Tag Archives: skiing

Michigan

Huron National Forest

April 17, 2024 Raven About The Parks Leave a comment

Huron National Forest

Michigan

Managed by U.S. Forest Service, Eastern Region

694,056 acres (438,584 federal/ 255,472 other)

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

Overview

Huron National Forest occupies a strip of land in eastern Michigan that follows the Au Sable National Wild and Scenic River to near its confluence with Lake Huron. The National Forest was established in 1909 after logging in the area went into decline. In 1945, it was administratively combined with the Manistee National Forest, which is on the western side of the state. Two years later, the first Au Sable River Canoe Marathon was held when 46 teams entered, but only 15 teams finished the 120-mile-long race. Held annually the last weekend of July, thousands of spectators watch the event, but if you are not there then at least stop by the Canoer’s Memorial. In the winter, snowmobiling and cross-country skiing are popular activities in Huron National Forest.

Highlights

River Road Scenic Byway, Lumberman’s Monument, Canoer’s Memorial, Iargo Springs Interpretive Site, Cooke Dam Pond, Tuttle Marsh, Bull Gap ORV Trail, Hoist Lakes Foot Travel Area, Highbanks Trail, Eagle Run Cross-Country Ski and Hiking Trail

Must-Do Activity

The 22-mile-long River Road Scenic Byway follows the Au Sable National Wild and Scenic River with 18 stops at memorials, overlooks, dams, ponds, trailheads, and campgrounds. The National Forest’s most developed area surrounds the Lumberman’s Monument, a 14-foot bronze statue dedicated in 1932. The site also has a museum, gift shop, interactive visitor activities, hiking trails, and a campground. Three other popular stops along the River Road Scenic Byway are the Iargo Springs Interpretive Site, Kiwanis Monument, and Foote Pond Overlook where visitors might spot a bald eagle.

Best Trail

A day use fee is charged to park at the two entrances to Hoist Lakes Foot Travel Area in the northern part of Huron National Forest. We started at the west entrance, just 1.8 sandy miles off paved Aspen Alley Road, and hiked a half-mile to Carp Lake, which had a large beaver hut in its center. There are many loop options in this forest that is being managed for old-growth conditions, which makes it ideal for cross-country skiing.

Watchable Wildlife

Huron National Forest manages its jack pine forests to provide summer nesting habitat for the formerly-endangered Kirtland’s warbler. After being placed under protection of the Endangered Species Act when its population fell to 167 nesting pairs in 1974, it was delisted in 2019 after rebounding to 2,300 pairs. Since dense, young stands of jack pine are unsuitable habitat, Kirtland’s warblers need old-growth forests, which are extremely susceptible to crown fires. Other species prefer old-growth forests, too, like pileated woodpeckers, saw-whet owls, and pine martens. We saw one of the rare Kirtland’s warblers at Au Sable Scenic River Highbanks Overlook, in addition to spotting a trumpeter swan, hairy woodpecker, raven, black squirrel, porcupine, and white-tailed deer. The Au Sable River offers trout fishing for people and bald eagles.

Instagram-worthy Photo

We stopped at Au Sable Scenic River Highbanks Overlook and were able to photograph a Kirtland’s warbler.

Peak Season

Summer

Fees

A day use fee is charged to park at the two entrances to Hoist Lakes Foot Travel Area, or you can use the America the Beautiful pass. Access to the Lumberman’s Monument is free.

Road Conditions

The unpaved roads are very sandy, but they were mostly flat without deep sand and easily drivable with a passenger vehicle in the summer.

Camping

There were signs prohibiting camping at the Hoist Lakes Foot Travel Area trailhead and Au Sable Scenic River Highbanks Overlook, and the dense forest offered no dispersed camping options that we noticed. A developed campground is available at the Lumberman’s Monument, as well as at Algona Dam Pond, Loud Dam Pond, Cooke Dam Pond, and Foote Dam Pond.

Wilderness Areas

None

Related Sites

Hiawatha National Forest (Michigan)

Manistee National Forest (Michigan)

River Raisin National Battlefield Park (Michigan)

Nearest National Park

Isle Royale

Conifer Tree Species

jack pine, red pine, eastern white pine, eastern hemlock, balsam fir, eastern redcedar, northern white-cedar, tamarack

Flowering Tree Species

red maple, sugar maple, American elm, black ash, quaking aspen, paper birch, northern red oak, pin cherry, shadbush

Explore More – When the first 120-mile-long Au Sable River Canoe Marathon was held in 1947, who were the two paddlers that won with a time of 21 hours and 40 minutes?

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

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

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.

Vermont

White Rocks National Recreation Area

December 13, 2023 Raven About The Parks Leave a comment

Robert T. Stafford White Rocks National Recreation Area

Vermont

Managed by U.S. Forest Service, Eastern Region

22,624 acres

Website: https://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/gmfl/recarea/?recid=64987

Overview

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.

Moosalamoo National Recreation Area (Vermont)

Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historical Park (Vermont)

Explore More – Who was Robert T. Stafford?

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

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.

Utah

Dixie National Forest

May 3, 2023 Raven About The Parks 3 Comments

Dixie National Forest

Utah

Managed by U.S. Forest Service, Intermountain Region

1,967,165 acres (1,889,127 federal/ 78,038 other)

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

Overview

Dixie National Forest is spread across southwest Utah surrounding Cedar Breaks National Monument and near three National Parks: Bryce Canyon, Capitol Reef, and Zion. The National Forest has a wide elevation range from 2,800 feet near St. George to 11,322 feet on Boulder Mountain. The change in average temperature and precipitation leads to wide variety of ecosystems from a desert-like environment all the way up to subalpine conifer forests and tundra. The warmth of southern Utah reminded some early emigrants of “Dixie,” the part of the U.S. south of the Mason-Dixon Line, but with growing public distaste for that name it may be changed in the future.

Highlights

Markagunt National Scenic Byway, Brian Head, Navajo Lake, Cascade Falls, Strawberry Point, Red Canyon Recreation Area, Honeycomb Rocks, Powell Point, Hell’s Backbone Bridge, Virgin River Rim Trail, Hancock Peak Trail, Whipple Trail, Casto Canyon Trail

Must-Do Activity

Highway 12 Scenic Byway winds through much of the National Forest, including Red Canyon Recreation Area where the popular Casto Canyon Trail is open to hikers, bicycles, horses, and ATVs. The mountain ranges west of Interstate 15 are a less-visited section of the forest, with numerous trails traversing the Pine Valley Mountains Wilderness, including the 35-mile Summit Trail.

Best Trail

Leaving from a trailhead across Highway 143 from the road to the top of 11,312-foot-tall Brian Head, Rattlesnake Creek Trail skirts the edge of spectacular Cedar Breaks National Monument and enters the Ashdown Gorge Wilderness (established in 1984). About one mile in, one of several side trails leads off to the left for an overlook of the Cedar Breaks, a red rock badlands full of hoodoos situated at the edge of the Markagunt Plateau. Gnarled Great Basin bristlecone pine trees cling to the eroding edge of the natural amphitheater, making a great foreground for photographs with a beautiful backdrop. The trail continues to drop more than 2,400 feet to the canyon bottom over four miles connecting with Ashdown Creek which eventually crosses Highway 14, but there is not an official trailhead there.

Watchable Wildlife

A variety of mammals call Dixie National Forest home: black bears, mountain lions, bobcats, coyotes, three species of foxes, minks, pine martens, porcupines, beavers, raccoons, skunks, badgers, snowshoe hares, pika, mountain goats, bighorn sheep, elk, mule deer, and pronghorns. Large birds include bald eagles, golden eagles, California condors, turkey vultures, wild turkeys, and various species of woodpeckers. There are many gamefish found in the streams and small lakes spread across the high-elevation Markagunt, Paunsaugunt, and Aquarius Plateaus.

Instagram-worthy Photo

South of Torrey, Highway 12 climbs into an aspen forest with incredible views of Capitol Reef National Park and Waterpocket Fold.

Peak Season

Late summer

Fees

None

Road Conditions

Highway 12 and Highway 143 are paved roads that access the high elevations of Dixie National Forest, but they may be closed seasonally due to snow. There are numerous dirt roads that traverse the area, including the popular route to the top of 11,312-foot-tall Brian Head.

Camping

There are numerous campgrounds located throughout the National Forest, as well as dispersed camping opportunities on dirt roads west of Bryce Canyon National Park.

Wilderness Areas

Ashdown Gorge Wilderness

Box-Death Hollow Wilderness

Cottonwood Forest Wilderness

Pine Valley Mountains Wilderness

Related Sites

Cedar Breaks National Monument (Utah)

Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument (Utah)

Capitol Reef National Park (Utah)

Nearest National Park

Bryce Canyon

Conifer Tree Species

Utah juniper, singleleaf pinyon pine, ponderosa pine, Douglas-fir, Engelmann spruce, subalpine fir, Great Basin bristlecone pine

Flowering Tree Species

quaking aspen, Bebb willow

Explore More – On the Markagunt Plateau, Navajo Lake drains out of two lava tubes that formed how many millions of years ago?

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.

Huron National Forest

Green Mountain National Forest

Robert T. Stafford White Rocks National Recreation Area

Finger Lakes National Forest

Dixie National Forest

Start your U.S. National Forests, National Parks, and National Monuments adventure here!