Tag Archives: Scenic Byway

Modoc National Forest

Modoc National Forest

California

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

1,979,327 acres (1,663,401 federal/ 315,926 other)

Website: https://www.fs.usda.gov/r05/modoc

Overview

In the northeast corner of California, Modoc National Forest contains the largest shield volcano in North America: 7,921-foot Medicine Lake Volcano.  This region has a long history of volcanism, as seen at Pumice Stone Mountain, Burnt Lava Flow, High Hole Crater, Hot Spot, and Glass Mountain (composed of rhyolite obsidian and glossy dacite).  The basalt-topped plateau of Devil’s Garden is home to an 800-acre stand of western juniper.  East of Goose Lake, the Warner Mountains rise from 4,300 feet to 9,892-foot Eagle Peak, and are covered by a mixed conifer forest of lodgepole pine, whitebark pine, ponderosa pine, incense-cedar, and red fir. 

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Highlights

Sáttítla Highlands National Monument, Volcanic Legacy Scenic Byway, Medicine Lake Recreation Area, Glass Mountain, Devil’s Garden Natural Area, Mill Creek Falls, Highgrade National Recreation Trail, Pine Creek Trail

Must-Do Activity

Medicine Lake offers boat ramps, trails, and campgrounds and nearby is Giant Crater, which has the longest known lava tube system in the world at 18 miles (although it is partially collapsed).  Located up a dirt road often blocked by snowdrifts late into the summer, Glass Mountain has a crater full of sharp pieces of rhyolite obsidian and glossy dacite.  This remote corner of California has some of the darkest skies in the continental U.S., so it is great for stargazing on moonless nights.  In the winter, snowmobiling and cross-country skiing are popular activities on groomed trails.  The South Warner Mountain Wilderness is traversed by the 21-mile Summit Trail that passes Eagle Peak, the Devil’s Knob, and The Slide. Mill Creek Falls is also in the Warner Mountains, accessed by a 3.4-mile out-and-back trail.

Best Trail

In the Warner Mountains near the border with Oregon’s Fremont National Forest, the 5.5-mile one-way Highgrade National Recreation Trail provides excellent views of Goose Lake.  The trailhead is reached by taking paved County Road 9 five miles east from Highway 395 then turning north on the steep and unpaved Del Pratt Spring Road (Forest Road 47N72) for 6.3 miles.  The trail quickly leaves the shade of the forest as it steadily climbs 800 feet through a slope covered in woolly mule’s ears flowers to a saddle west of 8,224-foot Mt. Vida.  It is possible to summit Mt. Vida from this point, but the trail heads away toward Yellow Mountain following Forest Road 48N10.

Watchable Wildlife

Modoc National Forest borders Lower Klamath National Wildlife Refuge, in addition to Tule Lake, Clear Lake, and Modoc National Wildlife Refuges.  These wetlands provide habitat crucial for bird nesting and migration on the Pacific Flyway.  The many lava tubes provide habitat for numerous species of bats, in addition to violet-green swallows and bushy-tailed woodrats.  Larger mammals include mule deer, pronghorn, badger, skunk, raccoon, pika, jackrabbit, yellow-bellied marmot, coyote, bobcat, and mountain lion.  Large birds found here are great horned owl, short-eared owl, and bald eagle (winter resident).  Reptiles are abundant, including the western fence lizard, northern sagebrush lizard, western skink, Rocky Mountain rubber boa, gopher snake, desert night, and western rattlesnake.

Photographic Opportunity

Not far up the steep Highgrade National Recreation Trail there are excellent views of Goose Lake to the west.

Peak Season

Summer

Fees

$5 per vehicle (or the America the Beautiful Pass) at Medicine Lake

Road Conditions

This area receives abundant winter snowfall, and roads can be blocked by snow into July, which we experienced trying to get to Glass Mountain.  The road to Medicine Lake is paved, but almost every other road through the National Monument is unpaved, some requiring a high-clearance vehicle.  Giant Crater is a Geologic Special Interest Area that can be accessed two miles off Medicine Lake Road on Forest Road 43N11. 

Camping

There are multiple Forest Service campgrounds on Medicine Lake, plus two nearby at Blanche Lake and Bullseye Lake.  Dirt roads in Modoc National Forest provide ample dispersed campsites.

Wilderness Areas

South Warner Wilderness

Related Sites

Lava Beds National Monument (California)

Tule Lake National Monument (California)

Sáttítla Highlands National Monument (California)

Butte Valley National Grassland (California)

Nearest National Park

Lassen Volcanic

Conifer Tree Species

ponderosa pine, whitebark pine, red fir, incense-cedar, white fir, lodgepole pine, western white pine, Jeffrey pine, incense-cedar, western juniper

Flowering Tree Species

quaking aspen, curlleaf mountain mahogany, elderberry, sagebrush

Explore More – The Modoc Tribe traditionally lived in this area and the Klamath called them “Moadok Maklaks” that translates as what?

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

Medicine Bow National Forest

Medicine Bow National Forest

Wyoming

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

1,403,892 acres (1,096,885 federal/ 307,007 other)

Website: https://www.fs.usda.gov/r02/mbrtb

Overview

Medicine Bow National Forest is spread across three separate units in southern Wyoming and another located to the north between the cities of Laramie and Casper.  Within the latter unit is 10,272-foot Laramie Peak, a major landmark along the historic Oregon Trail.  Snowy Range Scenic Byway (Highway 130) provides access in the summer to the high-elevation recreational opportunities found in the mountains.  In 1995, Medicine Bow National Forest was administratively combined with Routt National Forest and Thunder Basin National Grassland.

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Highlights

Snowy Range Scenic Byway, Brooklyn Lake Campground, Medicine Bow Peak, Lake Marie, Sierra Madres, Aspen Alley, Hog Park Reservoir, Happy Jack Recreation Area, Vedauwoo, Laramie Peak Trail, Continental Divide National Scenic Trail

Must-Do Activity

Medicine Bow Peak stands at 12,013 feet within the Snowy Range near the Wyoming-Colorado border and has two steep, rocky trails to its summit which can be combined into a long loop.  The 29-mile-long Snowy Range Scenic Byway cuts across this rugged landscape and is a great place for summer camping, fishing, hiking, horseback riding, mountain biking, and backpacking.  The road closes in the winter, but is still a destination for snowmobiling, downhill skiing, cross-country skiing, and snowshoeing.  Medicine Bow gets its name from annual tribal gatherings when ceremonies were held and mountain mahogany was gathered for bow making.

Best Trail

Vedauwoo Recreation Area is visible from Interstate 80 between Laramie and Cheyenne, but feels worlds apart.  Its maze of boulders is a fun place to visit in the winter or summer (when the campground is open).  The 3.2-mile Turtle Rock Trail circles the area, but it is more fun to climb around off trail.  Near the end of winter, snow drifts pile six-feet-high next to ground swept bare.  In the glens protected by the 200-foot-tall rock outcrops, snowflakes cling to the bare branches of aspen and maple trees, and stick in the needles of junipers, Douglas-firs, and ponderosa pines.  Vedauwoo is an Arapaho word meaning “earthborn,” also the name of a nature spirit character in summer theater performances held here in the 1920s by the University of Wyoming.  This forest was once depleted for telegraph poles and railroad ties before the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) planted 280,000 trees in the 1930s.  It was used for over 50 years of military target practice, significant because there are unexploded munitions still in the ground.  Vedauwoo is located near the Happy Jack Recreation Area, which at 8,640 feet is the highest point along Interstate 80 between San Francisco and New York City.  This cross-country road was originally called the Lincoln Highway, hence the giant sculpture of Abraham Lincoln’s head at the nearby rest area. 

Watchable Wildlife

After a cold day on the National Forest’s cross-country ski trails at Brush Creek (built in the 1930s by the Civilian Conservation Corps) or Chimney Park, we always made it a point to stop in Saratoga where hot springs water is piped into the free outdoor Hobo Pool adjacent to the North Platte River.  This area is a favored wintering ground for bald and golden eagles, so you may witness a flyover during your soak.  Also watch for mule deer in town and a variety of waterfowl along the river.  Moose, elk, and pronghorn (at lower elevations) are found in the National Forest.  Black bears, mountain lions, coyotes, and red foxes reside here, too.  Trout fishing in lakes and streams is a major draw to the mountains. 

Photographic Opportunity

Lake Marie along the Snowy Range Scenic Byway is one of the most widely used photographs for tourism publications in this corner of Wyoming.

Peak Season

Summer

Fees

Day use fees of $5 per vehicle (or America the Beautiful pass) apply at Vedauwoo, Tie City Trailhead, Happy Jack Trailhead, and the western terminus of Headquarters National Recreation Trail, as well as Sugarloaf and West Lake Marie Trailhead along Snowy Range Scenic Byway.

Road Conditions

The gravel Vedauwoo Road (closed in spring) is good enough for RVs, as are some of the side roads off paved Snowy Range Scenic Byway (closed in winter).  Beware the rutted Forest Road 336 near Libby Flats and some other four-wheel-drive-only routes.  Several roads become snowmobile routes in the winter, including most of Snowy Range Scenic Byway west of the ski resort.

Camping

In addition to a large designated campground at the Vedauwoo exit off Interstate 80, Vedauwoo Road has designated free campsites marked by a post and offer dispersed camping along other surrounding roads.  Brooklyn Lake is one of several designated campgrounds along the Snowy Range Scenic Byway where dispersed campsites are harder to find.  Between Casper and Cheyenne, Laramie Peak dominates the prairie landscape and if you hike to its summit you can overlook hundreds of miles of the historic Oregon Trail.  Although much of this section of forest has been affected by wildfires, there is still plenty of natural beauty and out of the way places to pitch a tent along its labyrinthine road system. 

Wilderness Areas

Encampment River Wilderness

Huston Park Wilderness

Platte River Wilderness (also in Routt National Forest)

Savage Run Wilderness

Related Sites

Fort Laramie National Historic Site (Wyoming)

Thunder Basin National Grassland (Wyoming)

Scotts Bluff National Monument (Nebraska)

Nearest National Park

Rocky Mountain

Conifer Tree Species

Engelmann spruce, Douglas-fir, subalpine fir, lodgepole pine, limber pine, ponderosa pine, Rocky Mountain juniper

Flowering Tree Species

quaking aspen, eastern cottonwood, balsam poplar, Rocky Mountain maple, curlleaf mountain mahogany, sagebrush               

Explore More – Near Vedauwoo, a 60-foot-tall granite pyramid was built in 1882 to honor whom?

Know someone who loves the National Forests? Gift them our travel guidebook Out in the Woods so they can learn more about this and the 154 other National Forests.

Mark Twain National Forest

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.

Know someone who loves the National Forests? Gift them our travel guidebook Out in the Woods so they can learn more about this and the 154 other National Forests.

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

Related Sites

Ozark National Scenic Riverways (Missouri)

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?

Know someone who loves the National Forests? Gift them our travel guidebook Out in the Woods so they can learn more about this and the 154 other National Forests.

Manti National Forest

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).

Know someone who loves the National Forests? Gift them our travel guidebook Out in the Woods so they can learn more about this and the 154 other National Forests.

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?

Know someone who loves the National Forests? Gift them our travel guidebook Out in the Woods so they can learn more about this and the 154 other National Forests.

Malheur National Forest

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).

Know someone who loves the National Forests? Gift them our travel guidebook Out in the Woods so they can learn more about this and the 154 other National Forests.

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

Related Sites

John Day Fossil Beds National Monument (Oregon)

Newberry National Volcanic Monument (Oregon)

Fremont National Forest (Oregon)

Nearest National Park

Crater Lake

Conifer Tree Species

ponderosa pine, Douglas-fir, grand fir, white fir, yellow-cedar, western juniper

Flowering Tree Species

curlleaf mountain mahogany, sagebrush

Explore More – The Malheur River is named for the French word for “misfortune;” why was it given that name?

Know someone who loves the National Forests? Gift them our travel guidebook Out in the Woods so they can learn more about this and the 154 other National Forests.