Unwind in Nature’s Embrace: Exploring the Top Forest Destinations
At the heart of our challenging, high-octane, 24/7 overcivilized existence lies a yearning to release the brake pedal of civilization for just a moment, to reconnect with slowness, simplicity, and perhaps even something larger: Gaia, the planet itself from which evolved the trees and birds of the forest. We yearn to escape the concrete jungle and lose ourselves in the healing bosom of the green one.
This guide will take you to some of the world’s most beautiful forest destinations and show you how to enjoy nature’s benefits of rest, relaxation, and renewal.
The Allure of Forest Escapes
Forests are well known for their calmness. The subdued, earthy tones of the moss-covered tree trunks, the sun-dappled canopy, and the fresh scent of pine needles. As you leave the madding crowd behind or lift your eyes from a screen, it’s easy to feel yourself stepping, as if into a shell or a cradle, away from the world and towards this silent, breathing sanctum of nature.
But people spend time in forests for many other reasons than just beauty. Many studies have proven the positive effects that being in nature has on stress, blood pressure, and well-being.
A study published in the Journal of ‘Environmental Health and Preventive Medicine’ concluded that, even after just a short walk in a forest, participants’ cortisol levels dropped considerably. At the same time, feelings of relaxation and positive emotions rose.
Forests provide us with an opportunity for a kind of engagement with the natural world that many of us are desperately – and increasingly — deprived of in urban environments.
On a forest trail, we are confronted not just with the physical presence of this natural world, embodied in the shady canopy, the soft crunch of the earth below our feet, or the ubiquitous chirping of birdsong.
But also with the larger, more tightly woven ecological ensemble, including the minuscule, often unseen wildflowers covering the forest floor, as well as the large, charismatic mammals helped by the lushness of these woodlands. The tree-clad mountains surrounding the Kyrgyz capital provide a stunning example of the rush of seeing remarkable natural places for the first time.
The experience might make us stop, if only for a brief moment, and ponder the beauty and complexity of nature and perhaps fill us with fresh recognition of the need to safeguard these vital ecosystems.
Top Forest Destinations to Escape to
While every forest holds its particular magic, some destinations rise above the rest as extraordinary nature escapes. Here are some of the best from around the world.
1. Redwood National and State Parks, California, USA
As the nestled coastline meets brine in Northern California, the Redwood National and State Parks harbor the greatest of the greatest amongst our living giants, the coastal redwood (Sequoia sempervirens).
Hulking behemoths well over 300ft, and living more than 2,000 years, are everywhere here. When I stand beneath one of these kings, I feel as though I’m at the epicenter of our world.
But not just any old ridged world; rather, a storybook one, a Jurassic world. Or, to be more accurate, a Primongyl World. Walking the green canopy way under the trees, I always feel like I’m in that very second at the beginning of the world, when genes and ecosystems were emerging.
When you look up at any of the redwoods, towering wide, the cast shadows of their trunks and branches crashing against the ceilings, you can’t help but feel small. And whether or not you believe they’re whispering it to you, you may suddenly feel like slowing down, taking a deep breath, and just being.
2. Black Forest, Germany
Beneath its Norman Rockwell landscape of towering canopies of dark evergreen and mid-forest sightlines to distant mountain ridges draped in yet more evergreen, the Black Forest region of southwestern Germany presents itself as a 21st-century literary stereotype — a model Alfred Hitchcock set-piece of cinematic atmospherics populated by a collection of quaint castles, romantic vistas (de rigueur for the interior photo spreads on calendars) and picturesque villages.
Described in tourist brochures as a destination where one can ‘slow down your pace and enjoy a time in a pastoral area far away from the stressful world of our information-driven digital, 24/7 era’, the Black Forest has become a popular tourism destination for its trail hikes, road trips, and destinations for general R and R retreats.
The windy roads meander across pine forests, passing tiny communities, hilltop castles, and monasteries. The air smells of evergreens and, occasionally, of wood smoke from the farms that still make many of the region’s distinctive cuckoo clocks.
Hike, bicycle, or even ride horseback through the forest, and you’ll feel as if you have stepped through the pages of a picture book. The rustle of leaves and birdsong serves as a shushing soundtrack as you wander along paths winding through thickets of fir and spruce, breaking into sun-flecked clearings now and then or crossing a babbling little brook.
3. Daintree Rainforest, Queensland, Australia
The Daintree Rainforest is one of the oldest rainforests in the world; its canopied delight is in northeastern Australia. If you want to explore via a canopy walkway high above the trees, do not wait for summer since it can get too hot. Or, you can dive into the cool streams and slip-slide down nearby waterfalls.
While driving into the Daintree Forest, you will immediately be engulfed in sensory impressions—the calls of tropical birds, the rustling of leaves on the light breeze, the distant roar of falling water—as well as the smell of moist, ferny air, with its heavy odors of rotting plants and fragrant blooms.
A real attraction of visiting the Daintree is the chance to explore the nestling forest canopy through a series of elevated gantries and ‘skywalks’. From here, you can get a feel for the veritable cacophony of plant life that makes the jungle its home, from massive orchids and flowering epiphytes clinging to the branches to the restless flashes of iridescent birds that dart through the canopy.
4. Amazon Rainforest, South America
However, a list of the world’s top forest destinations would not be complete without mentioning the Amazon – the largest continuous expanse of tropical rainforest left in the world. Spanning eight countries in South America, this dense jungle of vegetation is home to an untold wealth of plant and animal life (a large part of which remains undiscovered by science).
So, when I first went into the Amazon, it felt like I was stepping into another world. This is a land where nature rules. It is so massive: the trees so big, canopies as far as the eye can see. The sources of the rivers. The water falls over the rocks.
Piranhas patrol the waterways. Howler monkeys roar their heads off. Birdsong and insects buzz and thrive in vibrant nests of green and yellow filigree. Everywhere you look, there’s activity.
As you kayak along the Amazon’s network of waterways and paddle your way down footpaths through the forest, you’ll be constantly met with riots of color, sound, and smell. Wherever you look, thousands of species, each competing to make a living in the same small space, vie for your attention.
There is, too, a sense of calm: here is a place that existed before our modern age and will endure after it. Here is a forest that, unless one is very slow, one does not simply pass through. The slowing down is good for you: the noticing, the keying into the mesmerizing tapestry of life – the cacophonous canvas of trees, wispy webs, bushy growth, creeping plants, foliage, insects, frogs, birdsong, light – is good for you. It is incredibly enriching.
Trekking through the Amazon might be arduous and daunting and is sometimes deemed dangerous, but taking guided tours and staying at eco-lodges presents tourists with a safe alternative while ensuring that they leave as small a footprint as possible on this delicate system.
By patronizing responsible operators and following best practices in sustainable tourism, the Amazon and its countless species can be accessed with minimal disturbance to both people and nature.
Planning Your Forest Getaway
Having whetted your appetite for a nature getaway, let’s help you plan your next forest escape. Below are a few pointers to help ensure your journey is unforgettable.
Go at the Best Time: Research the best time of year to travel to the place you want to visit, keeping an eye out for climate, crowds and wildlife-viewing variations. Most forests have high and low seasons, so plan according to those factors.
For example, the Redwood National and State Parks in California are pleasant to visit in the spring or fall, when temperatures are mild and the crowds are relatively light. Coastal fog can dominate the summer, and winters are often muddy and rainy. On the other hand, southern Germany’s Black Forest is at its finest in autumn, when the shifting foliage paints the hills and valleys in warm tonalities.
Getting There and Getting Around: This could necessitate flying into another airport and then arranging transportation to your destination. Once you are there, you could combine hiking, taking park shuttles, and even perhaps crossing a lake or some other means of transport.
For example, to visit the Daintree Rainforest in Australia, you fly into Cairns or the nearest airport and take a transfer to your lodging within the rainforest area, from which you might start your exploration through guided walks, self-guided walks, or even boat tours along the waterways.
Accommodation Options: From bush camps to luxury eco-lodges, the options near forest destinations are many and varied. There is something for everyone, with families, couples, and backpackers all spoiled for choice.
Camping in Austria. Mark McCullough/NaturesLens. Which option is right for you? Start by identifying your comfort level, your willingness, and ability to rough it for a few days or weeks, and your budget: how much cash are you willing to sacrifice during your reckoning with nature?
If roughing it is your thing, you can try camping or staying in basic cabins or yurts (circular, tent-like structures). Being able to sleep to the sound of the forest and wake to birdsong is incredibly special. However, make sure you can cope with a hole-in-the-ground and the rest of the very basic facilities you’re likely to be encountering.
At the other extreme, some forest destinations include luxurious eco-lodges or resorts that embody sustainability by incorporating ecologically conscious services and amenities such as gourmet restaurants, in-room spa services, and guided hikes and tours while implementing sustainable design and operation.
PACK LIST: Good footwear, layered clothing, rain gear, and a sturdy backpack are sine qua non for a forest outing. Include a refillable water bottle, some snacks, and a first-aid kit, and let someone know where you’re going and when you plan to return.
Footwear is obligatory: sturdy hiking boots or lightweight trail shoes with good tread are necessary for keeping up with a group, especially when the trail climbs and careens over rocky terrain and can occasionally become muddy or slippery. Layering your clothing is also essential, as your temperature on the forest floor (where the sun rarely shines) and on ridgelines or in clearings can shift dramatically during the day.
Depending on the destination and how you intend to spend your time, you might want to consider some extra bits of kit, such as binoculars—ideal for wildlife spotting—a camera or smartphone, and maybe a lightweight daypack for longer hikes.
Final Words
At a time when the demands of our daily lives have begun to seem untethered from the rhythms of the natural world, a moment of calm can be found in a secluded forest glen. In the world’s great woods, we can rest our minds and our bodies and find a renewed sense of meaning in a life lived in an ever-more hostile and synthetic environment.