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Top 10 Visitor Centers in National Forests

December 30, 2025 Raven About The Parks 2 Comments

We have now published blog posts on more than half of the 155 National Forests and 20 National Grasslands in America, so it seemed like a good time to do another Top 10 list. Visitor centers are much rarer in National Forests than sites managed by the National Park Service (plus they seem to mostly be open only on weekdays), but there are still some good ones. Some are small and tourist-focused like the one at historic Lolo Pass on the Idaho-Montana border, while others are large but mostly serve as the headquarters for employees, like at Black Hills National Forest in South Dakota. Presented here are the best from our travels, plus check out some of our favorite National Forests in our many other Top 10 lists. Still struggling to figure out the difference between a National Park and a National Forest? Read this blog post for help.

10. El Yunque National Forest (Puerto Rico)

The Forest Service’s El Portal Rainforest Visitor Center reopened in January 2022, just weeks after we visited this as our final one of all 155 National Forests.

9. Gila National Forest (New Mexico)

This visitor center is co-managed with the National Park Service due to its proximity to Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument; ask about the hot springs in the area.

8. Ottawa National Forest (Michigan)

An interpretive trail through the forest leaves from this site, a good stop before driving down to Black River Harbor Recreation Area past its many waterfalls.

7. Inyo National Forest (California)

In the White Mountains, a steep paved road leads to a visitor center at the Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest, and visit the one on Mono Lake along scenic Highway 395.

6. Gallatin National Forest (Montana)

Earthquake Lake Visitor Center on Highway 287 is open in the summer to tell the tragic story of August 17, 1959.

5. Toiyabe National Forest (Nevada-California)

There are cool stained-glass windows along the top of this modern visitor center outside Las Vegas.

4. St. Francis National Forest (Arkansas)

Mississippi River State Park has an amazing new visitor center that interprets this small neighboring National Forest, and it has a gift shop.

3. Sawtooth National Recreation Area (Idaho)

There are a couple of visitor centers around scenic Redfish Lake and the town of Stanley in both Sawtooth and Challis National Forests.

2. Mt. St. Helens National Volcanic Monument (Washington)

Gifford Pinchot National Forest runs seasonal visitor centers on both the east and west sides of Mt. St. Helens, plus there is one in Seaquest State Park.

…and finally our #1 National Forest visitor center:

1. Tongass National Forest (Alaska)

The Southeast Alaska Discovery Center in Ketchikan accepts America the Beautiful passes, so bring yours along on the cruise ship, which is how most visitors arrive.

Honorable Mentions

Coconino National Forest (Arizona)

Red Rock Ranger Visitor Center has the best location in the heart of Sedona right off Red Rock Scenic Byway (Highway 179)

Black Kettle National Grassland (Oklahoma)

Located downstairs from the National Park Service visitor center for Washita Battlefield National Historic Site, there is also an excellent interpretive trail outside.

Grand Mesa National Forest (Colorado)

A log cabin atop the mesa shows two films about the region, while the historic Lands End Observatory offers superb views.

Wayne National Forest (Ohio)

Always seem to drive past this Welcome Center on Highway 33 when it is closed, but it looks nice from the outside.

Caribou National Forest (Idaho)

The National Oregon/California Trail Center in Montpelier has a Forest Service flag flying out front, but it does not seem to be run by them at all.

Buffalo Gap National Grassland (South Dakota)

Wall Drug is not the only attraction in the town of Wall, as the National Grasslands Visitor Center serves as the main interpretive site for all 20 National Grasslands (plus Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie, which has its own nice visitor center in Illinois).

Forest Service Information Center (Washington, D.C.)

We have been inside the historic 1878 Sidney R. Yates building on Independence Avenue SW, but do not recall the animatronic Smokey Bear that now resides there.

Learn more about all 155 National Forests in our travel guidebook Out in the Woods

Missouri

Mark Twain National Forest

December 16, 2025 Raven About The Parks 2 Comments

Mark Twain National Forest

Missouri

Managed by U.S. Forest Service, Eastern Region

3,012,464 acres (1,491,840 federal/ 1,520,624 other)

Website: https://www.fs.usda.gov/r09/marktwain

Overview

In the 1970s, the more northerly Clark National Forest in Missouri was administratively combined with Mark Twain National Forest, encompassing 11% of the state’s forests across 29 counties. Much of the forest was planted by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC), with their work still visible at the Rolla Ranger Station and Winona Ranger Station Historic Districts. Spread across nine separate units throughout southern Missouri’s Ozark Mountains, Mark Twain National Forest’s Karst topography is full of caves, sinkholes, streams, and springs. Greer Spring is the second largest in Missouri with a daily flow of 222-million gallons as it drains 1.25 miles into the Eleven Point National Scenic River. Greer Spring is accessible by a one-mile trail downhill from Highway 19, but no fishing or wading is allowed.

Highlights

Glade Top Trail Scenic Byway, Blue Buck Knob Scenic Byway, Greer Spring, Table Rock Lake, Council Bluff Recreation Area, Overcup Oak Sink, Silver Mine Recreation Area, Bellevue Trail, Cedar Creek Trail, Devil’s Backbone Trail, Ridge Runner National Recreation Trail, Big Piney Trail, Ozark Trail

Must-Do Activity

Most trails in Mark Twain National Forest are open to hikers, mountain bikers, and equestrians, including Ridge Runner National Recreation Trail that totals 33 miles. Two areas at Chadwick and Sutton Bluff are designated for ATV, UTV, and motorcycle use. Fishing is a popular activity on the Eleven Point National Scenic River and numerous lakes, like Noblett Lake and Table Rock Lake. There are so many recreation areas spread around this massive National Forest, it is impossible to cover them all here. We recommend you start with one of the spots listed under Highlights above.

Best Trail

Mark Twain National Forest has several long trails that explore its 78,000 acres of Wilderness areas, including sections of the 350-mile Ozark Trail. Northeast of Branson, Hercules-Glades Wilderness protects 12,413 acres of forested hillsides, limestone outcroppings, and glades of native grasses. There are three trailheads on the edge of the Wilderness, but we chose Blair Ridge because of its paved access 5.3 miles off Highway 160. From a small roadside parking area, the trail follows a ridgeline for 1.2 miles to some excellent backpacking campsites that overlook the countryside before it drops 600 feet in the next mile. At that point the trail intersects with Coy Bald Trail, which can be taken a short distance to a small scenic waterfall on Long Creek.

Watchable Wildlife

The Ozark Mountains provide habitat for common eastern species like white-tailed deer, wild turkeys, gray squirrels, cottontail rabbits, red foxes, and raccoons. You may also encounter venomous copperheads, timber rattlesnakes, and pygmy rattlesnakes. The oak savannahs are home to several endemic plants, as well as prickly pear cacti and animals more associated with the Southwest U.S., like roadrunners, collared lizards, scorpions, and tarantulas. Gamefish include smallmouth bass, largemouth bass, rock bass, walleye, and rainbow trout.

Photographic Opportunity

Between Jefferson City and Columbia, Pine Ridge Recreation Area accesses Cedar Creek Trail, which has multiple trailheads and four loops totaling 36 miles.

Peak Season

Spring and fall

Fees

There are day use fees at several sites, including $5 at Noblett Lake and $2 at Blue Hole Trailhead and North Fork Recreation Area

Road Conditions

Many of the curvy back roads in Mark Twain National Forest are paved, such as Blair Ridge that led to a trailhead 5.3 miles off Highway 160. There are likely some rough unpaved roads in the Ozarks, so check road conditions before departing.

Camping

There are numerous campgrounds in Mark Twain National Forest, although it can be harder to find good dispersed campsites due to the proximity to private land. In the northernmost area outside Columbia, we paid to camp in the quiet Pine Ridge Recreation Area. On the edge of the Hercules-Glades Wilderness at the Hercules Tower (with restrooms) and Coy Bald Trailheads, there are a handful of car camping sites for free.

Wilderness Areas

Bell Mountain Wilderness

Devils Backbone Wilderness

Hercules-Glades Wilderness

Irish Wilderness

Paddy Creek Wilderness

Piney Creek Wilderness

Rockpile Mountain Wilderness

George Washington Carver National Monument (Missouri)

Ozark National Forest (Arkansas)

Nearest National Park

Gateway Arch

Conifer Tree Species

shortleaf pine, eastern redcedar

Flowering Tree Species

sweetgum, water tupelo, sugar maple, red maple, boxelder, honeylocust, Ohio buckeye, red buckeye, black cherry, sassafras, persimmon, Kentucky coffee tree, black gum, blackjack oak, Nuttall oak, overcup oak, white oak, black oak, scarlet oak, post oak, black hickory, shagbark hickory, mockernut hickory, bitternut hickory, brookside alder

Explore More – Mark Twain National Forest’s Greer Spring is the second largest natural spring in Missouri, so which one is in first place?

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

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).

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?

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

Michigan

Manistee National Forest

November 18, 2025 Raven About The Parks Leave a comment

Manistee National Forest

Michigan

Managed by U.S. Forest Service, Eastern Region

1,331,673 acres (540,322 federal/ 791,351 other)

Website: https://www.fs.usda.gov/r09/huron-manistee

Overview

Even though they are on opposite sides of Michigan’s Lower Peninsula, Manistee and Huron National Forests have been co-managed since 1945. Only seven years earlier, Manistee National Forest was created from tax-forfeited lands and purchases of logged forests unsuitable for farming, so it is remains a mosaic of private and public lands. Much of this area was replanted by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) and many of those trees are now very large. It contains the highest point on Michigan’s Lower Peninsula, 1,706-foot Briar Hill, which has no marked trails to the summit and obstructed views from the top. It is also home to Caberfae Peaks Ski Resort, which receives high accumulations of lake-effect snow and is one of the oldest ski resorts in the U.S. opened in 1938.

Highlights

Pere Marquette National Scenic River, Nordhouse Dunes, Newaygo Prairies, Caberfae Winter Sports Area, Udell Rollways, Briar Hill, Manistee River Trail, North Country National Scenic Trail

Must-Do Activity

Manistee National Forest is popular for hiking, fishing, camping, boating, snowmobiling, cross-country skiing, and hunting. The National Forest’s primary visitor attractions are the Nordhouse Dunes along Lake Michigan and Loda Lake National Wildflower Sanctuary, a 1,000-acre area set aside in 1938 to grow native plants. The 6,270-acre sand dunes complex around Big Sable Point on Lake Michigan was formed 3,500 years ago and reaches 140 feet in height above lake level. The southern portion is contained within Ludington State Park and the northern half is managed by the Forest Service.

Best Trail

We accessed the Nordhouse Dunes from the Arrowhead Trailhead (fee), nine miles on paved West Forest Trail Road from Highway 31. We hiked a 2.7-mile loop by connecting the Middle Trail to the Arrowhead/ Nipissing Trail then following the shoreline back. We passed dozens of backpackers camping on the beach, mostly ignoring the requirement to stay 400 feet from Lake Michigan and 100 feet from trails. The North Country National Scenic Trail passes through Manistee National Forest and can be connected with the 11-mile-long Manistee River Trail to make a 23-mile loop.

Watchable Wildlife

The Nordhouse Dunes encompass the largest area of freshwater interdunal ponds in the world, home to the federally endangered pitcher’s thistle. On the Lake Michigan shoreline, the dune grass provides habitat for endangered piping plovers. More common species are white-tailed deer, coyote, red fox, porcupine, and raccoon, and the occasional black bear and bobcat. A variety of gamefish are found in the Manistee River, Lake Michigan, and smaller ponds.

Photographic Opportunity

The rows of trees in the red pine plantations make for some interesting photographic subjects.

Peak Season

Summer

Fees

There is a $5 day use fee (or $15 for a week) to park at trailheads for the Nordhouse Dunes Wilderness with automated fee collection station available at Nurnberg Trailhead, or you can hang an America the Beautiful pass in your vehicle.

Road Conditions

The main roads are paved from Highway 31 to access the Nordhouse Dunes Wilderness; Nurnberg Trailhead in the southeast corner is open year round and Lake Michigan Recreation Area in the north is gated in the offseason.

Camping

There is a 102-site campground near the trailhead within Lake Michigan Recreation Area, but dispersed car camping is allowed to the east on the sandy side roads off West Forest Trail Road. It seems that backpackers in the Nordhouse Dunes area ignore the requirement to stay 400 feet from the lake and 100 feet from trails.

Wilderness Areas

Nordhouse Dunes Wilderness

Related Sites

Huron National Forest (Michigan)

Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore (Michigan)

River Raisin National Battlefield Park (Michigan)

Nearest National Park

Indiana Dunes

Conifer Tree Species

red pine, jack pine, eastern white pine, eastern hemlock, arborvitae, tamarack, black spruce

Flowering Tree Species

northern red oak, black oak, white oak, red maple, paper birch, yellow birch, American beech, black cherry, green ash, bigtooth aspen, sassafras, witch hazel

Explore More – How is the Ojibwe word Manistee translated into English?

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

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).

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