Growing up in Colorado, I’ve always called myself a self-professed mountain snob. But with great mountains also means truly epic forests. Colorado is lucky enough to have beautiful trees year-round—namely the bright yellow aspens of the fall and the stand-out evergreens that line the mountains even in the snow. But I’ve also traveled all over the world, photographing in 41 countries and counting, and I can now say that I’m also pretty particular about my trees, too!
For great tree-based elopement locations, I find it pretty hard to beat the American West Coast. From Northern California on up all the way to Alaska—that’s where you’re going to find insane redwoods, thick pine forests, rainforests, and proximity to oceans and mountains that will blow you away.
Each spot has their own unique flair, tree types, and location that makes it a special place to elope. I’ll tell you all about my favorites—along with other great spots around the world if the PNW isn’t in the cards—below!
(Or, if you want to comb through locations on your own, I’ve created a searchable map of more than 575+ locations! Click here to be taken right to it and filter by activity, season, and more.)
Muir Woods/Muir Beach, California
The name of the game here is super accessible and super tall trees! It’s hard to believe that these coastal old growth redwoods are located just 17 miles outside of San Francisco’s Financial District. There are 6 miles of paths here, ranging from wheelchair accessible boardwalks to more narrow but well-traversed dirt paths. And every single one of them will take you through trees that are truly ancient, with the oldest dating back over 1,000 years. This is one of the last forests of its kind in the world, so it is a truly special place to connect your boots to the Earth and say your vows.
Best for: Forest, Coast and Beach
Best months to get married here: May to September
My favorite activities to do here: Hiking
Olympic Peninsula & Olympic National Park, Washington
This is an I-wanna-do-it-all pick. You won’t find coast, mountains, and great forests this close together anywhere else in the continental US. It’s basically a mini, more temperate Alaska. Two day elopements here are genuinely nothing short of epic, because you can truly go see every type of scenery this area has to offer. The mossy cedar forests here are massive and the trees are wide and towering—and sometimes put you out right on the beach! There are even different types of forests here, from rainforests (more on that below) to pine to cedar and at all different altitudes. Whatever you want from your forests, it’s here!
Best for: Mountains, Forest, Waterfall, Lakes, Beach, Coast and Wildflowers
Best months to get married here: June to September
My favorite activities to do here: Hiking, Kayaking, Camping, Stargazing
Hallerbos Forest, Belgium
Picture eloping in a field of flowers, with the ground carpeted completely with blooms, tall, straight trees all around you, and a winding path cutting through it all. If that sounds good to you, you’re going to want to think about Hallerbos Forest in April, when bluebells blossom in the forest and transform the landscape. This is big fairytale forest vibes. Visit first thing in the morning for less people!
Best for: Forest and Wildflowers
Best months to get married here: June to September
My favorite activities to do here: Hiking
El Yunque Rainforest, Puerto Rico
If you really want to visit a tropical rainforest as a US citizen without using a passport, you’re in luck. El Yunque has insane beauty—picture super lush and thick jungle trees with hidden oases for you to pull off and relax in. Picture spending part of your elopement day with a short hike through the forest to a waterfall that ends in a wading pool for you and your new spouse to take a dip in. There are even guided tours available through the trees and 24 miles of hiking trails in case you want to make sure you hit the best spots in the best way!
Best for: Rainforest, Waterfalls, Pools
Best months to get married here: Year round
My favorite activities to do here: Hiking, Swimming
Blue Ridge Parkway, North Carolina
Blue Ridge Parkway is an incredibly scenic drive that’s over 450 miles long and connects Shenandoah National Park to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Nicknamed “America’s Favorite Drive” and trailing through multiple beautiful towns and venues, there isn’t a bad place to stop along the way. This drive is especially stunning in the fall, when the hillsides light up in vibrant oranges and you have the option to do things like stop over in orchards along the way for apple picking. Nearby Asheville is a popular place to stay, full of great architecture, food, and music. If you and your spouse have always wanted to be in an epic road trip movie, this is your chance!
Best for: Mountains, Forest and Cities
Best months to get married here: June to October
My favorite activities to do here: Hiking, Camping, Stargazing
Coromandel Forest Park, New Zealand
Coromandel takes up most of a peninsula all of its own on the north island, and as a result, this is a pick to head to if you want truly, genuinely wild scenery. The park has beautiful giant kauri, coniferous trees that you’ll only find here, in Northern New Zealand! A large section of this park is also a rainforest, which means you’ll get lush and verdant greenery all around. Along with great trees, you’ll also get gorgeous beaches and rocky ridges, which makes it super easy to get a variety of landscapes and interesting views during your elopement here.
Best for: Forest, Waterfalls, Beach and Coast
Best months to get married here: November to February
My favorite activities to do here: Hiking
Kohala Forest Reserve, Big Island, Hawaii
You can only find ‘ōhi’a trees and koa trees on the Hawaiian Islands! This reserve feels like quintessential Hawai’i. You can find so much greenery here, with everything feeling super vibrant and full of life. Beautiful lookouts, cliffs, waterfalls, and black sand beaches are all also here, giving you a ton of variety all in one spot. So if you want to feel truly tropical and like you have all of the scenery you could ever want at your fingertips, this could be just the spot for your elopement day.
Best for: Rainforest, Beach, Coast and Waterfalls
Best months to get married here: Year round
My favorite activities to do here: Hiking
Joshua Tree National Park, California
For folks who love the vibe of the desert but can’t picture your elopement day without some foliage, Joshua Tree could be the perfect blend. The Joshua tree is native to the American southwest and northwest Mexico, so it’s a unique landscape that you won’t find elsewhere in the world. These trees are have been a metaphor for resilience and beauty even in hardship, which is a great symbol to have with you while you’re saying your vows. The silhouette of these against the sunset and the stars is genuinely unreal.
Best for: Joshua Trees, Desert, Mountains
Best months to get married here: Year round
My favorite activities to do here: Hiking, Rock Climbing, Camping, Stargazing
Great Smoky Mountains National Park, North Carolina & Tennessee
The Great Smoky Mountains is the United States’ most visited national park, and once you see it, you’ll totally get it. It’s also a park that has no entrance fee! It spans over 500,000 acres of land, giving you plenty to see and explore. The park is divided pretty evenly between North Carolina and Tennessee, meaning there’s just as much to explore on the NC side of things! Whether you’re tracking down waterfalls and wildflowers or heading down the trails by foot or horseback, the great thing about this park is that’s 1. Beautiful and 2. Huge—so spreading out is really easy here. Clingmans Dome is a great high elevation spot to see the park from above and is juuuuust over the state line into North Carolina in the park. There are some super interesting lodging options around here to make your elopement a unique experience—including luxury renovated train cabooses.
Best for: Mountains, Wateralls and Wildflowers.
Best months to get married here: June to September
My favorite activities to do here: Hiking, Camping
The Great Trossachs Forest, Scotland
The Great Trossachs Forest is one of the UK’s largest nature preserves and sits in the middle of Lake Lomond & The Trossachs National Park. But don’t let those stats fool you—this forest is still only about 40 minutes north of Glasgow! So you can get amazing scenery and a super accessible location all in one. This is also the home to The Great Trossachs Path, which is considered one of Scotland’s great trails and comes in at a whopping 30 miles. Picture lake views and gentle peaks poking out from viewing spots in the foliage of the trees. You can find everything from mossy hideaways to paths lined with tall, neat evergreens. This is a great pick if you know you want the forest but haven’t decided which vibe you want yet!
Best for: Mountains, Lakes and Whisky
Best months to get married here: June to August
My favorite activities to do here: Hiking
Banff National Park, Canada
Banff is well known around the world for having some of the finest Rocky Mountain scenery that planet Earth has to offer. This park is all pines, peaks, and alpine lakes. This is a great place to getaway into the trees and forget about the outside world for a while. Whether you’re soaking in hot springs or doing a scenic drive through the park, you’ll be totally surrounded by truly world-class nature.
Best for: Lakes, Forest, Glaciers, Hot Springs, Wildflowers and Mountains
Best months to get married here: July to September
My favorite activities to do here: Helicopter, Hiking, Boating, Kayaking, Paddleboarding
Otzarreta Forest, Spain
Not far from the northern coast of Spain sits one of the most fairytale forests in the world. Otzarreta is a beech wood grove full of twisting paths, gnarled roots, and contrasts between bright green moss and a forest floor of orange leaves. The trees here grow in unique formations that make them look like they’re right out of a storybook and will give you all of the vibes to match. Think great woods vibes but with an additional eccentric and magical energy.
Best for: Forest
Best months to get married here: April to October
My favorite activities to do here: Hiking
Willamette National Forest, Oregon
Easily accessible from some of Oregon’s largest cities, this forest is home to some of the tallest and widest fir trees in the world. And because it’s the Pacific Northwest, these epic trees also come with the views to match—you can find beautiful forest spots next to clear blue lakes, stunning waterfalls, and great mountain views! This entire forest is basically a best-of-Oregon hit list all in one spot. Camping and trails are plentiful out here, so no matter how you want to spend your time in the forest, it’s ready for you whenever you are.
Best for: Mountains, Lakes, Waterfalls, Wildflowers and Hot Springs
Best months to get married here: June to September
My favorite activities to do here: Hiking, Forest
Redwood National Park, California
I don’t have to tell you why this forest is special. Home to the world’s tallest tree, this park is packed with trees that reach hundreds of feet into the sky, completely enveloping you in green. They’re also hundreds of years old, and honestly, it’s hard not to find them legitimately awe-inspiring. This is a forest to go to if you want to feel small and if you want to say your vows feeling like your love is special and rare in the grand scheme of things. There are also beaches, 200 miles of trails, and nearly 40,000 acres of old-growth forests alone. That means that you’ll always be able to find a spot that feels special to you and your partner.
Best for: Redwood Forest
Best months to get married here: May to October
My favorite activities to do here: Hiking, Camping
National Park of American Samoa, American Samoa
This is a coastal forest paradise. There are five different classifications of rainforests here, including a cloud forest, where you can constantly find cloud inversions amongst the lush greenery, giving you a super dramatic backdrop for all of your photos. You can explore lush and super green plant life and then immediately wander out onto a white sand beach with bright turquoise water. Because of the variety you can find here, there are very few spots like this on the planet, so you can be sure you’re getting unique views for your elopement.
Best for: Palm Trees, Beach, Coast and Waterfalls
Best months to get married here: Year round
My favorite activities to do here: Hiking, Kayaking, Stargazing
Hoh Rain Forest, Washington
If when you picture your ideal eloping forest you’re picturing a spot that feels all-encompassing, super green, and a little drizzly, this is an amazing pick for you. This rainforest is in Olympic National Park and delivers fantastic mossy forest vibes, with everything feeling super green and interconnected. It also smells incredible here, which gives it a great all-over sensory experience. There are less wet months to elope here if you’d like, but coming during the rainy season will give you your best shot at having this special place with less crowds! The trees here are hundreds of feet tall and some even bend into unique arches over the trail, giving you your very own altar.
Best for: Rainforest, Moss
Best months to get married here: June to September
My favorite activities to do here: Hiking
Sequoia National Park, California
While Redwood National Park has the tallest tree, Sequoia has the *largest* tree, measuring at over 36 feet in diameter at its base! It also has the second largest, which is about 29 feet in diameter. When factoring in roots, these trees are over 100 feet wide at ground level! Whether you’re a tree fan and have always wanted to see these magnificent giants or just want to go somewhere you’re guaranteed to feel totally wowed by nature, this is a great pick for forests you will never forget. As an added bonus, the scenic driving is great here (you can even drive through a tree) and makes it an easy yes for folks who don’t want to do much hiking.
Best for: Redwood Trees
Best months to get married here: May to October
My favorite activities to do here: Hiking
Pisgah National Forest, North Carolina
So. Many. Gorgeous. Waterfalls. Also, so many great campsites, hiking + mountain bike trails, rock climbing, and even horseback riding trails. This area has it all for the outdoor enthusiast.
Best for: Forest and Waterfalls
Best months to get married here: June to September
My favorite activities to do here: Hiking, Camping, Rock Climbing
Acadia National Park, Maine
Acadia National Park is located in the upper northeastern corner of Maine, just across the bay from Nova Scotia. This park is absolutely gorgeous—and a great fit if you want the vibes of the PNW but have your heart on the east coast! Thick and craggy rocks make up tiny islands and walls that hold up evergreen trees above the Atlantic Ocean. There’s also a stout little lighthouse here that would make for an incredibly picturesque elopement location! Lots of visitors flock to this park for leaf peeping in the fall, as the colder climate makes the reds and oranges truly shine. Stargazing and tidepooling are both at some of their best out here!
Best for: Coast, Lake and Forest
Best months to get married here: June to September
My favorite activities to do here: Hiking, Kayaking, Paddleboarding, Camping, Stargazing
Dragon’s Blood Forest, Yemen
On an island off the coast of Yemen, there have been massive conservation efforts to preserve the dragon’s blood tree—a unique tree with gnarled branches, a tufted umbrella-like top, and bright red sap that gives them their name. This is the only place on earth that you can find these plants! If you and your spouse-to-be are ecologically minded, this could be an incredible thing to say that you saw during your elopement. Of course, you won’t be cutting any down during your wedding, but they still make for a unique and beautiful setting.
Best for: Dragons Blood Trees, Desert
Best months to get married here: Year Round
My favorite activities to do here: Hiking, Jeep/4×4
Tongass National Forest, Alaska
Part of what makes Tongass so impressive is its sheer scope. At over 17 *million* acres, this is America’s largest National Forest and also a part of the biggest temperate rainforest on the planet! What makes this such an awesome contender for an elopement is the duality of it. Not only is it filled with thick, verdant forests, beautiful coastal islands, and great glaciers… it’s also set inside Alaska’s Inside Passage with towns to choose from as access points, depending on what you want to see! Maybe you want to stay in Juneau so that you can paddle around the Mendenhall Glacier or ride a train through the trees. Or you could start from Petersburg for coast and incredible views of the forest all at the same time. Or maybe you don’t want to stay in civilization at all and make use of one of the many public use cabins (some of which are super unique). There’s no wrong way to spend a day in the woods here.
Best for: Mountains, Forest Coast and Glaciers
Best months to get married here: July to September
My favorite activities to do here: Hiking, Helicopter
Glenariff Forest Park, Northern Ireland
If your dream is to spend your elopement day immersed in a forest and totally surrounded by waterfalls, Glenariff is worth checking out. This national nature reserve features a historic boardwalk that takes you through gorges to three different waterfalls. This forest is super immersive and is pretty much guaranteed to make you feel like you’re worlds away or years back in time, the perfect tree-laden escape for your elopement day.
Best for: Forest and Waterfalls
Best months to get married here: June to September
My favorite activities to do here: Hiking
Green Mountain National Forest, Vermont
Green Mountain National Forest is pretty much directly in the middle of the state and takes up nearly 400,000 acres of land. This area has so many great trails and hidden gems. As you can imagine in this corner of the states, fall is incredible here—there are even foliage drives with optimized routes through the trees to make your leaf viewing as easy as possible. Blueberry Lake is a great spot to start to explore, with lots of trails and super scenic options for kayaking, canoeing, and paddle boarding. If you’re looking for winter sports, Pico Mountain is nearby with plenty of slopes (including beginner options if learning something new sounds like fun!).
Best for: Mountains, Lake and Forest
Best months to get married here: June to September
My favorite activities to do here: Hiking, Kayaking, Paddleboarding
Flathead National Forest, Montana
Flathead National Forest is just south of Glacier National Park and is worth a trip all on its own. You can book a lookout tower to stay in during your elopement here through the Forest Service! Flathead Lake is a beautiful turquoise freshwater lake completely surrounded by evergreen trees—and is a perfect place to do any kind of boating that you can imagine. You can also go berry picking in the forest in the summer, which would be a super idyllic and unique experience during your elopement. The Chinese Wall is an epic ridge named for its resemblance to the landmark in China and is completely made of stone, which would be an epic backdrop for an elopement. If you visit in the winter, there’s also great ski resorts nearby!
Best for: Mountains, Forest and Lake
Best months to get married here: June to September
My favorite activities to do here: Hiking, Boating, Kayaking, Paddleboarding
Hiawatha National Forest, Michigan
Hiawatha National Forest is settled in the heart of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, sandwiched between Lake Superior, Lake Huron, and Lake Michigan. Come here for rocky cliffs overhanging the Great Lakes, topped with towering evergreens and complete with waterfalls and caves and high rock arches that you can kayak through. In the fall, this is an amazing place to see foliage, with brilliant shades of orange and red taking over the treeline. This area has several lighthouses and four islands that are perfect for exploring. The eastern end of the forest will put you out by the ferry for Mackinac Island, an incredibly beautiful and charming pedestrian-only island. In the winter, you can find ice caves in the northern side of the forest!
Best for: Forest, Waterfall Lake and Coast
Best months to get married here: June to September
My favorite activities to do here: Hiking, Boating, Kayaking, Camping, Stargazing
Payette National Forest, Idaho
Payette is home to old-growth Ponderosa Pine forests as well as other super pretty evergreen species! But honestly, this forest can be at some of its most beautiful moments in the fall, when the aspens turn bright yellow and provide a great contrast against all that pine and fir. Trails here are quiet and fully forested, so a spot to find yourself alone with your partner in nature is easier to find than on more trafficked trails. Creeks, ridges, and lakes here all also give you perfect chances to get great views of the forest and take in the acres and acres of beauty it has (over 2 million, to be specific).
Best for: Mountains, Forest, Hot Springs and Waterfalls
Best months to get married here: June to September
My favorite activities to do here: Hiking, Kayaking, Camping, Stargazing
Need to filter by forest AND a specific season or kind of activity? I’ve got you! My searchable map is packed with nearly 600 locations, hand picked to give you an idea of what your elopement day can look like anywhere in the world.
I’m also here to guide you! I help my couples find epic off-the-beaten-path locations, act as their master planner, give them custom recommendations, and make sure that they never have to worry, every single step of the way. My process is designed to get you directly to the elopement day of your dreams—no stress, unanswered questions, uncertainty, or confusion.
Click here to contact me and let’s make your day happen!
