Skip the crowds: 10 national forests to explore this summer
Experts at RVshare.com have compiled a list of the top 10 best national forests to visit this summer and avoid the crowded national parks.
See the National Parks to visit over the summer
Explore America's national treasures with adventurer Abby Hornacek as she tours the best sites across the country.
As we approach the start of summer, thousands of Americans flock to the great outdoors just before the temperatures become unbearable.
Many people are aware of the phenomenal features that national parks have to offer, but do not realize that national forests located just outside these sites also offer amazing adventures to be discovered.
Many parks and forests often share boundaries, yet offer different experiences.
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National parks focus on preservation and iconic sights. In contrast, national forests primarily focus on balancing conservation to sustain a healthy, diverse environment and help meet the needs of present and future generations of wildlife.
A popular swimming hole on the Cullasaja River Gorge in the Nantahala National Forest along US Highway 64 is also known as Quarry Falls. This section of road near Highlands is also known as the Mountain Waters Scenic Byway or Waterfall Byway. (Jose More/VW Pics/Universal Images Group / Getty Images)
You can visit these forests at no cost, whereas entering most national parks costs money.
Most parks are also not accessible to recreational vehicles for camping, with high fees and stricter rules for animals.
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Experts at RVshare.com have compiled a list of the top 10 best national forests to visit this summer to avoid the crowded national parks.
1. Nantahala National Forest
Travel experts are ranking the Nantahala National Forest at the top of the list, located just outside the most visited park in the country.
The name Nantahala comes from the Cherokee language, a word meaning "land of the noonday sun," according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Silver Run Falls, Nantahala National Forest, Jackson County, North Carolina, United States of America. (Ken Welsh/Education Images/Universal Images Group / Getty Images)
This forest covers over 530,000 acres across western North Carolina and offers plenty of fun options for outdoor enthusiasts, including hiking, camping, fishing and whitewater rafting.
The forest also includes a 75-foot waterfall you can walk under without getting wet.
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2. Dixie National Forest
Coming in second place and located outside the famous Zion National Park, we have Dixie National Forest in southern Utah.
This is a unique landscape that entails beautiful scenic ranges such as desert canyon gorges, high mountain forest, plateaus and alpine lakes.
Red Canyon Hoodoos In Dixie National Forest, Near Bryce Canyon National Park. (MyLoupe/UIG / Getty Images)
In the summer, areas in the higher terrain of the forest welcome an escape from the heat, with access to quiet trails, fishing spots and peaceful campsites to unwind.
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3. Shoshone National Forest
In third place, the Shoshone National Forest is located just outside the iconic Yellowstone National Park, which already draws a plethora of visitors to the area with its geysers, wildlife and amazing geothermal landscapes.
Afternoon reflections of Bear tooth Butte in the calm waters of Bear tooth Lake in the Shoshone National Forest in Wyoming along the scenic Bear tooth Highway, The Bear tooth Mountains are located northeast of Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming and Montana. This alpine area above timberline is accessible in summer months via the paved Bear tooth All American Road US Highway 212 between Red Lodge and Cooke City Montana. This view is at a pullout along the road below and west of the pass. (Photo by: Education Images/Universal Images Group via Getty Images) ( Education Images/Universal Images Group)
The forest encompasses more than 1.4 million acres of congressionally designated wilderness, with a number of campgrounds, picnic sites, fishing, a boating area and a trail suitable for strong travelers.
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4. Kaibab National Forest
Surprisingly, this forest ranks fourth despite being just outside Grand Canyon National Park.
Kaibab National Forest features cooler air, dark skies, open meadows and quiet trails, offering visitors the opportunity to disconnect and unwind in a relaxing setting.
WILLIAMS, ARIZONA - JANUARY 08: An extended exposure of a vanlifer outside of a converted Sprinter camper van in the Kaibab National Forest on January 08, 2021 in Williams, Arizona. (Josh Brasted / Getty Images)
The forest covers approximately 1.6 million acres and includes four designated wilderness areas totaling over 114,000 acres, managed for solitude.
It offers a chance to deepen the quiet outdoor experience without the need to venture too far.
US Dept. of Forestry held one of the several planning meetings with ranchers, enviromentalists, scientists, wilderness recreation operators and the media to discuss the use of public land and it's impact on natural habitat. Pic. shows cattle grazing at Kaiser Meadows in the Sierra National Forest. (Photo by Lawrence K. Ho/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images) (Lawrence K. Ho/Los Angeles Times / Getty Images)
5. Sierra National Forest
Located just outside the gorgeous Yosemite National Park, known for its stellar photos, especially in the summer.
Sierra National Forest offers breathtaking beauty and ample space to explore freely.
A vehicle enters the Sierra National Forest northeast of Fresno in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada mountains under a smoke-filled sky during the Creek fire in Auberry, Fresno County on September 11, 2020. - More than 20,000 firefighters from across the United States on Friday battled sprawling deadly wildfires up and down the West Coast -- a wave of infernos that have forced more than half a million people to flee their homes. (Photo by Frederic J. BROWN / AFP) (Photo by FREDERIC J. BROWN/AFP via Getty Images) (Frederic J. BROWN / AFP) / Getty Images)
The large wilderness includes a vast stretch of quiet alpine lakes, granite peaks and an enormous landscape to take in the breathtaking beauty.
6. Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forests
The Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forests surround the Rocky Mountain National Park from all four sides.
Michael Siluk/UCG/Universal Images Group(Photo by: Ron Buskirk/UCG/Universal Images Group via Getty Images) (Ron Buskirk/UCG/Universal Images Group / Getty Images)
Remarkably, this forest spans Northern Colorado, offering visitors high-elevation trails, scenic byways and quiet access to the same mountain landscapes as those visiting the park.
These unique features offer an easier journey through the forest and allow for the appreciation of the plethora of beauty.
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7. Chugach National Forest
In seventh place, about five hours from Denali National Park, is the Chugach National Forest.
It's a location where glaciers spill toward the sea and dense coastal rainforest climbs into rugged snowcapped peaks for amazing views.
Girdwood, Alaska. Hikers in the Chugach National Forest traversing the trails in the Chugach mountains. (Michael Siluk/UCG/Universal Images Group / Getty Images)
An interesting feature of the forest is the Columbia Glacier, a vast river of ice fed by icefalls from surrounding icefields.
8. Bridger-Teton National Forest
In eighth place, the Bridger-Teton National Forest offers scenic routes byways of climbing through high mountain passes with breathtaking views.
WIND RIVER RANGE - JULY 1: Bridger-Teton National Forest - A crew of volunteers worked for five days to repair and rebuild the Continental Divide Trail up to Gunsight Pass in the Wind River Range in Wyoming. (Dina Rudick/The Boston Globe / Getty Images)
This requires you to recognize your physical limits, and thankfully, you can explore the vast wilderness of quiet lakes and 3.4 million acres of public land, along with 1.2 million acres of roads and trails.
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9. Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest
At the back of the list, just outside Olympic National Park, is Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest in Washington state, which is distinguished by its extraordinary range from rainforests to mountains and to the coast.
WASHINGTON, UNITED STATES - 2007/07/15: USA, Washington State, Cascade Mountains Near Snoqualmie Pass, Mt. Baker-snoqualmie National Forest, Gold Creek Recreation Area, Daisy Wildflowers. (Wolfgang Kaehler/LightRocket / Getty Images)
"Rather than ending at the park boundary, this landscape invites you to keep exploring, revealing more of Washington’s wild beauty with every mile," experts from RVshare.com said.
There are miles of scenic roads and trails to choose what feels right for you when adventuring in the seamlessly never-ending beauty of dense evergreen forests.
10. Flathead National Forest
Rounding out the top 10 national forests to visit is the one located just outside Glacier National Park in Montana, which is one of America's most seasonal and in-demand summer destinations, according to RVshare.com.
Beyond the park, in Flathead National Forest, lies a unique escape from the high volume of visitors, with wonderful scenic views of clear lakes to swim in, quiet trails to explore and more flexible camping.
Trees are reflected in Stanton Lake located in the Great Bear Wilderness just south of Glacier National Park, Oct 13, 2013. Photo Ken Cedeno (Ken Cedeno/Corbis / Getty Images)
Experts note that it is more accessible and immersive for people to enjoy.
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Be sure to check out one of these top 10 locations to explore for outdoor fun this summer, with numerous options to escape the long lines at national parks and enjoy a more secluded adventure.