https://www.earthmagazine.org/tags/national-forest/ Recent content in National Forest on EARTH Magazine Hugo en-US American Geosciences Institute. All rights reserved. Thu, 22 Sep 2016 10:25:30 -0400 https://www.earthmagazine.org/article/travels-geology-midwests-little-egypt/ Thu, 22 Sep 2016 10:25:30 -0400 https://www.earthmagazine.org/article/travels-geology-midwests-little-egypt/ <figure class="earth-figure"> <img src="https://www.americangeosciences.org/static/earth/travels-geology-midwests-little-egypt/IMGP2313.jpg" alt="Giant City, a collection of massive sandstone slabs, was deposited by an inland sea some 200 million years ago. Credit: Carol Unger." loading="eager" decoding="async"> <figcaption>Giant City, a collection of massive sandstone slabs, was deposited by an inland sea some 200 million years ago. Credit: Carol Unger.</figcaption> </figure> <figure class="earth-figure"> <img src="https://www.americangeosciences.org/static/earth/travels-geology-midwests-little-egypt/MidwestTravels.jpg" alt="Hiking trails wind through Giant City State Park, with evidence of 200-million- year-old inland seas and thousands of years of glacial scouring and water erosion. Credit: AGI." loading="lazy" decoding="async"> <figcaption>Hiking trails wind through Giant City State Park, with evidence of 200-million- year-old inland seas and thousands of years of glacial scouring and water erosion. Credit: AGI.</figcaption> </figure> <p>Lots of people may be delaying the family vacation this year, waiting for rosier economic times. Road trips, however, might still be in the budget. And when it comes to choosing a destination, geology enthusiasts should give serious consideration to the Shawnee National Forest in southern Illinois. The forest is an easy half-day&rsquo;s journey or less from a number of cities, including Chicago, St. Louis, Nashville, Memphis, Louisville, Indianapolis and Cincinnati — perfect for a weekend getaway or perhaps a longer backpacking expedition.</p> https://www.earthmagazine.org/article/travels-geology-rocks-and-climbing-kentuckys-red-river-gorge/ Fri, 22 Jan 2016 10:11:13 -0500 https://www.earthmagazine.org/article/travels-geology-rocks-and-climbing-kentuckys-red-river-gorge/ <figure class="earth-figure"> <img src="https://www.americangeosciences.org/static/earth/travels-geology-rocks-and-climbing-kentuckys-red-river-gorge/15-PMRP_CoverPhoto.jpg" alt="A climber hangs from plate-like sandstone protrusions at the Pendergrass- Murray Recreational Preserve. Credit: Alex Mandrila." loading="eager" decoding="async"> <figcaption>A climber hangs from plate-like sandstone protrusions at the Pendergrass- Murray Recreational Preserve. Credit: Alex Mandrila.</figcaption> </figure> <p>One Friday last June, some friends and I drove five hours from Ann Arbor, Mich., to Kentucky&rsquo;s Red River Gorge, a natural scenic area also called &ldquo;the Red.&rdquo; By the time we hit Dayton, Ohio, rain clacked against the car windows, and lightning flashed. We continued on, and at about 2 a.m., southeast of Lexington, Ky., we turned onto Highway 11, part of the Red River Gorge Scenic Byway. This 75-kilometer stretch along Highways 11, 715 and 77 loops visitors through the <a href="http://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/dbnf/recreation/recarea/?recid=39458">Red River Gorge Geological Area</a> in <a href="http://www.fs.usda.gov/dbnf/">Daniel Boone National Forest</a> — which features more than 100 natural sandstone arches — as well as <a href="http://parks.ky.gov/parks/resortparks/natural-bridge/">Natural Bridge State Resort Park</a> and the Clifty Wilderness.</p>