Tag Archives: Top 10

List

Top 10 National Forests for Backpacking

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We have only backpacked in about 35 National Forests of the 155 total, but we have camped in many of the most famous Wildernesses in America.  Our best memories from National Forests were made in these remote areas where the only way in is on foot or horseback (which is perfect if the physical requirements of carrying all of your gear is too much).  We hope you are inspired to don your backpack and hit the trail.  Click here to see all of our Top 10 lists, including our Top 10 National Forests for Day Hiking.

10. Mt. Baker (Washington)

There is a short backpacking season in this snowy National Forest, but the mountain scenery is unparalleled

9. Talladega (Alabama)

Incredible views can be found on the Pinhoti Trail, Bartram National Recreation Trail, and Cheaha Falls Trail

8. Routt (Colorado)

Both the Mt. Zirkel Wilderness and Never Summer Wilderness (also in Arapaho National Forest) are worth exploring

7. Bitterroot (Montana)

Blodgett Canyon is incredibly beautiful and we hope to return to explore this area more

6. Shoshone (Wyoming)

Like our #1 National Forest, this one shares the Wind River Range, plus we have backpacked the Beartooth Plateau and Clarks Fork Canyon

5. Challis (Idaho)

The incredible Sawtooth National Recreation Area is spread across Boise, Challis, and Sawtooth National Forests

4. Ashley (Utah-Wyoming)

This is more of a vote for the High Uintas Wilderness, which is shared with Wasatch National Forest

3. Medicine Bow (Wyoming)

We have backpacked all over our local National Forest and highly recommend a trip into the Snowy Range

2. Gila (New Mexico)

The Gila Wilderness was the first designated in the world (in 1924) and remains one of the best for backpacking

…and finally our #1 National Forest for backpacking:

1. Bridger (Wyoming)

Titcomb Basin (photo above) and the Cirque of the Towers are overrun, but there are so many other great options in the Wind River Range

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Honorable Mentions

Flathead (Montana)

Jewel Basin Hiking Area is famous among backpackers, and so is the trail to Holland Lake that continues into “the Bob” (Bob Marshall Wilderness); more than 2,800 miles of trails include 38 miles of the Pacific Northwest National Scenic Trail and a stretch of the Continental Divide National Scenic Trail

Chugach (Alaska)

Resurrection Pass, Russian Lakes, and Johnson Pass Trails are three good backpacking options around Cooper Landing

Nebraska (Nebraska)

Not on most backpackers’ bucket lists, but we have enjoyed the solitude of the Soldier Creek Wilderness and Pine Ridge National Recreation Area

Los Padres (California)

If you like hot springs and poison-oak, then this foggy forest on the Pacific Ocean might be for you

Roosevelt (Colorado)

You may not expect to see moose in Colorado, but we typically see them in the Mummy Range north of Rocky Mountain National Park

Ouachita (Oklahoma-Arkansas)

This is more of a future pick, as we would like to backpack part of the Ouachita National Recreation Trail

La Sal (Utah)

The stunning canyons of the Dark Canyon Wilderness are included in Bears Ears National Monument

Wallowa (Oregon)

We have only been to the Eagle Cap Wilderness once, but it is famous among backpackers for a reason

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

List

Top 10 Non-Fiction Books on Trees and Forests

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When we compiled our last Top 10 list on National Forest non-fiction books in honor of our new publication, we realized there were many great books on forests that did not fit that category.  So we created this list of the best books we have read about specific tree species and forests.  Some of the selections are history, some biology, some biography, and some ecology (or a mix of all four).  Click here to see all of our Top 10 lists, including quite a few other book lists. 

10. Beyond the Aspen Grove (1970) by Ann Zwinger

Quaking aspen trees are special, not just because they grow huge clonal stands or turn beautiful colors in the autumn

9. Oak: The Frame of Civilization (2005) by William Bryant Logan

From Eurasia to North America, the many species of oak trees have been essential to humankind

8. The Bristlecone Book: A Natural History of the World’s Oldest Trees (2007) by Ronald M. Lanner

An in-depth look at the oldest single-stem trees on the planet—Great Basin bristlecone pines like those found in Inyo National Forest

7. The Tree: A Natural History of What Trees Are, How They Live, and Why They Matter (2005) by Colin Tudge

A great introduction to dendrology full of fun facts and figures

6. Tales from the Underground: A Natural History Of Subterranean Life  (2001) by David W. Wolfe

The visible parts of forests would never grow without the activity of trillions of microorganisms in the soil

5. American Canopy: Trees, Forests, and the Making of a Nation (2012) by Eric Rutkow

The history of forests in the U.S., including the huge impact of chestnut blight and Dutch elm disease

4. The Hidden Life of Trees: What They Feel, How They Communicate (2016) by Peter Wohlleben

Unable to move, trees use pheromones and other means for intraspecific and interspecific communication; the author also published Forest Walking in 2022

3. The Golden Spruce: A True Story of Myth, Madness, and Greed (2005) by John Vaillant

Basically about a mutant Sitka spruce tree that was killed, this well-written story is hard to put down

2. The Wild Trees: A Story of Passion and Daring (2007) by Richard Preston

Mostly set in Redwood National Park, this book focuses on the people who research the tallest trees in the world

…and finally our #1 non-fiction book on trees and forests:

1. A Sand County Almanac (1949) by Aldo Leopold

The greatest ecologist of the twentieth century, Aldo Leopold worked in New Mexico’s Gila National Forest as a young man where the events of the seminal essay “Thinking Like a Mountain” took place

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Honorable Mentions

Lives of the Trees: An Uncommon History (2010) by Diane Wells

A beautifully illustrated sampling of information on common trees from around the world

Tree: A Life Story (2004) by David Suzuki and Wayne Grady

The life cycle of a single tree, beautifully narrated and illustrated

What a Plant Knows: A Field Guide to the Senses (2012) by Daniel Chamovitz

An excellent summation of decades of little-known research on plants of all sizes

The Forest Unseen: A Year’s Watch in Nature (2012) by David George Haskell

A detailed look at the activity in a small patch of old-growth forest in Tennessee

Know someone who loves the National Forests? Gift them our travel guidebook Out in the Woods so they can learn more about all 155 National Forests and 155 different species of native trees.

List, Update

Top 10 Blog Posts from Our Fourth 100

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To celebrate reaching the milestone of our 400th blog post, we are linking to our top 10 posts from 301-400 based on number of likes.  Please check out our Top 10 from the first 100, 200, and 300 (or click here if you want to see all of our Top 10 Lists, including our meta Top 10 of Our Top 10 Lists).  Thank you to our readers for inspiring us to continue traveling and to share the wonders with you all.

When we last posted we were starting work on our guidebook for the 155 U.S. National Forests, which is now published on Amazon.  We had no idea we would write four articles for our local newspaper (and be interviewed for another), give a presentation at our library on National Forests, or publish a coloring book based on illustrations from our first guidebook to the National Parks.  Who knows what we will do between now and our 500th post?

10. Canaveral National Seashore (Florida)

9. Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area (Georgia)

8  Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument (New Mexico)

7. Kenai Fjords National Park (Alaska)

6. Arapaho National Recreation Area (Colorado)

5. Cuyahoga Valley National Park (Ohio)

4. Crater Lake National Park (Oregon)

3. Pinnacles National Park (California)

2. Colorado National Monument (Colorado)

…and finally our #1 blog post from our fourth 100:

1. Arches National Park (Utah)

Honorable Mentions

Minidoka National Historic Site (Idaho)

The new visitor center is open where you can watch an excellent film on the internment of U.S. citizens during WWII

Channel Islands National Park (California)

We added photos from our kayaking trip around Santa Cruz Island from November 2021

Indiana Dunes National Park (Indiana)

We visited the eastern parts of this new National Park after visiting it in 2016 as a National Lakeshore

Theodore Roosevelt National Park (North Dakota)

We backpacked around the park’s Petrified Forest Trail in July 2022 and saw an awesome double rainbow and woke up 50 feet from a sleeping bison

Know someone who loves National Parks? Gift them my travel guide A Park to Yourself: Finding Solitude in America’s 63 National Parks. 

List

Top 10 Non-Fiction Books on National Forests

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This Top 10 list is in honor of publishing our new guidebook and giving a presentation on recreating in National Forests on June 21, 2022 at our local library in our hometown of Cheyenne, Wyoming.  This is a partial list of the best we have read. There are also countless hiking guides to specific National Forests, regions, and Wilderness areas that we did not include.  Click here to see all of our Top 10 lists, including quite a few other book lists, including the Top 10 Backpacking Books. 

10. Fire Season: Field Notes from a Wilderness Lookout (2011) by Philip Connors

Connors shared his experiences working as a seasonal fire lookout atop a remote mountain in Gila National Forest

9. Travels in the Greater Yellowstone (2008) by Jack Turner

The incredibly beautiful Wind River Range in Bridger and Shoshone National Forests figures prominently in this book

8. The Forest Service and the Greatest Good: A Centennial History (2005) by James G. Lewis

Released for the centennial of the Forest Service’s founding in conjunction with a documentary film, this is the best volume on the agency’s history

7. The Blue Bear: A True Story of Friendship, Tragedy, and Survival in the Alaskan Wilderness (2002) by Lynn Schooler

The author traveled by boat throughout the Inside Passage and Tongass National Forest in search of an elusive subspecies of black bears with a famous wildlife photographer

6. The Big Burn: Teddy Roosevelt and the Fire that Saved America (2009) by Timothy Egan

An engaging history of the early Forest Service and the devastating 1910 fires that revolutionized the agency’s mission

5. Young Men and Fire (1992) by Norman MacLean

Helena National Forest’s Big Belt Mountains were the site of the of the 1949 Mann Gulch Fire, which killed 13 smokejumpers who were immortalized in this classic book

4. The Singing Wilderness (1956) by Sigurd F. Olson

Olson wrote many great books on his explorations of Superior National Forest’s Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness

3. This Land: A Guide to Central National Forests (2022) by Robert H. Mohlenbrock

Now out of print, Robert H. Mohlenbrock’s three-book series was an invaluable resource when writing our own guidebook

2. Our National Forests: Stories from America’s Most Important Public Lands (2021) by Greg M. Peters

A modern look at the issues facing the Forest Service by a former Communications Director of the National Forest Foundation

…and finally our #1 non-fiction book on National Forests:

1. Out in the Woods: An Introductory Guide to America’s 155 National Forests (2022) by Scott, Tiff, and Mary Sink

We may be biased, but we think our new travel guide is the best resource available for recreating in the National Forests

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Honorable Mentions

Flagstaff Hikes (2001) by Richard and Sherry Mangum

In college, Scott carried this book and its companion Sedona Hikes on thousands of miles of trails in Arizona’s Coconino National Forest

Grandma Gatewood’s Walk: The Inspiring Story of the Woman Who Saved the Appalachian Trail (2014) by Ben Montgomery

A fun biography of the woman who popularized thru-hiking the Appalachian National Scenic Trail (which crosses several National Forests)

On Trails: An Exploration (2016) by Robert Moor

A reflection on trails of all kinds by a man who thru-hiked the Appalachian National Scenic Trail

Know someone who loves the National Forests? Gift them our travel guidebook Out in the Woods so they can learn more about all 155 National Forests.

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Top 10 Campgrounds in National Forests 

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This was a difficult ranking because there are thousands of campgrounds in the 155 National Forests and we tend to prefer dispersed camping (since we don’t love campfire smoke).  That said, we have stayed in a quite a few U.S. Forest Service campgrounds (especially in 2020-21) all across the country: this top 10 list represents 10 different states +6 others in the Honorable Mentions!  Click here to see all our Top 10 Lists, including four that cover camping in National Parks.

10. Chattahoochee (Georgia)

Hickey Gap Campground offers free streamside campsites near the start of the Appalachian National Scenic Trail at Springer Mountain

9. San Isabel (Colorado)

Turquoise Lake Recreation Area has beautiful mountain views just outside historic Leadville

8. Jefferson (Virginia)

We stayed in a mountaintop campground in Mt. Rogers National Recreation Area before hiking a section of the Appalachian National Scenic Trail inhabited by wild ponies (who like to bite)

7. Humboldt (Nevada)

It is impressive how many campsites they jammed onto the mountainside next to stunning Angel Lake, plus check out the campgrounds in pretty Lamoille Canyon

6. Allegheny (Pennsylvania)

Aptly-named Hearts Content has a large campground across the road from an old-growth forest of white pines and eastern hemlocks

5. Siuslaw (Oregon)

Elk Creek Campground is only one option with access to coastal Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area

4. Coconino (Arizona)

Lockett Meadow Campground is special place (but now requires a three-mile hike up the closed road), as are the coveted campsites in Oak Creek Canyon on scenic Highway 89A

3. Ocala (Florida)

Crystal clear natural springs attract swimmers and campers to Juniper Springs, Silver Glen, Salt Springs, and Alexander Springs Recreation Areas (reservation recommended)

2. Beaverhead (Montana)

Potosi Campground is free and only a short hike from Upper Potosi Hot Springs

…and finally our #1 campground in a National Forest:

1. Los Padres (California)

Incredibly scenic Kirk Creek Campground sits atop a cliff overlooking the Pacific Ocean in Big Sur

Honorable Mentions

Cache (Utah)

Although the campgrounds are located right along Highway 89, we suspect the Logan River drowns out the road noise

Tongass (Alaska)

This scenic spot just outside Wrangell would rank higher, but it is more of a designated campsite than a campground

Homochitto (Mississippi)

Maybe we are partial to Clear Springs Campground because we arrived in the dark after fleeing a fire in Kisatchie National Forest, plus it had showers

Hiawatha (Michigan)

Hovey Lake Campground is free, but it only has four campsites; it would be fun to boat to a campground in Grand Island National Recreation Area

Finger Lakes (New York)

We spent a quiet night in Blueberry Patch Campground on a forested ridgeline between two of the Finger Lakes

Mt. Hood (Oregon)

Located east of Portland, Lost Lake Campground has to have one of the best views in the country

Nebraska (Nebraska)

Pine plantations are a nice break from the sandhill prairies surrounding Bessey Recreation Complex, as well as Steer Creek Campground in Samuel R. McKelvie National Forest