Did you get the chance to read the backcountry skiing article in Your National Forests yet?  If you’re planning a trip into the backcountry, be sure to check avalanche conditions and learn proper backcountry winter travel techniques. Check out this short blog below from February 2011 on some very BASIC avalanche awareness techniques. We also encourage you to check out www.fsavalanche.org  for additional information and resources on avalanches. Have fun and be... (Read more…)

Evergreen Mountain Bike Alliance received funding from the NFF Matching Awards Program for 2012 projects—including Kettle Fest. Stacy Karacostas, Communication and Membership Director, of Evergreen MTB recaps a fun day of trail-building on the Colville National Forest. The overcast sky is just starting to break on a beautiful July morning as 30-some mountain bikers mill around a campground clearing, swilling coffee and waiting to start the day. They’ve come from all over... (Read more…)

This article was originally published in the Summer/Fall 2010 issue of Your National Forests , the official magazine of the National Forest Foundation. To read the complete issue, click here .  Shaped by Water Dripping methodically from cavern ceilings, meandering through shady oaks and hickory trees, tumbling over the edge of rocky bluffs – water feeds and shapes and defines the landscape of northern Arkansas and its Ozark National Forest . This sculptor of the Ozarks... (Read more…)

Malheaur? Chattahoochee? Monongahela? Our nation’s National Forests have some of the most unusual names around. In this post we’ll take a look at the history of a few of them. Chattahoochee National Forest, Georgia : Chattahoochee is thought to come from the Muskogean word meaning “rocks-marked,” possibly referring to the color granite outcroppings along the Chattahoochee River. Chugach National Forest, Alaska : Chugach is the name of a Native Alaska culture and people... (Read more…)

You may have seen National Forests all over country without even knowing it. For the last seventy years, National Forests have served as prime filming locations for some of Hollywood’s biggest films. As we head into the holiday weekend and the shortest days of the year, it’s a great time to grab some popcorn, curl up on the couch, and catch a glimpse of these famous forests: Pisgah National Forest of Western North Carolina can be seen in The Last of the Mohicans as well as... (Read more…)

Nature is putting on her last hurrah for the year. As deciduous trees across the country change color, now is the perfect time to explore your National Forests. Bundle up for a brisk hike or bike ride or simply sit back and enjoy a drive through some of America’s fall color show. Russell-Brasstown National Scenic Byway - Georgia National Forest: Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forest Length: 40.6 mi / 65.4 km Time to Allow: Three hours to enjoy the byway Within... (Read more…)

Around this time each fall, “leaf peepers” flock to the woods of Vermont to enjoy the rustle of the dry leaves, frost-tinged mornings and the wash of gold, red and orange that covers the hills and mountainsides.  And all of the ruckus is for good reason: there really is nothing like Vermont in during peak foliage season.  Located within a day’s drive for more than 70 million Americans and boasting more than 400,000 acres of prime leaf peeping territory, Green... (Read more…)

For most of June and July, national news outlets reported on the growing wildfires in Arizona. Each week, dry, hot winds increased the fires’ intensity and size, forcing residents to flee communities in the path of the blaze and decimating hundreds of thousands of forested acres. As the fires intensified, the NFF began receiving calls from residents and businesses who wanted to help. Our initial response was to simply respect the intensely hard work of firefighters and other Forest... (Read more…)

Summer 2011 will be remembered by most of the country as one of the hottest on record. While politicians and pundits may debate the underlying cause (or lack thereof) of rising temperatures, it’s hard to care about why it’s so darn hot when it is so darn hot. With temps pushing triple digits across the country, our thoughts have shifted to water - the magical, life-giving molecule that makes even the hottest temperature tolerable. Before we get into the fun stuff, it’s... (Read more…)