10 Amazing Ancient Forests Around the World

A visit to one of these long-lived woodlands is a restorative experience. Here’s how to see some of the oldest forests on Earth.

10 Amazing Ancient Forests Around the World

Centuries-old trees line Madagascar’s Avenue of the Baobabs.

Photo by Dennis van de Water/Shutterstock

Getting back to nature can be like going back in time—especially in the world’s most ancient wooded areas, some of which are home to the oldest life forms on Earth. Often in far-flung corners of the globe, travelers can easily plan an entire trip of one or two weeks around visiting these natural wonders.

With many of us looking more toward destinations filled with nature as we venture back out into the world of travel, now is as good a time as any to daydream about hiking through these incredible landscapes. So get your hiking boots ready, and consider a visit to one of these ancient forests around the world.

The Tarkine temperate rain forest in Tasmania, Australia

The Tarkine temperate rain forest in Tasmania, Australia

Photo by Kazuki Yamakawa/Shutterstock

1. The Takayna/Tarkine Forest

Australia

Tasmania’s Takayna/Tarkine woodlands give a glimpse of what life on Earth looked like 300 million years ago. This temperate rain forest in Australia is home to the second oldest living tree species on the planet: the remarkable 3,000 year-old Huon pines.

How to visit

To explore this ethereal area blanketed with trees, waterfalls, rivers, caves, hills, and moorlands, book a tour with Tarkine Trails. Through it, you can make its hike-in Tiger Ridge glamping getaway, just over a half mile into Tasmania’s wilderness, your home base as you explore the surrounding trails. From the isolated camp, it leads four-day excursions through the most beautiful parts of the Tarkine, and if you’re lucky, you might even spot a Tasmanian devil.

Chile’s national Araucaria pine, otherwise known as “monkey-puzzle tree,” in Conguillío National Park

Chile’s national Araucaria pine, otherwise known as “monkey-puzzle tree,” in Conguillío National Park

Photo by Julia Kokhanova/Shutterstock

2. The Araucaria Forest

Chile

The Chilean pine tree that spans the country’s Lake District is thought to have evolved its peculiar paintbrush shape to ward off herbivorous dinosaurs during the Jurassic period. The Araucaria tree, or Pehuén in the aboriginal Mapuche language, can live for approximately 1,000 years and grows in many parts of the Chilean Andes. However, the forest is most spectacular set against the backdrop of piercingly blue lakes and snowcapped volcanoes in Conguillío National Park.

Head to Chile’s Araucanía region in November and you’ll catch the coning season, which yields pineapple-shaped conifers that produce seeds the indigenous Penuenche and Mapuche people use in local dishes.

How to visit

Conguillío National Park is located 70 miles from the city of Temuco and best accessed with your own vehicle. The nearest airport is La Araucanía, 15 miles south of Temuco, which services direct flights from Santiago. For those who want to take their time, campsites and cabins are available within the park and currently taking reservations.

The enchanted forests of Yakushima, Japan

The enchanted forests of Yakushima, Japan

Photo by Alick To/Shutterstock

3. Yakushima Forest

Japan

The moss-covered roots of Yakusugi trees, also known as Japanese cedars, have been steeping in the woods of Yakushima island for an estimated 7,000 years. This subtropical forest was considered so beautiful by Japan’s 17th-century royalty that the lush landscape was recreated in a garden on the mainland, and in 1993, the Yakushima Forest was declared a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Today, stepping into these fairy-tale-like woodlands is fairly straightforward: The Shiratani Unsuikyo Ravine offers low-intensity trails and the most easily accessible spots in the forest, including the landscape that inspired surreal anime classics like Princess Mononoke and Spirited Away.

How to visit

To get to Yakushima island, take a ferry or high-speed boat from Kagoshima, where the nearest airport is located. Once on the island, there is a range of accommodation options, including the luxurious Sankara Hotel & Spa (from $750/night, expedia.com), whose hillside location overlooks the ocean and subtropical forests, immersing guests in the property’s own natural beauty.

Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest protected area in Inyo County, California

Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest protected area in Inyo County, California

Photo by Felix Lipov/Shutterstock

4. Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest

California

Located at nearly 10,000 feet in the California highlands in the Inyo National Forest, the Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest is home to some of the oldest living trees on Earth. The most ancient among the protected forest’s bristlecone pines—which are characterized by their unusual-looking twisted forms—is Methuselah, a tree estimated to be 4,841 years old.

How to visit

Inyo National Forest is a 3.5-hour drive from Los Angeles. Grandview Campground ($5 per night, first come first serve) is the closest to the Bristlecone Pine Forest. However, those looking for a little more comfort should consider a hotel or Airbnb in Bishop, which is an hour drive from Bristlecone.

Capybara at the shores of the Amazon rain forest in Manu National Park, Peru

Capybara at the shores of the Amazon rain forest in Manu National Park, Peru

Photo by RPBaiao/Shutterstock

5. The Amazon Rain Forest

Brazil and Peru

For 55 million years, the Amazon has been home to an astonishing array of wildlife—at least 10 percent of the world’s known biodiversity, to be exact. The region represents the largest remaining tropical rain forest in the world and spans the greater parts of Brazil and Peru (but also includes portions of Colombia, Ecuador, and Bolivia).

How to visit

In Peru, the easiest gateways to the rain forest are through Pulcallpa, Puerto Maldonado, and Iquitos on the country’s eastern border. In Brazil, the quickest Amazon entry point is through Manaus, which has an international airport. The depths of Amazonia are still largely inaccessible, but you can arrange rain forest tours in many regions along the jungle’s perimeters or join a five-day cruise down the Amazon river with Delfin Amazon Cruises.

Cassowary Falls at Daintree rain forest in Queensland, Australia

Cassowary Falls at Daintree rain forest in Queensland, Australia

Photo by Shutterstock

6. Daintree Rain Forest

Australia

This ancient rain forest north of Brisbane is an estimated 180 million years old (which makes it more than twice the age of the Amazon). The Daintree region stretches approximately 460 square miles and is the largest continuous tropical rain forest in Australia. It’s also recognized as part of a UNESCO World Heritage site, the Wet Tropics of Queensland—one of the most significant regional ecosystems on the planet.

In Daintree National Park, the Mount Sorrow ridge trail is about 4.5-miles long and takes between six and seven hours to hike, but the rewards are well worth it. The route leads you through the rain forest to a scenic viewpoint overlooking the Great Barrier Reef.

How to visit

Fly into Cairns, then rent a car to get you the rest of the way. It’s a 2.5-hour drive from Cairns to the Daintree Rain Forest, but you can break up the drive with a pit stop at Mossman Gorge or a seafood lunch at either Port Douglas or Palm Cove (we love NuNu’s for its fresh Australian fare). Book a stay in a tree house just outside the park at Daintree Ecolodge, where guests can literally sleep in the canopy.

Coniferous trees in Bialowieza Forest, Poland

Coniferous trees in Bialowieza Forest, Poland

Photo by Aleksander Bolbo/Shutterstock

7. Białowieża Forest

Poland and Belarus

Białowieża Forest is one of Europe’s last remaining stretches of old-growth forests. In the Middle Ages, the lowland forest served as hunting grounds for medieval kings and tsars. In the early 20th century, Poland and Belarus declared the area—which lies on the border of both countries—a national park, and in 1979 the forest became a UNESCO World Heritage site.

At 580 square miles, Białowieża Forest isn’t difficult to explore. While hiking, keep an eye out for herds of European bison. After being liberated from zoos and brought to the forest by the government, roughly 900 of the endangered bison now roam freely and serve as a symbol of the woods.

How to visit

You can start in the village of Białowieża, Poland, or begin from Belarus in Brest or Kamyanyets. All three villages have low-key guesthouse and hotel options for hikers.

Kauri tree growing in Waipoua Forest, Northland, New Zealand

Kauri tree growing in Waipoua Forest, Northland, New Zealand

Courtesy of Shutterstock

8. Waipoua Forest

New Zealand

The oldest tree in this forest, known as Tāne Mahuta—or “Lord of the Forest”—is an estimated 2,300 years old and stands at 150 feet tall. This coniferous tree was one of many in Waipoua Forest that was almost wiped out when European settlers arrived in the 19th century and started cutting down kauri trees for wood.

Luckily, the ancient forest in New Zealand was designated a sanctuary in 1952 and has since been left largely undamaged.

How to visit

To wander among these towering trees, rent a car in Auckland and drive three hours along the North Island’s coast. Stay in Dargaville and make the forest (an hour away) a day trip, or find a lodge close by to linger a bit longer.

Avenue of the Baobabs, Madagascar

Avenue of the Baobabs, Madagascar

Photo by Monika Hrdinova/Shutterstock

9. Avenue of the Baobabs

Madagascar

Hundreds of years ago, the ancient trees that line the Avenue of the Baobabs were part of a tropical forest dense with Adansonia grandidieri, a strikingly beautiful tree endemic to Madagascar. After years of deforestation, only around 20 of the species—commonly known as baobabs—still stand tall along the famous dirt road. In their peculiar shape and unique “upside-down” stature, these majestic trees are particularly imposing at dawn and dusk.

How to visit

The Avenue of the Baobabs is just a quick taxi ride from Morondava, a low-slung, easy-paced city on the west coast of Madagascar. The easiest way to get here is with a quick flight from the capital, Antananarivo (Tana, for short).

For a more adventurous journey, hop on a two-week tour with Espace Mada and make your way there overland, canoeing down the Tsiribihina River, making a detour to the otherworldly rock formations of Tsingy de Bemaraha, and riding in 4x4s over the rough roads of rural Madagascar.

Misty Fjords National Monument in Tongass National Forest, Alaska

Misty Fjords National Monument in Tongass National Forest, Alaska

Photo by Lee Prince/Shutterstock

10. Tongass National Forest

Alaska

This temperate rain forest in Alaska is the largest national forest in the United States. At 16.7 million acres, Tongass National Forest takes up a vast stretch of southeast Alaska. The Tongass is home to some of the most well-preserved old-growth in North America—many of the trees are estimated to be over 800 years old.

Deer Mountain trail, a difficult but popular 6.7-mile hike, traverses lush sections of the U.S. national forest. But don’t go trekking alone: Even the shorter routes are steep and challenging, and the area is filled with diverse wildlife, including wolves and grizzly bears.

How to visit

To find a local trekking guide, head to the nearby town of Ketchikan. Nicknamed the “Salmon Capital of the World,” fishing is the main draw for visitors. However, you’d be remiss to skip out on opportunities to hike and learn more about the native Tlingit, Haida, and Tsimshian tribes who call this area home. To absorb everything the area has to offer, book a room at Waterfall Resort (call 800-544-5125 for reservation and prices) or Cape Fox Lodge (from $165/night; expedia.com) and stay a few days.

This article originally appeared online in November 2015; it was updated on March 19, 2021, to include current information.

>>Next: 8 U.S. National Parks You Need to See in Your Lifetime

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