand Mesa National Forest

Colorado

Managed by U.S. Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Region

351,715 acres (346,555 federal/ 5,160 other)

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

Overview

Covering 540 square-miles, Grand Mesa is the largest flattop mountain in the world and has an average elevation of 10,500 feet. It rises east of Grand Junction and is easily explored via paved Highway 65, also known as Grand Mesa Scenic Byway. Due to its high elevation, Grand Mesa National Forest is a popular destination for snowmobiles in the winter. This area was first set aside by President Harrison in 1892 as Battlement Mesa Forest Reserve, only the third such designation in U.S. history. It is now co-managed with Colorado’s Gunnison and Uncompahgre National Forests.

Highlights

Grand Mesa Scenic Byway, Land’s End Ranger Observatory, Ward Lake, Island Lake Interpretive Trail, Crag Crest National Recreation Trail, Eggleston Lake, Leon Peak, Battlement Trail

Must-Do Activity

Also covering a portion of Battlement Mesa, Grand Mesa National Forest contains more than 300 lakes, several of which have campgrounds. The Grand Mesa Visitor Center on Highway 65 near Island Lake is a great place to start, with a 20-minute film shown detailing the 1999 Land’s End archaeological excavation that found evidence of 8,000 years of human activity at 9,000 feet in elevation. Dirt roads travel east from there deeper into the National Forest, or you can take a side trip west on the Grand Mesa Scenic Byway to the visitor center at Land’s End Ranger Observatory for views all the way into Utah’s La Sal National Forest.

Best Trail

The best trail in Grand Mesa National Forest is without a doubt Crag Crest National Recreation Trail. It can be hiked as a 10.3-mile loop from two trailheads, one at Island Lake (paved access) and the other at Eggleston Lake (that requires some dirt road driving). The crest portion of the hike is the highlight as it follows a narrow ridge of volcanic rock that offers spectacular views. Due to its exposure and the high altitude (up to 11,189 feet) it is recommended that you get an early start to avoid afternoon thunderstorms. For those not wishing to do the entire loop, we found that by starting out counterclockwise from Eggleston Lake the trail climbs steeply providing panoramas within two miles. We completed five miles out-and-back with a cumulative elevation gain of 1,100 feet and felt we had gotten the full experience.

Watchable Wildlife

Trout fishing is one of the main draws to the 300 lakes in Grand Mesa National Forest. The lakes and streams also attract elk, mule deer, bighorn sheep, raccoons, red foxes, black bears, and mountain lions, in addition to large birds like bald eagles, golden eagles, peregrine falcons, common ravens, and wild turkeys. Due to its high elevation, look for pikas in the rocks along Crag Crest National Recreation Trail.

Instagram-worthy Photo

Starting counterclockwise on the Crag Crest National Recreation Trail from Eggleston Lake, we climbed to stunning panoramas within two miles.

Peak Season

Summer

Fees

None

Road Conditions

Grand Mesa Scenic Byway follows paved Highway 65 up above 10,000 feet in elevation, as well as west to Land’s End Ranger Observatory. The unpaved Land’s End Road continues switchbacking down the mesa to Highway 50, but is not recommended for vehicles more than 21 feet in length. The unpaved roads on Grand Mesa were in good shape during our June visit, but are closed in the winter.

Camping

There are campgrounds at several lakes in Grand Mesa National Forest, as well as dispersed camping options along the dirt roads.

Wilderness Areas

None

Related Sites

Gunnison National Forest (Colorado)

Colorado National Monument (Colorado)

Arapaho National Forest (Colorado)

Nearest National Park

Black Canyon of the Gunnison

Conifer Tree Species

Engelmann spruce, subalpine fir, Douglas-fir, two-needle pinyon pine, ponderosa pine

Flowering Tree Species

Gambel oak, quaking aspen, narrowleaf cottonwood, mountain-mahogany, chokecherry

Explore More – Now a geological term, what does “mesa” mean in Spanish?

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

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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

Mt. St. Helens National Volcanic Monument

October 25, 2023 Raven About The Parks 4 Comments

Mt. St. Helens National Volcanic Monument

Washington

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

Established 1982

110,000 acres

Website: https://www.fs.usda.gov/visit/destination/mount-st-helens-national-volcanic-monument-0

Overview

Mt. St. Helens erupted Sunday, May 18, 1980 decreasing its elevation by 1,300 feet and depositing all of that material across the landscape as ash and a lahar (volcanic mudslide) claiming 57 human lives. The site is now protected as Mt. St. Helens National Volcanic Monument and is accessed from the east or west through Gifford Pinchot National Forest. Mt. St. Helens is geologically young as it began to form only 37,600 years ago. It is considered the most active volcano in the Cascade Range, with a major eruption in 1480 several times larger than that which occurred 500 years later, as well as written records that noted activity from 1800 to 1857. Prior to the most recent blast it was distinguished for its perfect cone shape, likened to the renowned outline of Mt. Fuji in Japan.

Highlights

Johnston Ridge Observatory, films, Forest Learning Center, Windy Ridge, Spirit Lake, Bear Meadows, Winds of Change Trail

Must-Do Activity

Coming from Mount Rainier National Park, we decided to visit the more remote eastern side of the National Monument (see Best Trail) on Spirit Lake Memorial Highway. From Interstate 5 on the volcano’s west side, Highway 504 leads east past an excellent visitor center (Milepost 5) at Seaquest State Park in Silver Lake (admission charged). Highway 504 next reaches the free Forest Learning Center managed by the Weyerhaeuser Company, Washington State Department of Transportation, and the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation. The road ends at Johnston Ridge Observatory (Milepost 52), which is known for its awesome views of Mt. St. Helens. We have been told not to miss the introductory films at the museum (admission charged). [Update: Highway 504 closed due to landslides at Milepost 43 in June 2023 and has not reopened yet.] Climbers need a permit to ascend Mt. St. Helens, but even from an overlook the scene is enough to fill one with an appreciation for nature’s awesome power.

Best Trail

After a breathtaking ascent of 361 steps, we reached a breathtaking view atop the aptly named Windy Ridge. It provided a panorama of the destruction wrought by the volcano, which is still visibly spewing smoke and cinders. Today the waters of Spirit Lake remain clogged with thousands of weathered snags, floating upon its surface like debarked, sun-bleached ghosts. Elsewhere the rate of reforestation has been astounding. Due to natural regeneration and planting efforts within Gifford Pinchot National Forest, millions of Douglas-fir, noble fir, and other trees are rapidly growing in the nitrogen-rich deposits, up to 100 feet deep in some places.

Instagram-worthy Photo

From Windy Ridge, the pale gray summit of the horseshoe-shaped volcano was still streaked in glacial ice on a warm September afternoon, the venting steam clearly visible against the deep blue sky.

Peak Season

Summer

Hours

https://www.parks.wa.gov/245/Mount-St-Helens

Fees

Admission to Johnston Ridge Observatory is $8 per adult or free with an America the Beautiful Pass. At Seaquest State Park, a $5 per adult admission fee is charged to enter Mt. St. Helens Visitor Center operated by Washington State Parks in Silver Lake.

Road Conditions

The major roads (like Highway 504) are paved to viewpoints in Mt. St. Helens National Volcanic Monument. [Update: Highway 504 closed due to landslides at Milepost 43 in June 2023 and has not reopened, but Windy Ridge is still accessible.]

Camping

There is a campground in Seaquest State Park on Silver Lake near Interstate 5, plus dispersed camping is allowed in parts of Gifford Pinchot National Forest.

Related Sites

Mount Rainier National Park (Washington)

Lake Chelan National Recreation Area (Washington)

Oregon Caves National Monument and Preserve (Oregon)

Explore More – Opened in 1997, Johnston Ridge Observatory is named for whom?

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

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.

Green Mountain National Forest

Grand Mesa National Forest

Gila National Forest

Mt. St. Helens National Volcanic Monument

Gifford Pinchot National Forest

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