165,000 miles of adventure
Inside the world’s largest trail system
On national forests every day is National Trails Day. There is a trail for everyone, year-round. Across the country, 165,000 miles of Forest Service managed trails wind up, down and through the landscape. End-to-end, those trails could circle the globe more than six times, making the Forest Service the proud managers of the biggest trail system in the world. And just like the multiple uses of our national forests, many of these trails have multiple uses too. They can be used for access to get a...-
165,000 miles of adventure
June 5,2026
On national forests every day is National Trails Day. There is a trail for everyone, year-round. Across the country, 165,000 miles of Forest Service managed trails wind up, down and through the -
A forest in motion
June 2,2026
Dense, dangerously crowded stands of trees are giving way to healthy, spacious forests across Alabama. Individual trees are gaining the room they need to grow, birds and other wildlife are finding -
Reforestation takes root
May 29,2026
It’s been nearly five years since 25,000 acres burned across the northern slopes of Mount Shasta. And what’s there to see beyond the burn scar of charred soil and dead trees? How about extraordinary -
Wood forensic science
May 19,2026
From assisting with criminal cases and mid-air collisions to identifying wood species to combat illegal logging, the wood anatomy and forensic research done at the Forest Service's Forest Products -
Safer wood for safer buildings
May 19,2026
Fire testing is expensive and complex, which is why industry leaders look to the Forest Service for expertise. The Fire Lab at the USDA Forest Service's Forest Products Laboratory conducts research -
Tiny wood particles can have a big benefit
May 19,2026
Research at the Forest Service's Forest Products Laboratory is finding new and innovative ways to transform these materials into nanocellulose products. From strengthening cement to extending shelf -
Making wood less tasty to pests
May 19,2026
From wood walls to fence posts, we enjoy the benefits of wood products. But there are insects and fungi who enjoy it for another purpose – as dinner. The Forest Service’s Forest Products Laboratory -
Along the foothills of the Big Belt Mountains near York, Montana, it’s unusual to see bare ground above 5,000 feet in February. But this winter’s low snowpack in the Northern Rockies created a rare -
Bulldozers of fire
April 30,2026
The Heavy Equipment of Firefighting Wildland firefighting is a coordinated effort. Like players on a sports team or musicians in an orchestra, hand crews, smokejumpers, water tenders, fire engines
