I absolutely love forests! I love the way they smell. I love the sounds that the forest creatures make and the sound of the wind blowing through the trees. I love the peace that comes over me as I meander among the trees. Forests cover roughly 31 percent of the Earth’s land surface and below are 6 of what I think are the most beautiful.
Giant Sequoia National Monument, United States
I’m starting my list with a beautiful forest I’ve actually visited and absolutely love! Giant Sequoia National Monument is located in Northern California and covers approximately 1,800 square miles. There are 35 separate groves of these magnificent trees. General Sherman, the world’s largest sequoia at 275 feet tall and 25 feet in trunk circumference, can be found in this forest. Not only is General Sherman the largest sequoia, it is an estimated 2,700 years old; making it one of the oldest trees in the world.
Redwood National Park, United States
Also located in California, Redwood National Park consists of several different parks that contain 45% of coastal Redwood old-growth forest that remain in the world. All of the trees in the park are protected. I’ve also been to this beautiful forest and nothing will make you realize how small humans are until you stand next to a coastal Redwood tree!
Apricot Valley, China
I am fairly positive that there is no forest more beautiful than Apricot Valley’s Yili Kazak Autonomous Prefecture in the Spring. Located in Tuergen Township, this 4,900 acre forest contains thousands of apricot trees that dot the slopes of the valley. In April, they spring to life in a dazzling display of blooms!
Crooked Forest, Poland
The Crooked Forest is a grove of pine trees located outside of Nowe Czarnowo, West Pomerania, Poland. It is named for the 100 oddly shaped pine trees that grow there. It is not known exactly how the trees grew this way, but it is believed to be due to human interference of some kind. The grove was planted in 1930.
Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve, Costa Rica
This reserve is covered by 26,000 acres of tropical rainforest near the city of Monteverde. It’s a very popular tourist destination and receives upwards of 70,000 visitors per year. It is one of the most ecologically diverse areas in the world with 400 bird species, 100 animal species, 120 species of amphibians and reptiles and 2,500 different plant species. It also contains the most orchid species of anywhere in the world.
Sagano Bamboo Forest, Japan
Growing along the outskirts of Kyoto, Japan, this grove of bamboo is one of the most famous in Japan. Wooden paths guide you through the dense, giant bamboo that grow dozens of feet into the air. The sounds the bamboo makes as the wind blows through them has been designated as one of the 100 Soundscapes of Japan. But, as this is an incredibly popular tourist destination, the melodic sounds are hard to hear above the noisy tourists. Because of this, you should try to visit at off-peak hours and days.
Taiga
The Taiga is a biome that stretches across Asia, Europe, and North America. It is not one forest, but it is an ecosystem that manifests in the form of a coniferous forest. The Taiga of Russia is nearly 12 million kilometers in size, which is larger than China and India combined. It is the largest forest biome on Earth.
The Amazon Rainforest
The Amazon Rainforest is the second largest forest in the world at about 7 million square kilometers. It is the most biologically diverse forest in the world. About 10% of the world’s species of plant and animal can be found living somewhere in the Amazon Rainforest. This rainforest is also one of the most important forests in the world for climate stabilization.
Puszcza Białowieska
The Puszcza Białowieska is an ancient forest that extends from Poland into Belarus. In is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a Biosphere Reserve. It is the largest remaining piece of the primeval forest that once extended throughout Europe.
Kinubalu National Park
Kinubalu National Park is a park located in northern Borneo. Like the Amazon Rainforest, this park’s forest is extremely biologically diverse. More than 1,000 species of orchid can be found living in this one forest alone! This park is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site, but even though it has that protection, it is still threatened by industrial development.
