For those who love to explore, especially outdoors, you know there are so many gorgeous places in the USA to go! From breathtaking desert areas in Arizona to the beautiful redwoods in Washington, the United States has some fantastic woods that you can encounter!
Regardless of whether you love hiking, camping, or seek a peaceful place, you have come to the right place, as we will delve deep into the best places to explore. Each of these woods offers a rich history, scenery, and multiple outdoor opportunities. Without further ado, let us continue reading along for more information.
What Are the Best Woods to Examine in the USA?
The best woods to look at in the USA are the ones listed below. However, there are plenty that we have not mentioned in this article.
It is important to note that no matter where you are, you can always find tranquility in many things. For example, there is beauty in large cities that are always bustling with activity. Even if you are living in a lot of farmland, there might be some woods around for you to explore. Just be mindful of where you are going to avoid trespassing on someone’s property, of course.
Although we cannot cover every single speck of woods that the USA has to offer, mainly because there are 154 National Forests and over 141 million acres of urban forests! To that end, let us continue with the forests down below!
1. Dixie National Forest
Dixie National Forest is located in one of the most beautiful states in the USA: Utah! More specifically, this forest is in Cedar City, Southern Utah. Dixie National Forest has thousands of miles of trails.
The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) notes that it has 113 trails with a wide variety of features, including lush meadow forests, rugged lava fields, elevated heights, mountain lakes, and more.
Lastly, this forest is the state’s largest national forest and is located near several national parks, including Zion National Park and Bryce Canyon National Park. You can enjoy activities such as backpacking, hiking, biking, horseback riding, skiing, camping, and more!
2. Hoh Rainforest
Moving to another location in the USA, we will discuss the Hoh Rain Forest, located in Forks, WA. Although there are no vampires in this specific area, you can find the beauty lies all around you, with the surrounding lush greenery and moss-draped trees. One thing to be aware of is that this specific forest receives rainfall quite often, hence its name.
Even still, you can experience four extensive trails in this area while also stopping by the visitor center to learn about the ecosystem through exhibits and purchase educational items. For those who love camping, be sure to check out some of their available campsites as well. For more information, we recommend checking out the National Park Service.
3. Pisgah National Forest
For those who want more of an East Coast vibe, check out Pisgah National Forest, located in Western North Carolina. This park spans approximately 500,000 acres and features hundreds of miles of trails. Not only can you hike there, but you can also zipline, camp, bike, or even have picnics there. For more information, we recommend checking out Explore Asheville.
4. Green Mountain National Forest
For those who live in the Northeastern United States, you will be pleased to know that a gorgeous National Forest is located in Mendon, VT, within the New England region. This forest is best known for its stunning mountains, breathtaking beauty, and historical sites from both industrial and Native American eras.
This forest supports a diverse array of wildlife, including the white-tailed deer, wild turkey, black bear, coyote, and many more. This National Park offers 900 miles of trails and eight wilderness areas. On top of this, you can go horseback riding, camp, bike, drive through scenic routes, hunt, fish, shoot, and more.
5. Redwood National and State Parks
If you want to see massive trees, we recommend visiting Redwood National and State Parks, located in the Northwest part of California. This park is home to the tallest and oldest trees in the world. Some of the redwood trees are said to be over 2000 years old!
This forest has 139,000 acres of land for you to explore! On top of coming here to search for the beauty that is within, there are many wonderful things to do in this park, including kayaking, bicycling, horseback riding, wildlife viewing, and more.
6. Gifford Pinchot National Forest
Here is yet another national forest located in Lewis County in Southern Washington state. The size of this forest is 1.32 million acres long! It is one of the most gorgeous places to go, thanks to its stunning glaciers, waterfalls, volcanic peaks, high mountain meadows, and more.
On top of this, you can enjoy many recreational activities, including horseback riding, bird watching, hiking, camping, backpacking, and even enjoy some fun winter sports!
7. Superior National Forest
Nothing says beauty like going to the state of Minnesota. More specifically, northern Minnesota in the Arrowhead Region, between the Canadian-USA border and the north shore of Lake Superior. This specific National Forest is approximately 4 million acres in size and includes thousands of lakes and streams.
This ecosystem is renowned for its surreal views, lush forests, stunning rock formations, and abundant water. There are many activities you can do in this forest, including but not limited to fishing, canoeing, hiking, cross-country skiing (in the winter), and more. It is a forest you would want to visit someday soon!
8. Hiawatha National Forest
The Hiawatha National Forest is a stunning forest located in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. This particular forest features over 100 miles of the three Great Lakes: Michigan, Superior, and Huron. The forest itself covers roughly 100 miles of land, leaving plenty of room for you to do your recreational activities like water sports, camping, hiking, etc.
On top of this, you can see many wild animals here. These include, but are not limited to, the bald eagle, black bears, moose, wolves, Canada lynx, and more.
9. Black Hills National Forest
The Black Hills National Forest is located in western South Dakota and northeastern Wyoming. This particular forest features numerous canyons, grasslands, and rugged rock formations.
This national forest provides a home for a lot of eastern and western species, like the prairie dog, cougar, marmots, red fox, coyote, bison, elk, and more. Additionally, the area features the world’s most extensive cave system, Jewel Cave, which offers guided tours.
On top of this, Black Hills National Forest covers roughly 1.2 million acres of land! This forest is approximately 110 miles long and 70 miles wide and offers other activities like fishing, hiking, camping, mountain biking, horseback riding, and more.
10. San Juan National Forest
If you have never been to Colorado, we highly recommend checking it out as there are many wondrous places to visit, sightsee, and more. One of the many places to stop by is the San Juan National Forest, located in the southwestern region of CO.
This 1.8 million-acre forest offers a wide variety of scenic areas, from seeing alpine peaks to high desert mesas. Feel free to go biking, camping, hiking, fishing, swimming, boating, and more in this gorgeous area.
11. White Mountain National Forest
For those who love to travel to the north, or even want to do it someday, do not miss the opportunity to come and visit the White Mountain National Forest, located in New Hampshire and Maine, USA. This forest is a little under 751 thousand acres in size and does not disappoint when you enter and see the most scenic views of its gorgeous mountain scenery, which includes Mount Washington and the Presidential Range.
Many people love to come here to enjoy a variety of outdoor recreational activities, including skiing, hiking, and scenic drives, especially along the Kancamagus Highway, which is highly famous for its fall foliage.
12. Olympic National Forest
Truly, if you are going to visit Washington State, you could go and visit all of the beautiful forests they have to offer! In this particular case, we will delve a bit into the Olympic National Forest located on the Olympic Peninsula in, you guessed it, Washington State.
This particular national forest is best known for its diverse ecosystem, which includes the Hoh Rainforest, as mentioned above, as well as rivers, lakes, mountains, and coastal beaches.
There are 18 developed campgrounds and three historic cabins in this forest. Many campgrounds are first-come, first-served, but you can still make a reservation here.
13. Sierra National Forest
The Sierra National Forest is located in the western slope of the central Sierra Nevada in California. This 1.3 million-acre forest is very close to Yosemite National Park and is very well known for its gorgeous lakes and scenery.
There are many wonderful things you can do in this forest, including camping, snow sports, hunting, fishing, boating, and more! On top of this, many hiking trails are surrounded by beautiful pine forests and mountains that you can explore and photograph to save for many years to come!
14. Cibola National Forest
For those who wish to visit New Mexico, the Cibola National Forest does not disappoint! Sitting on roughly 1.6 million acres of land, this national forest boasts numerous cultural and heritage sites, scenic beauties, and a wide range of recreational activities. On top of this, there are diverse landscapes that provide many photographic memories for you and your family to enjoy for years to come!
15. Coconino National Forest
The Coconino National Forest is an expansive and diverse forest that covers approximately 1.8 million acres of land. Several national forests, including the Tonto, Apache-Sitgreaves, Prescott, and Kaibab, border this forest.
This forest is located in Flagstaff, AZ, and has a lot of camping sites, water activities, hiking areas, and more. You cannot miss the opportunity to see this beautiful place someday!
What State Has the Best Forests?
Asking which state has the “best” forest is more of an opinion than anything else. This is because different people prefer various things.
For example, some people love to surround themselves with lush, green forests, while others would like a more diverse scenery filled with mountains, forests, and maybe even waterfronts. In this case, it is essential to know what exactly you consider more beautiful than the other.
For those who love being in all forests, we recommend going up to Maine to ensure you are living IN one, as 89% of the entire state is covered in forest. On top of this, New Hampshire is another place covered in 84% forest. We also recommend California and Alaska for those on the West Coast.
On the other hand, if you wish to have a diverse ecosystem around yourself, then we recommend going to the forests in Oregon and Washington. This is because a lot of these places are filled with lush forests, giant mountains, and fantastic coastlines.
What Is the Most Unpopular National Park?
The least popular National Park is the Gates of the Arctic National Park and Preserve in Alaska. In 2024, there were only 11,907 visitors here.
This particular national park is considered remote because of its roadless and rugged wilderness. You have to access it by those who wish to fly into one of the small, northern Alaskan communities, like Anaktuvuk Pass, Coldfoot, from Fairbanks or Bettles. Afterwards, you will continue your journey by hiking, watercraft, or a bush plane.
If you come here, it is wise to expect the following:
- Wildlife viewing
- Lots of wilderness
- Traditional subsistence use from the local Inupiaq and Koyukon people
What State Has the Oldest Forest?
The oldest forest is called the Cairo Fossil Forest and can be found in New York near an abandoned quarry close to Cairo, NY.
This forest is roughly 385 million years old and signifies the first complex forest on Earth due to its sophisticated root system, which has broken up rocks to help regulate the planet’s atmosphere.
On top of this, the Cairo Fossil Forest is protected and currently closed to the public so it can be preserved and scientifically studied.
Final Words
There are many fantastic forests out in the USA to explore! However, the best ones are what you make of it. If you come to the forest with a negative mindset, then you will not have a great experience. However, if you come with a positive and expectant mindset, then you will have a wonderful time!
We hope this article has helped you in some way. We encourage you to check out more of our adventure articles to know more information on anything your hearts desire.