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The National Forest System

Ten reasons to give thanks for National Forests

From quiet sunrises to freshwater to unforgettable experiences, our National Forests provide countless gifts to be thankful for.

“Every Kid Outdoors” Provides Fourth Grade Students Free Access to Outdoor Adventures

Fourth grade may look a little different this year but our National Forests are always here for students to adventure and learn in. If you’re a parent looking for a weekend getaway, a teacher investigating outdoor activities for your students, or even a fourth grader trying to find something to do — because we all know kids are basically tech support nowadays — look no further than the Every Kid Outdoors Program.

If A Musician Plays In A Forest: How The Sounds Of Our National Forests Make Music

If you search “forest sounds” on YouTube, you’ll find hundreds of hours of forest ambiance to help you wake up, meditate, work, sleep, or any other activity where you want to pretend you’re among the trees. But these videos could be any forest. What do our National Forests sound like? And how do they make us feel?

National Forest Week Photo Contest Winners 2020

Check out the winners of our 2020 National Forest Week photo contest.

Camping

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The Perfect Playlist For Your National Forest Adventures

We’ve all been there, trying so hard to remember every single item on your packing list for your National Forest visit that you forget the tunes. Or maybe you want to dissociate and lay in the middle of your floor with headphones in, pretending there’s National Forest dirt beneath your feet. No matter which camp you’re in, we have the mix for you.

Five Things I Wish I Knew Before My First Outdoor Adventure With Kids

Hi there, Brooke Murray here! Before the kids came along, I always knew I wanted to share my adventurous lifestyle with my family. Getting outside with my two children in Colorado is part of our daily routine — sunshine or snow. We love to ski, hike, bike, climb, and most especially camp together. Despite hours of research and preparation, I seem to learn the most by trial and error. I’m excited to share a little of what I have learned with you today!

6 Ways to Stay Safe at a National Forest Campground

Camping at a National Forest does not need to be overwhelming or scary. Just follow some basic safety advice and you can avoid danger and enjoy your trip.

Adventures

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Virtual Field Trip: National Forest Summer Adventures

Take a virtual escape to four great national forests highlighting everything from women’s history to the American bison from New York to LA!

Five Things I Wish I Knew Before My First Outdoor Adventure With Kids

Unforgettable Experiences: Timberline Lodge Ski Area

With the immense, snow-capped Mount Hood resting in the distance, Timberline Lodge Ski Area is the only place in North America where visitors can ski and snowboard all 12 months of the year. Timberline Lodge offers picture-perfect views, more vertical feet of skiing than anywhere in the Pacific Northwest, and an opportunity to embrace the natural world around you.

Unforgettable Experiences: Route of the Hiawatha

Once a Milwaukee Railroad train route from Chicago to West Coast markets, the Route of the Hiawatha trail stretches 15 miles through the Bitterroot Mountains between Idaho and Montana. The route features nine tunnels and more than seven high steel trestle bridges up to 230 feet high for magnificent views of the surrounding mountain range.

Trees

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2020 in Review: More Than 5 Million Trees Funded

What do more than five million trees mean for our National Forests? Learn more about the numbers behind our 2020 impact report.

How to Help Plant Trees in Your Backyard and in National Forests

Learn more about how the NFF plants trees on National Forests, and get some tips for getting involved in local planting efforts in your community.

Four Things to Know When Cutting Your National Forest Christmas Tree

For many families, cutting down a Christmas tree from their backyard National Forest is a wonderful holiday tradition. Before you head out to the woods though, here's a few things to keep in mind.

Hiking and Backpacking

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Four Things to Know When Cutting Your National Forest Christmas Tree

For many families, cutting down a Christmas tree from their backyard National Forest is a wonderful holiday tradition. Before you head out to the woods though, here's a few things to keep in mind.

The Venture Out Project Helps LGBTQ+ People Experience The Outdoors

At the National Forest Foundation, we believe everyone should have the opportunity to experience our National Forests, especially communities who have historically had limited access to them. The NFF sat down (virtually) with Oliver Reitz, the Administrative Coordinator at the Venture Out Project, to discuss the organization’s work leading outdoor adventures with LGBTQ+ individuals.

Cutthroat Trail Construction Begins

In mid-July, a cross-disciplinary group from the San Juan National Forest hiked a stretch of what will soon be known as the Cutthroat Trail, a roughly 5.5-mile trail situated above the East Fork of Hermosa Creek. This new multiple-use trail will be the first on the San Juan National Forest designed for E-bikes, but will also be accessible to hikers, horseback riders, and mountain bikers wanting to explore the Hermosa area.

How to Recreate Safely During Wildfire Season

Firefighter and writer Lance Garland shares tips to exploring National Forests and public lands during wildfire season.

Cabins and Lookout Towers

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A Hike Through History on the Angeles National Forest

Traveling through Big Santa Anita Canyon is like stepping back in time to the “Great Hiking Era.” As you walk along the paths trees and bushes give way to historic camps and cabins built from the 1890s to 1930s to ensure that the residents of the growing city would have a place to find peace in nature.

Eight Surprising & Fun National Forest Adventures in Wyoming

From surfing to biking to volunteering, there are lots of ways to enjoy the great outdoors in national forests in Wyoming and some of them may surprise you.

Top Ten Cabins on the Tongass National Forest

Are you planning that once-in-a-lifetime trip to Alaska? We’ve got the insider scoop on the best places to experience the wilderness of Alaska. Our largest National Forest in the country, the Tongass, includes more than 100 cabins available to rent. At 17 million acres, you’ll truly feel secluded. Our local experts at the U.S. Forest Service in Alaska gave us their favorite and top recommendations for cabins on the Tongass.

Collaboration

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National Forests and People: An Examination of Forest-Based Collaborative Groups in Montana and Idaho

Many states across the Intermountain West have experienced an increase in wildfire severity and prevalence, coupled with the damaging impacts of insects and diseases, all of which are further compounded by the impacts of climate change. As a result, these factors have degraded our national forested lands and disrupted natural ecosystem processes, while also threatening local livelihoods and property. In response, local community members have created forest-based collaborative groups in partnership with land management agencies to address these issues while also trying to achieve multiple forest objectives.

Maintaining Collaborative Momentum During a Pandemic

When the world adjusted to a new normal in late March, the NFF had to get creative to keep the momentum going for collaborative efforts supporting our National Forests. Just because in-person meetings had to pause, the work for our forests and communities didn’t.

Sharing Knowledge & Supporting the Next Generation of Public Lands Stewards

NFF believes in the value of matching the cutting-edge knowledge acquired at the graduate level of universities with practical, hands-on experience. Over the last few years, though programs like the Conservation Connect Fellowship, we have increased our focus on providing and amplifying this type of knowledge exchange.

Meet NFF's 2020 Conservation Connect Fellows

2020 marks the second year of the Conservation Connect Fellowship Program. This year we have 9 Fellows from the University of Montana; California State University-Los Angles; Vermont Law School; Yale, and the University of Michigan.

History and Culture

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Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie Turns 25!

Established by an act of Congress on February 10, 1996, the Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie (Midewin) became the nation’s first National Tallgrass Prairie twenty five years ago. To mark this occasion, on February 10, 2021, the National Forest Foundation (NFF) hosted a virtual anniversary celebration.

Honoring George Nelson Semmens

We are grateful for George’s lifetime of service to our forests, for his generosity to the NFF, and for the example he sets.

U.S. Forest Service Bookmark from 1937 Features Lasting Values

Our tree planting partner, Atlas Services LLC, recently shared a bookmark printed in 1937 that they acquired.