There are 21 National Recreation Areas administered solely by the U.S. Forest Service (and one co-managed with the National Park Service). This is a list of our favorites, since we already ranked our Top 10 National Recreation Areas run by the National Park Service. The U.S. Forest Service also manages nine National Scenic Areas, so we will probably never rank those, but by far the two best are Oregon’s Columbia River Gorge and California’s Mono Basin. Click here to see all our Top 10 lists.
Hiawatha National Forest is separated into two sections on the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, both of which touch Lake Superior and Lake Michigan. The East Unit also fronts Lake Huron, and includes scenic Round Island Lighthouse near Mackinac Island, as well as beautiful Point Iroquois Light Station. Most of these sandy soils in the East Unit were never homesteaded, so they were easily designated Marquette National Forest by President Theodore Roosevelt in 1909. Land purchases for the West Unit began in 1928, and were later replanted by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC). The West Unit includes 13,500-acre Grand Island National Recreation Area (see our blog post) in Lake Superior, a popular destination for camping, biking, and kayaking at the western edge of Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore.
Highlights
Grand Island National Recreation Area, St. Helena Island National Scenic Area, Whitefish Bay Scenic Byway, Point Iroquois Light Station, Scott Falls, Diamond Hill Lookout, Porcupine Nature Trail, Haymeadow Falls Trail, Naomikong Point Blue Trail, North Country National Scenic Trail
Must-Do Activity
Several lighthouses are located along the shores of the Great Lakes, including the picturesque Round Island Lighthouse near touristy Mackinac Island, Point Iroquois Light Station (see Instagram-worthy Photo) on the Whitefish Bay Scenic Byway, and one on private land near Wick Point within Grand Island National Recreation Area (see our blog post). Further to the west Highway M-28 follows the shores of Lake Superior, where a Wayside Park at the east side of AuTrain Bay provides parking for those wishing to carefully cross the road to see ten-foot-tall Scott Falls.
Best Trail
Foley Creek Day Use Area is located just off Interstate 75 at a large pullout along paved Mackinac Trail Road. A hike starts at the north end of a former campground, and soon the sound of the freeway is dispersed by the trees as you enter the small Horseshoe Bay Wilderness. The trail has boardwalks across the wettest spots and after 1.4 miles opens up to a secluded sandy beach on Lake Huron with views of Mackinac Island. Naomikong Point Blue Trail is a popular 3.4-mile out-and-back trail that connects with the North Country National Scenic Trail, crossing Naomikong Creek on a suspension bridge then ending at Menekaunee Point on Naomikong Island.
Watchable Wildlife
These forests are home to gray wolves, black bears, bobcats, Canada lynx, mountain lions, red foxes, coyotes, striped skunks, weasels, minks, river otters, porcupines, beavers, muskrats, snowshoe hares, white-tailed deer, and moose. Large birds found here include wild turkeys, spruce grouse, ruffed grouse, golden eagles, bald eagles, ospreys, great blue herons, sandhill cranes, and trumpeter swans. Hiawatha National Forest has more than 100 miles of shoreline on three Great Lakes, offering fishing for walleye, northern pike, muskies, Atlantic salmon, and steelhead trout. In addition, there are 75 inland lakes and 600 miles of streams, including five National Wild and Scenic Rivers: Carp River, Indian River, Sturgeon River, Tahquamenon River (East Branch), and Whitefish River. The 0.9-mile Haymeadow Falls Trail loop partially follows a productive trout stream.
Instagram-worthy Photo
Located on the Whitefish Bay Scenic Byway, the iconic 65-foot Point Iroquois Light Station stands on the shores of Lake Superior at the mouth of St. Mary’s River. The first lighthouse and residence were built here in 1855, and the current buildings were placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1975. When not under construction, you can pay to enter the museum and climb the spiral staircase to the top of the tower.
Peak Season
Summer
Fees
None
Road Conditions
Whitefish Bay Scenic Byway is fully paved, and we found the unpaved roads to Hovey Lake Campground to be in good enough shape for our passenger vehicle.
Camping
We spent an enjoyable night at the free Hovey Lake Campground and awoke to find a pair of trumpeter swans on the water. Hiawatha National Forest has many other campgrounds, including two near the Mackinaw Toll Bridge: Lake Michigan (35 campsites) and Carp River (44 sites). Near the town of Brimley on Lake Superior, Bay View (24 sites) and Monocle Lake (39 sites) Campgrounds are also popular.
Hovey LakeTrumpeter swansHovey LakeScott behind Scott FallsPoint Iroquois Light StationPoint Iroquois Light StationLake SuperiorPoint Iroquois Light StationHorseshoe Bay WildernessHorseshoe Bay WildernessLake HuronMackinaw Toll BridgeLake MichiganRound Island Lighthouse from Mackinac IslandMackinac Island in distanceLake Huron
The turquoise color of Lake Superior beneath the sandstone cliffs of Grand Island National Recreation Area makes it seem warmer than it actually is. Glaciers carved this island’s shoreline thousands of years ago and the Ice Age never seems far off in the lake’s cold waters. Managed by Hiawatha National Forest, the most popular activities here are commercial boat tours, backpacking, and mountain biking the 20-mile loop around the island. Paddling a sea kayak can be an unforgettable experience and guides can provide the necessary gear. Most of the northern two-thirds of Grand Island is surrounded by cliffs with nowhere to land a boat, so be careful as large waves can become hazardous on Lake Superior.
Highlights
East Channel Lighthouse, 1870 wreck of the Bermuda, Williams-Powell Cemetery, Stone Quarry Cabin, Waterfall Beach Overlook, Merchandise Beach, Echo Lake
Must-Do Activity
After a night spent at the free Hovey Lake Campground in Hiawatha National Forest, we kayaked to Grand Island from the ferry dock west of Munising to see East Channel Lighthouse and the 1870 wreck of the Bermuda from the water. We then landed our boat on the sandy beach at Murray Bay Group Site to walk to Williams-Powell Cemetery and Stone Quarry Cabin. You can pick up a guided boat tour from the docks in Munising that makes a long explanatory stop over the Bermuda or take the ferry to the island with your mountain bike for exploring. Make sure to visit the free Pictured Rocks Interpretive Center in downtown Munising for informational displays provided by the U.S. Forest Service.
Best Trail
There is a 20-mile-long bike trail that circles Grand Island, with some inland trails (like the one to Echo Lake) and a few open only to hikers. The non-motorized trails are closed to eBikes.
Instagram-worthy Photo
East Channel Lighthouse is situated on private land near Wick Point, so no landing is allowed onshore there.
Peak Season
Summer
Fees
A day use fee of $5 per person, per trip applies if you land on the island. Ferry rides cost $23 per person and camping fees also apply ($8 to $10 per night).
Road Conditions
Bike trails around the southern part of Grand Island are roads also used by tour vans, so watch out for traffic.
Camping
There are many campsites on the island, including a few protected in Murray Bay about two miles from the Williams Landing ferry dock. Reservations are required for camping except at Flat Rock, Cobble Cove, and Muskrat Point, which offer first-come, first-served campsites all in the southeast corner of Grand Island.
Wreck of the BermudaWreck of the BermudaWilliams-Powell CemeteryWilliams-Powell CemeteryWilliams-Powell CemeteryStone Quarry CabinStone Quarry CabinStone Quarry CabinStone Quarry Cabin
Explore More – Given the common names of northern white-cedar or eastern arborvitae, why is Thuja occidentalis known as the “tree-of-life”?
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.
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.
Texas FallsTexas FallsScott’s mother on the Robert Frost Interpretive TrailWhite Rocks National Recreation AreaFalls of LanaSouth Branch of the Middlebury River
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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White Rocks National Recreation Area is located in the southern portion of Vermont’s Green Mountain National Forest and was officially renamed Robert T. Stafford White Rocks National Recreation Area. It encompasses Big Branch Wilderness, Peru Peak Wilderness, Big Branch Observation Area, and its namesake White Rocks Picnic Area (see Must-Do Activity). A section of the Long Trail (which in 1931 became the first named long-distance hiking trail in America) passes through this area, where it coincides with the newer Appalachian National Scenic Trail (AT). Other popular activities include biking, fishing, snowshoeing, cross-country skiing, and snowmobiling.
Highlights
Big Branch Observation Area, White Rocks Day Use Area, Bully Brook, Ice Beds Trail, Keewaydin Trail, White Rocks Cliffs Trail, Greenwall Shelter, Long Trail, Appalachian National Scenic Trail
Must-Do Activity
A great place to access Robert T. Stafford White Rocks National Recreation Area is the White Rocks Day Use Area off State Route 140. Several trails start from the picnic area, including a short walk to a cascading waterfall on Bully Brook. 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, which was used by Native Americans to make tools. Continue on this trail 0.9 miles one-way to the Ice Beds where ice melts deep in a scree slope throughout the summer. You probably will not see any ice, but it is deep in the rocky recesses and releases cool drafts of air. We were told by a local that there is a black bear named Jenny that hangs out around the trailhead.
Best Trail
In 0.4 miles from White Rocks Day Use Area, Keewaydin Trail connects with the Long Trail and Appalachian Trail (AT). By going south, the trail ascends 1,250 feet to a cutoff for the Greenwall Shelter and just past there watch for a stone cairn on the right side. From there a side trail descends 0.2 miles to an overlook above the White Rock Cliffs providing views of the Adirondack and Taconic Mountains (3.8 miles roundtrip).
Instagram-worthy Photo
Visible less than a mile up the Ice Beds Trail, the white rocks are a glacier-scoured cliff of Cheshire quartzite once used by Native Americans to make tools.
Peak Season
Summer
Fees
None
Road Conditions
State Route 140 is paved, but the access road to White Rocks Day Use Area is an unpaved road passable by RVs.
Camping
Overnight shelters on the Long Trail/AT at Greenwall and Minerva Hinchey are free, while camping at Little Rock Pond, Peru Peak, Stratton Pond, and Griffith Lake requires a $5 per person, per night fee. Drive-up campgrounds are located on Forest Road 10 at Big Branch and Black Branch near the Big Branch Wilderness.
