In the Eastern United States, National Forests are almost myths. People have heard of National Forests, but they don’t really know where they are or how they work. Until not too long ago, I was one such person. Growing up in Michigan, my family went on maybe a dozen camping trips with our pop-up camper at state campgrounds. I had never camped in a tent in the middle of the wilderness. I never doubted that I could, I just never had the opportunity to prove it to myself. This... (Read more…)

Stretching across Southeast Alaska, the 17-million-acre Tongass National Forest is both the United States’ largest National Forest and the world’s largest temperate rainforest. All within this one National Forest, you can find glaciers, fjords, forests, wetlands and more. From the moment you enter the forest, you know you’re experiencing “wild” Alaska. Throughout the forest and along the trails, nature holds you every step of the way. Soaring majestically above the trees,... (Read more…)

I spend a lot of time in National Forests.  All summer long, I leave town Friday night and I don’t return until late Sunday evening.  It’s been three years since I’ve spent a summer Saturday evening in town.  Some might call me a “weekend warrior” or crazy, but my weekly escapes into the wilderness have become my way of life.  I crave the exploration and adventure of seeing new places (I have rarely hiked the same trail twice), and in the wildlands of our... (Read more…)

Children in the U.S. spend 50 percent less time outdoors than they did 20 years ago. With the goal to motivate families and their children to get outside more often and re-connect with nature, the USDA Forest Service and the Ad Council recently launched new public service advertisements (PSAs) to encourage families to take the time to discover the forest. We are proud to join their efforts as a 2011 campaign partner. Studies show that kids who spend more time outside are... (Read more…)

I love roasting marshmallows.  I am a slow, careful, over-the-coals, golden brown outside and gooey center inside marshmallow roaster.  Although I spend most summer weekends sleeping in a tent, it’s not often that I get to roast sugary puffs, as I’m also a look-at-the-stars, read-a-book, Leave No Trace camper.  The last time I had the privilege of roasting a marshmallow, I found myself wondering, “What the heck is this squishy ball of sugar and why are they an essential... (Read more…)