As the leaves change and the trees start to practically glow, fall is best spent in the forest. Even better when said forest is a National Forest, home to protected land and vast swaths of unmarred nature at its purest. Across the U.S., National Forests come in all different colors, sizes, and styles, from the pine-y dreamscapes of Maine and the high deserts of New Mexico to the tropical wonderlands of Florida. Here are 12 National Forests to visit in the fall.
1. Finger Lakes
Nestled across some 16,000 acres in its namesake Finger Lakes Region of upstate New York, Finger Lakes National Forest — the only one of its kind in the Empire State — straddles a mighty ridge between Seneca and Cayuga Lakes, interspersed with more than 30 miles of trails and a surprisingly diverse array of landscapes and habitats. Here, shrubs and grasslands share turf with old-growth forests and craggy gorges, while free-roaming cattle conjure a sense of the Wild West.
Nearby KOAs:
Waterloo / Fingers Lakes KOA Holiday
Canandaigua / Rochester KOA Holiday
2. Green Mountains
The name may say “green,” but come fall, Vermont’s Green Mountains National Forest is more like an all-natural coloring book, aglow in tints of orange, red, and yellow. With its Acadian atmosphere, soaring peaks, and broadleaf trees, it ticks all the quintessentially New England boxes, with roughly 900 miles worth of trails to traverse, including the Long Trail, the Robert Frost Trail, and part of the mighty Appalachian. While close to the Finger Lakes National Forest, Vermont’s park clocks in at a sizable 400,000 acres, making it the largest contiguous public land in the state.
Nearby KOAs:
Lake Placid / Whiteface Mtn. KOA Holiday
Lake Bomoseen KOA Holiday
3. White Mountain
For foliage on an otherworldly scale, it’s hard to out-leaf peep New Hampshire. Particularly, fall is prime time for White Mountain National Forest, where Mount Washington reigns as the tallest peak in the northeast, surrounded by equally majestic mountains, valleys, gorges, and scenic byways. Of the latter, the Kancamagus Highway is a rightfully renowned thoroughfare that is especially popular in the fall, as the winding road weaves through veritable tunnels of luminous trees.
Nearby KOAs:
Chocorua KOA Holiday
Twin Mountain / Mt. Washington KOA Holiday
Naples KOA Holiday
4. Ocala
Proof that National Forests come in a vast variety of environments, look no further than the lake-filled splendors of Florida’s Ocala National Forest. Here, you won’t find any foliage, gorges, or mountains. Instead, you’ll find the world’s largest sand pine scrub forest, along with literally hundreds of lakes, rivers, babbling streams, and lagoons that are practically turquoise. While flat, hikers have much to explore, including parts of the Florida Trail, and water sports are just as abundant, including ample opportunities for swimming, paddling, boating, snorkeling, and fishing. During fall, this is also a prime area for spotting manatees in the wild.
Nearby KOAs:
Fort McCoy / Lake Oklawaha KOA Holiday
Crystal River KOA Journey
5. Chequamegon-Nicolet
By numbers alone, Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest is simply staggering. Located in the sprawling northwoods of Wisconsin, the forest contains more than 1.5 million acres, 2,000-plus lakes, nearly 500 miles of hiking trails, 9,000 miles of scenic roadways, and almost 350,000 acres of wetlands alone. Among the most scenic areas in the entire Midwest for fall foliage, it’s best viewed from atop the Mountain Fire Lookout Tower, built in 1935 by the Civilian Conservation Corps., and since added to the National Register of Historic Places. Hikers, meanwhile, have near-infinite options, including segments of the 1,000-mile Ice Age Trail that winds through the regions marked by the furthest advance of the last glacier in Wisconsin.
Nearby KOAs:
Door County KOA Holiday
6. Allegheny
A striking example of forest growth, change, and resilience, Pennsylvania’s only National Forest has gone through various eras over the course of its 100 years as a federally protected land on the Allegheny Plateau. Initially, extensive logging meant that sunlight could penetrate the once-dense forest floor, facilitating growth of plants like yellow poplar and blackberries. Later, the poletimber stage meant rising trees were competing for the canopy, and enriching the atmosphere with more oxygen. By 1970, Allegheny had matured as a more recognizable northeastern forest, rife with beech nuts and acorns. Today, the enduring land contains more than 500,000 acres, along with extensive opportunities for camping, paddling, and hiking. Be sure to stop by the Kinzua Dam, on the Allegheny River, one of the largest dams in the country.
Nearby KOAs:
Mercer / Grove City KOA Holiday
Erie KOA Holiday
7. Ouachita
Straddling segments of two states largely overlooked for their underrated wilderness (Arkansas and Oklahoma), the Ouachita National Forest outright debunks presumptions about a region regarded as flat and familiar. Instead, the forest extends for well over 1 million acres, encompassing rolling hills, springs, shimmering lakes, fragrant old-growth forests, winding roads, and mountains billowing with fog and mist. The oldest and largest National Forest in the South, this is also one of the best areas for leaf-peeping in the region too, best observed from Hot Springs National Park (located within the forest), and its namesake Hot Springs Mountain.
Nearby KOAs:
Hot Springs National Park KOA Holiday
Little Rock North / Jct. I-40 KOA Journey
Sallisaw / Fort Smith West KOA Holiday
8. Chattahoochee-Oconee
The starting line for the Appalachian Trail, Georgia’s Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forest has a well-earned reputation as a hiker’s utopia, with hundreds of miles of trails across its nearly 900,000 acres. The forest’s tallest peak, Brasstown Bald, is also the tallest in the state, surrounded by historic Civil War sites and an extensive network of rivers and streams.
Nearby KOAs:
Blue Ridge / Toccoa River KOA Holiday
Hiawassee KOA Holiday
9. Mount Hood
Named after the highest peak in Oregon, Mount Hood National Forest stretches for 1.1 million acres — many of which boast unbeatable views of its namesake mountain, eternally capped with snow. The forest features about 1,000 miles of hiking trails, portions of the Oregon Trail, and more than 300,000 acres of designated wilderness, utterly untouched by man. Fishing is a popular pastime at Timothy Lake, surrounded by more trails for hikers and mountain bikers, including a segment of the famed Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail.
Nearby KOAs:
Cascade Locks / Portland East KOA Holiday
10. Santa Fe
Looming over the high desert of northern New Mexico, with its namesake city down below, the Santa Fe National Forest clocks in at 1.6 million acres of piñon-scented wilderness. From its 5,000-foot valleys to 13,000-foot peaks (including Truchas Peak, the highest point in the vicinity at 13,103-feet), there is much to see — and hike — in this desert dreamscape. In addition to hiking, the forest boasts three wild and scenic rivers, including the Rio Chama and Pecos.
Nearby KOAs:
Santa Fe KOA Journey
Las Vegas, New Mexico KOA Journey
11. Mark Twain
Driving across southern Missouri, passersby might be surprised by the unexpected majesty of the state’s sole National Forest, more reminiscent of a National Park out west, or a dense, foliage-filled forest from the northeast. Mark Twain National Forest, though, is a glorious ode to Missouri’s modest natural beauty, featuring seven different wilderness areas, the Eleven Point National Wild and Scenic River, and nearly 800 miles of hiking trails — including portions of the Ozark Trail — across some 1.5 million acres.
Nearby KOAs:
Sam A Baker / Otahki Lake KOA Holiday
12. Shawnee
Sandwiched in the fertile valleys between the Mississippi and Ohio Rivers in southern Illinois, Shawnee National Forest is the forest destination for hiking, biking, horseback-riding, scenic drives, and — yes — leaf-peeping in the Midwestern state. Among the forest’s attractions, Garden of the Gods is a revered destination for travelers far and wide, famed for its mighty sandstone cliffs and panoramic tree-lined vistas. The forest is also home to myriad waterfalls, like Jackson Falls cascading down jagged bluffs, and extensive trail systems, like the River to River Trail.
Nearby KOAs:
Marion / Shawnee National Forest KOA Holiday
Born and raised in New Hampshire, Matt Kirouac grew up with a love for camping and the outdoors. Though he’s lived in Chicago since 2006, he’s always on the lookout for new adventures. He writes about travel and food for outlets like TripExpert, Money Inc, Upventur, DiningOut, Food Fanatics magazine, Plate Magazine and Zagat, and he currently serves as Chicago editor for What Should We Do?! He’s the author of The Hunt Guides: Chicago (2016) and Unique Eats & Eateries of Chicago (2017).
