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12 Beautiful Forests Around the World

From California's redwoods to Japan's bamboo groves, here are 12 of the most beautiful forests in the world.

They say that even a short, 20-minute walk in nature can be great for boosting your mental health, but these forests are so beautiful that you will definitely want to stay way longer than that.

From the gigantic redwoods of California to the towering bamboo groves of Japan, the globe is dotted with plenty of breathtakingly beautiful forests that everyone should put on their bucket list. There's something about spending time in nature that makes you feel whole. Maybe it's the unplugging from social media or simply getting away from the hustle and bustle of the city, but a trip to visit a green, natural space can be a wonderful way to spend a vacation.

Luckily, there are forests all over the world that can fit the bill, so no matter where your next trip is, you're likely to find a slice of nature wherever you end up.

Even though the world is full of gorgeous and unique natural wonders, we could only include a few here. Check out some of these beautiful forests from around the world.

Redwood National and State Parks, United States

There are dozens of national parks (and hundreds of national sites) across the United States, so it's hard to pick just one to visit. But Redwood National and State Parks take the cake because of their unique "residents" located in four parks in Humboldt and Del Norte counties. The tall redwood trees (some close to 350 feet) in Humboldt Redwoods State Park are part of the largest contiguous old-growth coastal redwood forest in the world. The tallest in the forest, nicknamed Hyperion, stands at nearly 380 feet tall.

Amazon Rainforest, South America

The Amazon Rainforest stretches across Brazil, Colombia, and Peru, so this is a forest that belongs to nearly half of an entire continent. As the largest rainforest on earth, the Amazon is home to more than 60,000 species of plants and over 2,500 species of animals, including 1,300 bird species. Unfortunately, deforestation, industrialization, and climate change have put the Amazon (and all the plants and animals in it) at risk of disappearing, which would be devastating to the entire planet, let alone the forest itself. Recent fires in the Amazon have raised many flags about the issue of climate change.

Monteverde Cloud Forest, Costa Rica

No, it's not a forest of clouds. Monteverde Cloud Forest got its name from the low-hanging fog that rests amongst the upper canopy of the forest. This fog offers some much-needed condensation to give the many plants a drink every day. This forest is particularly well-known for its excellent biodiversity, with 3,000 species of plants and over 100 different mammal species, 400 types of birds, and thousands of insect species.

Hallerbos Forest, Belgium

Gautier Houba/Travel + Leisure

Sometimes, you don't just visit the forest for the trees. The Hallerbos Forest is particularly known for its thick blanket of bluebell flowers that bloom in the spring, making this forest completely enchanting –– almost like a fairy tale. Honestly, it's not hard to imagine Sleeping Beauty communing and singing with her animal friends in this place. If you visit Brussels in the spring, it's quite easy to visit the forest, but it's also a very popular tourist attraction, so you're likely to run into crowds.

Black Forest, Germany

No, Black Forest cake is not named after this beautiful forest. In fact, it's not even entirely black; it's actually quite green with its thousands of pine trees. Although the trees themselves aren't black, the forest gets its name because the evergreens are so thickly dispersed that the canopy blocks out a lot of daylight. So, even if it's a sunny day, you'll practically always be in the shade when you're there. The forest also has a number of quaint villages and natural thermal springs throughout.

Wistman's Wood, England

If you've ever dreamed of living in the Lord of the Rings or Game of Thrones universes, this forest comes awfully close. This forest, located in Dartmoor National Park, is home to plenty of tangled, moss-covered trees that look like they belong in a fantasy book. And the trees themselves are rooted in history, with some of the forest dating back to 7,000 B.C. and some of the larger oaks estimated to be about 500 years old.

Dancing Forest, Russia

The Dancing Forest, located in Kaliningrad, Russia, is also known as the Drunken Forest because what better time is there to dance, even if you're a tree? The reason why people gave it this name is because of the twisting, curving tree trunks that look like they got a little tipsy, so to speak (much like the Crooked Forest in Poland). The twists and rings of the trees are said to bring good luck, and climbing one can give you an extra year of life or a special wish, according to local lore.

Zhangjiajie National Forest Park, China

This forest is so gorgeous, it's actually one of the inspirations for a Hollywood movie. Although some other forests around the world also served as inspiration (including Daintree Forest in Australia), Zhangjiajie National Forest Park is widely accepted as the inspiration for Pandora in the 2009 movie, "Avatar," particularly the fictional floating "Hallelujah Mountains." Zhangjiajie National Forest Park is home to large, pillar-like rocks that make this forest incredibly unique.

Arashiyama Bamboo Grove, Japan

Just outside Kyoto, this bamboo grove is a particularly wondrous place to stroll and reflect after a visit to the many temples, gardens, and imperial palaces that this city is famous for. Although it's a fairly popular tourist destination, many people go there to enjoy some peace and quiet, since the government of Japan encourages visitors to keep noise to a minimum so as not to distract others from listening to nature in its purest form.

Dragon's Blood Forest, Yemen

This unique forest is located over 200 miles off the coast of mainland Yemen, and it's particularly famous for its ancient, strange-looking trees. These Socotra trees are also known as dragon's blood trees, named for the viscous, red, blood-like sap that they produce. The sap also is rumored to have healing properties like healing wounds, lowering fevers, and treating dysentery. These trees, which have such dense leaves and branches that they look like umbrellas, can live up to 650 years and grow between 30 and 40 feet high.

Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, Uganda

This UNESCO World Heritage site is called "impenetrable" for its thick groves of bamboo, trees, and vines. Bwindi Park covers 32,000 hectares (over 79,000 acres) of land and is home to more than 160 species of trees and over 100 species of ferns. Thousands of species of birds and insects (especially butterflies) are found in the forest, but it's most known for being home to the endangered mountain gorilla.

Waipoua Forest, New Zealand

In this forest, you'll find a beautiful tree that has reduced some visitors to tears, according to The Guardian. Located near Dargaville on New Zealand's North Island, the kauri tree nicknamed Tāne Mahuta is one of the largest on the planet (by girth). Tāne is the name of the Maori forest god, and the tree is also known as the "Lord of the Forest." Standing at 51.5 meters (about 170 feet) tall with a girth of 18.8 meters (about 62 feet) around, it's hard not to feel a little emotional around this ancient, gargantuan tree.

The Most Beautiful Forests in the World

By Caitlin Morton and Megan Spurrell

Few earthly experiences are as soothing—or as humbling—as standing in the middle of a beautiful forest, trees towering around you in every direction. Yet throughout the world, from North America's national parks to a remote island off of Yemen, you can find these commanding, verdant woodlands, some so otherworldly it's hard to believe they're real.

Whether you're looking for a little trip inspiration or need a virtual escape , these shots of 2,000-year-old redwoods, thick green bamboo, and pines surrounded by carpets of bluebells ought to take you away. From Belgium to California, and Colombia to Spain , these are 13 of the most beautiful forests in the world.

Arashiyama Bamboo Grove, Kyoto, Japan

While we could go on about the ethereal glow and seemingly endless heights of this bamboo grove on the outskirts of Kyoto , the pleasures here extend beyond the visual realm. If you close your eyes, tune out the other tourists, and listen to the wind—wood creaking, leaves rustling—you'll experience the true beauty of the destination. In 1996, the local Ministry of the Environment even included Arashiyama as one of the country's top 100 Soundscapes of Japan , an initiative to combat noise pollution and encourage people to take in the sounds of the natural world.

Black Forest, Baden-Württemberg, Germany

Stretching across southwest Germany is the Black Forest , a wooded mountain range known for its dense 100-mile stretch of pine trees, picturesque villages, natural thermal spas, and, believe it or not, the invention of the cuckoo clock. The area doesn’t just look like a scene out of a storybook, though—legend says the Brothers Grimm drew inspiration from the forested area in their native country for fairy tales like Hansel and Gretel and Rapunzel .

Otzarreta Forest, Basque Country, Spain

The Basque Country's Gorbea Natural Park is a protected area filled with mountain views, hiking trails, waterfalls, and caves. But it's the enigmatic Otzarreta Forest within the park that has captured the eye of many a photographer (and Pinterest user), with its mossy surfaces and ancient trees.

The Amazon, South America

Covering roughly 40 percent of South America , including parts of Brazil, Peru, and Colombia, the Amazon is the largest rainforest on Earth, and home to more than 40,000 plant species and 1,300 bird species alone. But be sure to visit the winding rivers and diverse wildlife while you can— climate change (along with man-made fires ) is increasingly whittling away the habitat every day.

Shannon McMahon

CNT Editors

Hannah Towey

Olympic National Forest, Washington State

Just 60 miles west of Seattle is the Olympic National Forest, which includes forest, coastal, and mountainous ecosystems spread across more than half a million acres. Within the forest itself, visitors can visit the glacial Lake Quinault, hop on the hiking trail to Mount Ellinor, or marvel at the massive Sitka spruces, which can grow to nearly 300 feet tall. (The forest is thought to be home to the largest Sitka spruce in the world, which clocks in at a whopping 17.7 feet in diameter and is 191 feet tall.)

Borneo Lowland Rainforest

The third largest island in the world, following Greenland and New Zealand , the whole of Borneo is swathed in dense rainforest—though an estimated 30 percent of it has been destroyed since logging and palm oil extraction began there a few decades ago. Now, conservationists are working to protect the lush areas found on the Southeast Asian island, parts of which are owned by Indonesia, Malaysia, and the independent state of Brunei; at an estimated 130 million years old, not only is its rainforest twice as old as the Amazon, it’s also the oldest rainforest in the world.

Valle de Cocora, Quindío, Colombia

In case you were wondering where to find the world's tallest palm trees ( palma de cera ), you needn't look further. Nestled in Colombia's Cocora Valley , about a seven-hour drive west of Bogotá , these lithe trees look even more incredible set against the backdrop of misty green hills and craggy mountains.

Great Bear Rainforest, British Columbia, Canada

Roughly the size of Ireland, the Great Bear Rainforest is one of the most bio-diverse places on the planet; the forest is home to hundreds of animal species, including rare wolves and whales. And with its scattering of fjords, waterfalls, massive cedar trees, and 4,000-foot-tall granite cliffs, it's arguably one of the most beautiful places in the country .

Dragon's Blood Forest, Socotra, Yemen

Located about 220 miles off the southeast coast of mainland Yemen, the beautiful forest of Socotra feels like it was transported to Earth from another planet . And perhaps nothing better conveys that sense of otherness than the island's population of dragon's blood trees, with their UFO-like tops and eerie bright red sap (hence the name).

Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, Uganda

In Uganda’s Bwindi National Park, informally called the “Impenetrable Forest,” lush bamboo groves are interspersed with ferns and vines, in one of the most biologically diverse areas on the planet. In addition to having the largest assortment of tree species in East Africa, with more than 200 different varieties, and more than 350 bird species, this UNESCO World Heritage Site is also home to elephants, side-striped jackals, and more than half the world’s population of the endangered mountain gorilla .

Hallerbos Forest, Halle, Belgium

This beech forest in Belgium is a fairy tale come to life in the spring—specifically, from mid-April to the beginning of May—when thousands of bluebells carpet the forest floor. To get there, just take the train from Brussels, but go early: the sight certainly draws a crowd.

Humboldt Redwoods State Park, California

Standing in the middle of California's Humboldt Redwoods State Park, about a four-hour drive north of San Francisco, is a humbling experience—especially when you consider the span of time as you look up at the 2,000-year-old, 300-feet-tall natural giants. Head to Rockefeller Forest within the park to see the largest cluster of them (it also happens to be the world's largest contiguous forest currently standing). 

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