From modest beginnings, recreation on national forest lands has become a major player in today's land management policies. Especially as automobiles grew increasingly affordable and available to Americans following the first World War, motoring tourists poured into the nation's forests by the thousands. Forest Service leaders recognized the surging public interest and made a commitment to recreational planning even before 1920. Four decades later, Congress established the management of outdoor recreation, range, timber, watershed, and wildlife as the multiple use purposes of the national forests.

In 1996, the national forests received 341 million visitor days of recreational use, including activities such as hiking, fishing, camping, hunting, horsepacking, off-road vehicle use, and driving for pleasure. The recreation pages here highlight some of the features and challenges of managing various recreational activities on the national forests.

Selected Resources:

Assistant forester E.A. Sherman's views on national forest recreation (1916)

"An Outline Plan for the Recreational Development of the Superior National Forest" by Arthur Carhart (ca. 1921) [pdf]

"The Trailer Menace" by E.P. Meinecke (1935)

"National-Forest Vacations" USFS pamphlet, first published in 1940.

National Forests vs. National Parks

Driving for Pleasure: Scenic Roads on National Forests (ca. 1970)

Recreation Visitor Numbers: 1924-1996

Havlick, David G. "Behind the Wheel: A Look Back at Public Land Roads." (2002) [pdf]

Additional Pages:

Trails