Tag Archives: National Scenic Trail

Colorado, Idaho, Montana, New Mexico, Wyoming

Continental Divide National Scenic Trail

September 20, 2023 Raven About The Parks 4 Comments

Continental Divide National Scenic Trail

New Mexico, Colorado, Wyoming, Idaho, Montana

Managed by U.S. Forest Service (70%), Bureau of Land Management (12%), National Park Service (10%), other (8%)

Established 1978

3,028 miles

Website: https://www.fs.usda.gov/managing-land/trails/cdt

Overview

We decided to write about the Continental Divide National Scenic Trail (CDT) now, since Tiff recently finished backpacking the entire 512-mile Wyoming section of the route. The CDT stretches 3,028 miles from the Crazy Cook Monument on the border with Mexico north to Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park. The official trail is known as the “red route,” with popular alternatives called “blue routes” detouring through sections like New Mexico’s Gila Wilderness (which 95% of thru-hikers choose). Tiff was supported by Scott along portions of the trail and they both backpacked through Yellowstone National Park together. Tiff met dozens of thru-hikers doing the entire trail this year, many of whom were “flip-flopping” after getting stopped north bound (NOBO) by snowy Colorado mountains so switching to a south bound (SOBO) direction to finish.

Highlights

Rocky Mountain National Park, Yellowstone National Park, Glacier National Park, Gila Wilderness, El Malpaís National Monument, South Pass City State Park, Wind River Range, Lemhi Pass, Chinese Wall, Triple Divide Pass

Must-Do Activity

It takes the average thru-hiker 147 days to complete the trek (including “zeros days”), but you can get a feel for the experience on shorter point-to-point or loop hikes. We have done the Rocky Mountain National Park section as a long day hike and Scott has backpacked the minimum 40 miles to see the famous Chinese Wall in Montana’s Lewis and Clark National Forest. We had all three of our backcountry campsites to ourselves along Yellowstone National Park’s 67-mile stretch of CDT and went a full day without seeing another person near the park’s Idaho border.

Best Trail

The Wind River Range in Wyoming’s Bridger National Forest is probably the most scenic stretch of mountains on the entire CDT. Many thru-hikers detour to a blue route to see beautiful, but overcrowded Titcomb Basin and the Cirque of the Towers (actually in neighboring Shoshone National Forest). Read more about our 2020 trip (mostly) following the CDT 120 miles through the range in our newspaper article.

Instagram-worthy Photo

The CDT goes right past crowded Old Faithful in Yellowstone National Park’s Lower Geyser Basin, although there are other areas of colorful hot springs like those near Heart Lake (pictured).

Peak Season

Summer

Fees

Fees apply if you camp inside or drive into Rocky Mountain, Yellowstone, and Glacier National Parks

Road Conditions

Much of the trail is actually walking dirt roads and some paved roads, especially in New Mexico. Access roads to certain trailheads can be very rough and require driving long unpaved sections, such as the 30 miles to busy Big Sandy Trailhead in Bridger National Forest.

Camping

Camping is dispersed except for designated sites (permit required) in Rocky Mountain, Yellowstone, and Glacier National Parks.

Related Sites

Appalachian National Scenic Trail (Georgia to Maine)

Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail (California-Oregon-Washington)

Natchez Trace National Scenic Trail (Mississippi-Alabama-Tennessee)

Tiff starting at the Colorado-Wyoming border

Explore More – Which three oceans receive water from Triple Divide Pass in Montana?

Montana

Flathead National Forest

June 28, 2023 Raven About The Parks 1 Comment

Flathead National Forest

Montana

Managed by U.S. Forest Service, Northern Region

2,628,720 acres (2,404,925 federal/ 223,795 other)

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

Overview

Flathead National Forest borders the entire south and west sides of Glacier National Park, providing important wildlife habitat in the Great Bear and Bob Marshall Wilderness areas. It also borders the Flathead Indian Reservation, with the Mission Mountains Tribal Wilderness neighboring the beautiful Mission Mountains Wilderness (see Best Trail). Flathead National Forest is known for great hiking and backpacking, especially from trailheads off Highway 83 east of Flathead Lake. The National Forest contains most of the extensive Flathead National Wild and Scenic River, with the South Fork known for one particular four-mile stretch of rapids up to Class V. The 564-foot-tall Hungry Horse Dam created a 34-mile-long reservoir with many boat ramps and campgrounds.

Highlights

Hungry Horse Reservoir, Holland Lake, Martin Falls, Glacier Lake, Big Salmon Falls, Flathead National Wild and Scenic River, Coram Experimental Forest, Jewel Basin, Danny On Memorial National Recreation Trail, Pacific Northwest National Scenic Trail, Continental Divide National Scenic Trail

Must-Do Activity

Near the town of Kalispell, Jewel Basin Hiking Area (stock prohibited) is famous among backpackers, but further south so is Holland Lake. Several campgrounds surround the lake, including the free Owl Creek Packer Camp used by stock trailers. From there the steep Holland-Gordon Trail climbs 2,100 feet in 5.8 miles one-way to Upper Holland Lake and continues into “the Bob” (Bob Marshall Wilderness). A shorter option is a 3.2 mile-roundtrip that ascends only 550 feet to pretty Holland Falls.

Best Trail

Flathead National Forest contains more than 2,800 miles of hiking trails, including 38 miles of the Pacific Northwest National Scenic Trail and a shorter stretch of the Continental Divide National Scenic Trail (which is mostly to the east in Lewis and Clark National Forest). Accessible from Highway 83 in the southwest corner of Flathead National Forest is Glacier Lake Trailhead. A long, good dirt road leads to the edge of the Mission Mountains Wilderness and a popular trail that accesses multiple mountain lakes. It is only 1.5 miles one-way to Glacier Lake, but we continued on to Turquoise Lake for an 11.6-mile out-and-back hike with a cumulative elevation gain of 2,460 feet. Both destinations are great for backpacking with stunning alpine scenery, but keep in mind that this is grizzly bear country and come prepared.

Watchable Wildlife

The most talked about species of wildlife found here is the grizzly bear, whose population primarily resides in the 1.5-million-acre Bob Marshall-Great Bear-Scapegoat Wilderness complex. Other large mammals include black bear, Canada lynx, bobcat, mountain lion, coyote, wolverine, and beaver, as well as ungulates like moose, elk, mountain goat, bighorn sheep, and white-tailed deer. Prominent birds include bald eagles, ospreys, ruffed grouse, dusky grouse, white pelicans, and trumpeter swans. Fishermen are drawn to the lakes and rivers for a variety of species, including the bull trout.

Instagram-worthy Photo

The steep terrain on the western flank of the Bob Marshall Wilderness creates numerous waterfalls, such as Barrier, Big Salmon, Dean, and Needle Falls. Holland Falls is a short 3.2-mile roundtrip hike that ascends only 550 feet from Holland Lake.

Peak Season

Summer

Fees

None?

Road Conditions

The National Forest contains 1,700 miles of roads, so there are probably some rough ones out there, but we never had a problem accessing the major trailheads in a passenger vehicle.

Camping

Flathead National Forest has 31 campgrounds and 14 cabins available for rent. Several campgrounds surround Hungry Horse Reservoir and Holland Lake, including the free Owl Creek Packer Camp used by stock trailers.

Wilderness Areas

Bob Marshall Wilderness (also in and Lewis and Clark National Forest)

Great Bear Wilderness (also in Lewis and Clark National Forest)

Mission Mountains Wilderness

Related Sites

Lolo National Forest (Montana)

Grant-Kohrs Ranch National Historic Site (Montana)

Nez Perce National Historical Park (Idaho-Oregon-Washington-Montana)

Nearest National Park

Glacier

Conifer Tree Species

ponderosa pine, lodgepole pine, whitebark pine, Douglas-fir, Engelmann spruce, subalpine fir, western larch, alpine larch

Flowering Tree Species

quaking aspen, paper birch, sagebrush

Explore More – Coram Experimental Forest is an 800-acre area managed for what commercial tree species?

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

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New York

Finger Lakes National Forest

June 7, 2023 Raven About The Parks 3 Comments

Finger Lakes National Forest

New York

Managed by U.S. Forest Service, Eastern Region

16,259 acres (16,259 federal/ 0 other)

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

Overview

America’s newest National Forest was formally established in 1985. Its existence is the result of the federal government purchasing abandoned farmland in the 1930s on the Backbone Ridge between Seneca and Cayuga Lakes. Management shifted from the Soil Conservation Service to the Forest Service in 1954, but it did not become Finger Lakes National Forest for another 30 years. According to Iroquois legend, the Finger Lakes were formed when the Great Spirit laid hands on the land to bless it and the finger imprints filled with water. Visitors come for hiking and bird watching, and, in addition, two acres next to Blueberry Patch Campground are managed for blueberry picking in the late summer.

Highlights

Camp Fossenvue, Seneca Lake, Blueberry Patch Recreation Site, Backbone Trail, Gorge Trail, Interlocken Trail, No Tan Takto Trail, Burnt Hill Trail, North Country National Scenic Trail

Must-Do Activity

Although it is the second smallest National Forest in the U.S., Finger Lakes National Forest has 38 miles of trails (including a spur of the North Country National Scenic Trail). In 1996, the former Camp Fossenvue at Caywood Point on the shores of Seneca Lake was given to the National Forest. The camp was founded in 1875 by seven women and was considered radical for its time by allowing women to engage in outdoor recreation and inviting notable suffragettes like Susan B. Anthony. The Boy Scouts purchased the property in 1924 and later sold it to the Trust for Public Land. The lake is accessed from the parking lot off State Route 414 by walking down a steep, half-mile-long gravel road with a 30% grade in places.

Best Trail

The Gorge Trail is three miles out-and-back between trailheads on Burnt Hill Road and Mark Smith Road, crossing the Backbone Ridge. The hike follows a pretty creek through a second growth forest of eastern hemlocks and various hardwood trees to access the Gorge Ponds and the 12-mile long Interlocken Trail, which is popular with cross-country skiers in the winter. On a rainy afternoon in May, we saw several red newts on the trail and a mix of wildflowers, such as May-apples.

Watchable Wildlife

The first red newts we had ever seen were on the Gorge Trail, crawling through the duff on a rainy May afternoon. These bright-orange amphibians are hard to miss among the green plants and brown decaying organic matter, but watch your step as they were right in the middle of the trail. Finger Lakes National Forest also has white-tailed deer, gray squirrels, raccoons, coyotes, and bobcats, as well as 160 species of birds. There are blueberry patches and old fruit tree orchards within the forest, which are good places to look for foraging animals. Seneca Lake reaches 630 feet in depth and is home to many types of gamefish.

Instagram-worthy Photo

The sole remaining cabin at Camp Fossenvue is named the “Queen’s Castle” for Elizabeth Smith Miller, but no entry is permitted to the structure built in 1899 and placed on the National Register of Historic Places a century later.

Peak Season

Summer

Fees

None

Road Conditions

There are several unpaved roads in the National Forest, including Burnt Hill Road and Mark Smith Road, but we found all of them to be in good condition.

Camping

On Backbone Ridge, Blueberry Patch Campground is developed for vehicles under 24 feet in length and offers vault toilets. Nearby, the Backbone Horse Campground has five campsites for horse trailers and six additional sites for all users. Free dispersed camping is allowed throughout the forest (except in pastures from May 15 to October 31 due to cattle grazing) with one shelter available at the south end of the Interloken Trail.

Wilderness Areas

None

Harriet Tubman National Historical Park (New York)

Home of Franklin D. Roosevelt National Historic Site (New York)

Nearest National Park

Cuyahoga Valley

Conifer Tree Species

eastern hemlock, eastern white pine

Flowering Tree Species

northern red oak, shagbark hickory, black walnut, witch-hazel, sugar maple, white ash, yellow birch, gray dogwood, black willow, elderberry, azalea

Explore More – Fossenvue is an anagram of what three-word phrase?

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

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California

Eldorado National Forest

June 1, 2023 Raven About The Parks 4 Comments

Eldorado National Forest

California, Nevada

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

887,721 acres (686,667 federal/ 201,054 other)

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

Overview

Located in California’s Sierra Nevada, Eldorado National Forest has ghost towns dating back to the 1849 gold rush. El Dorado is Spanish for “the golden one,” which often referred to the fabled Lost City of Gold sought by the Conquistadors. The single-word spelling Eldorado may have been a clerical error dating back to the creation of the National Forest in 1910. Elevations range from 1,000 feet in the foothills to more than 10,000 feet in the Sierra Nevada. In addition to 297 lakes and reservoirs, it contains 611 miles of fishable streams in the drainages of the North Fork of the Mokelumne River, Cosumnes River, and the Middle and South Forks of the American River. There are 349 miles of trails in Eldorado National Forest, including a portion of the Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail that follows mountain ridges on the west side of Lake Tahoe.

Highlights

Carson Pass Scenic Highway, Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit, Tallac Historic Site, Caldor Auto Tour, Silver Lake, Crystal Basin Recreation Area, Loon Lake, Ice House Reservoir, Traverse Creek, Horsetail Falls, Fourth of July Lake, Cascade Falls Loop Trail, Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail

Must-Do Activity

The Forest Service’s Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit is composed of 150,000 acres of Eldorado, Tahoe, and Toiyabe National Forests surrounding Lake Tahoe. It was established in 1973 to preserve and restore the ecosystem of one of the nation’s most popular playgrounds. Averaging 1,000 feet in depth, Lake Tahoe is famous for its water clarity and, although it has no outlet to the ocean, it is dammed on the Truckee River to control water levels. After the 1858 discovery of the Comstock Lode in nearby Virginia City, Nevada, extensive deforestation occurred around the lake. This eventually led to conservation efforts to place 78% of its watershed into National Forests starting in 1899. Hiking trails uphill from the lake’s shoreline (mostly privately owned) are almost entirely within National Forests, including the circumnavigating Tahoe Rim Trail.

Best Trail

Near the National Forest’s border with Lake Tahoe, the 63,960-acre Desolation Wilderness is the country’s most visited Wilderness area on a per acre basis. With the exception of thru-hikers on the Tahoe Rim and Pacific Crest Trails, a daily quota limits the number of backpackers in the Desolation Wilderness. Even day hikers are required to carry a permit and a bear box is recommended for all overnight users. We took a smoke-obscured hike five miles one-way from Lower Echo Lake up to Lake Aloha in the Desolation Wilderness, a popular stop for backpackers.

Watchable Wildlife

A Mediterranean climate exists in the lower elevation ranges of the National Forest, while alpine regions can receive more than 15 feet of snowfall, so there is a wide diversity of wildlife. In the conifer forests of the Sierra Nevada look for mule deer, black bears, weasels, martens, mountain lions, and bobcats. California quail, mountain quail, sooty grouse, and wild turkeys are common game birds. Watch the skies for raptors like bald eagles, ospreys, red-tailed hawks, and turkey vultures.

Instagram-worthy Photo

By the time we visited in mid-August, Cascade Falls was barely a trickle compared to its raging snowmelt flow in the springtime. The strenuous one-mile hike from Bayview Trailhead was still worth the effort for the sweeping views of Cascade Lake and Lake Tahoe’s Emerald Bay (at least when it is not so smoky).

Peak Season

Summer

Fees

None

Road Conditions

Eldorado National Forest has 2,367 miles (3,809 km) of roads, including 400 miles of private roads. Many of these are rough and unpaved and may require high-clearance or four-wheel drive, especially the infamous Rubicon Trail on the western shore of Lake Tahoe.

Camping

Bayview Campground is located across Highway 89 from Lake Tahoe at the Bayview Trailhead near scenic Eagle Falls and Emerald Bay State Park. Woods Lake has a campground and a 3.5-mile trail to Fourth of July Lake, plus there are campgrounds at Fallen Leaf Lake, Ice House Reservoir, Loon Lake, Upper Valley Reservoir, and Silver Lake.

Wilderness Areas

Desolation Wilderness

Mokelumne Wilderness (also in Stanislaus and Toiyabe National Forests)

Whiskeytown-Shasta-Trinity National Recreation Area (California)

Rosie the Riveter/World War II Home Front National Historical Park (California)

Nearest National Park

Yosemite

Conifer Tree Species

red fir, white fir, Douglas-fir, incense-cedar, ponderosa pine, lodgepole pine, Jeffrey pine, gray pine, sugar pine, foxtail pine, western juniper

Flowering Tree Species

Pacific dogwood, California buckeye, manzanita

Explore More – Traverse Creek near Placerville is known for its exposed serpentine rock, which contains what elements toxic to many trees and plants?

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

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Oregon

Deschutes National Forest

April 12, 2023 Raven About The Parks 3 Comments

Deschutes National Forest

Oregon

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

1,853,929 acres (1,596,900 federal/ 257,029 other)

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

Overview

Bend, Oregon is the gateway to Deschutes National Forest, with the beautiful Cascade Lakes Scenic Byway located west of town. To the south, Newberry National Volcanic Monument is also managed by the U.S. Forest Service, which we will cover in our next blog post. The Deschutes River was named La Rivière aux Chutes by French trappers because Celilo Falls was located near its confluence with the Columbia River. Deschutes National Forest contains five Wilderness areas, six National Wild and Scenic Rivers, Metolius Conservation Area, and part of Oregon Cascade Recreation Area (mostly in Umpqua National Forest).

Highlights

Newberry National Volcanic Monument, Cascade Lakes Scenic Byway, Devils Lake, Mt. Bachelor, Sparks Lake, Broken Top, Three Sisters, McKenzie Pass-Santiam Pass Scenic Byway, Skeleton Cave, Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail

Must-Do Activity

The 66-mile-long (89-mile loop) Cascade Lakes Scenic Byway curves around the mountains west of Bend past numerous lakes reflecting multiple snow-capped peaks—a real photographers’ paradise. To spend the golden hours up here, consider staying at campgrounds on the shores of Lava Lake or Sparks Lake with excellent views of Broken Top and South Sister Peak. Like Mt. Hood to the north, 9,065-foot Mt. Bachelor is known for its ski resort. A summer trip up Pine Marten Express Lift offers unsurpassed panoramas of the Cascades and Newberry National Volcanic Monument.

Best Trail

Sisters Mirror Lake is four miles and 650 feet up from a trailhead on the Cascade Lakes Scenic Byway and is located on the Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail. Just as a warning, this entire trail was thick with aggressive mosquitoes on our hike in mid-July.

Watchable Wildlife

Elk, pronghorn, and mule deer are large ungulates found in Deschutes National Forest. Carnivorous mammals include black bears, coyotes, mountain lions, and bobcats. Large birds frequently seen are bald eagles, Canada geese, mallards, and whistling swans, and the northern spotted owl is a species of concern. There are many lakes found throughout the National Forest that support a variety of gamefish, including bull trout (a threatened species).

Instagram-worthy Photo

Sparks Lake is a great place to watch the sun set behind the Cascades.

Peak Season

Summer

Fees

There is a day use fee for Newberry National Volcanic Monument.

Road Conditions

Cascade Lakes Scenic Byway is paved, as are the main roads into Newberry National Volcanic Monument, but there are many miles of logging roads to explore, too.

Camping

Campgrounds on the shores of Lava Lake or Sparks Lake provide views of Broken Top and South Sister Peak. Walk-in campsites on crystal clear Devils Lake offer a bit more secluded experience.

Wilderness Areas

Diamond Peak Wilderness (also in Willamette National Forest)

Mt. Jefferson Wilderness (also in Mt. Hood and Willamette National Forests)

Mt. Thielsen Wilderness (also in Umpqua and Winema National Forests)

Mt. Washington Wilderness (also in Willamette National Forest)

Three Sisters Wilderness (also in Willamette National Forest)

Crooked River National Grassland (Oregon)

John Day Fossil Beds National Monument (Oregon)

Nearest National Park

Crater Lake

Conifer Tree Species

ponderosa pine, lodgepole pine, western white pine, sugar pine, western juniper, Douglas-fir, western redcedar, white fir, subalpine fir

Flowering Tree Species

quaking aspen, balsam poplar, Bebb willow

Explore More – The namesake of the Deschutes River (Celilo Falls) is now underwater behind what dam on the Columbia River?

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.

Continental Divide National Scenic Trail

Flathead National Forest

Finger Lakes National Forest

Eldorado National Forest

Deschutes National Forest

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