Hiking trails are easy to decide on, if you know what you are looking for. Often, forest rangers provide free tours and useful tips. For northern locations, hikers will want to be in shape for the terrain, which is often a mixture of grass, prairie land and pine forest footpaths. Bison, elk, mule deer, coyotes and prairie dogs are frequent sites.
At mountain locations you can often mountain climb, raft, fish, ski and hike, or just plain relax in one of the hot springs, drinking in the beauty of the mountains. Mountaineering equipment such as ropes and spikes should also be taken on these longer walking trails. Expect the major down hills to be without consistent track and if mountain biking, expect to carry and walk your bike for considerable distances.
Hiking trails are available in the Forest's wildernesses and are often marked with signs consisting of three horizontal stripes. The middle stripe indicates the trail color, which can be red, blue, green or yellow. Hikers have strong preferences when it comes to the appearance of the woods they're walking through. All else equal, they usually prefer big trees, open forest, and little evidence of logging other than an occasional old stump or the remains of an ancient logging road.
Forest Service have created an mapping tool which identifies which maps to purchase for recreational activities across eleven of the U.S. National access to recreation permits and other useful information is also available. Occasionally some provincial park and forest service management features, including campgrounds, may be privatized or transferred to municipalities and regional districts, but these changes usually will not affect the trails and routes.
Hiking trails that lead to a rocky bluff are often rewarded with fantastic views of mature forests, sparkling spring-fed rivers and rolling countryside. Each season offers a changing landscape and new wonders to explore, whether it's the chattering of birds and new growth in the spring, the rustle of leaves swirling to the ground in autumn or the crisp air of the quiet woods after a fresh snow.
Percy Priest provides a variety of outdoor recreational opportunities for millions of visitors each year. Volunteers are trained to assist Forest staff in patrolling Forest trails. Volunteers are needed April through October to ensure day use park entrance gates are opened in the morning and secured at night.