Majestic, Mysterious, & Haunting Forests of the World

The allure of the forest lies within the beauty of its trees. Nature sometimes creates the most beautiful and serene places within the forests of the world. The trees themselves are sometimes both overwhelming and breathtaking at the same time. When we step inside, it is like walking into a completely different land. We find even more beauty when we breathe the fresh air and experience all the wonderful sights and smells.

While a forest may not contain a set a thrilling roller-coaster rides, there is still plenty of thrills and danger lurking around for all to claim. Whether your kind of thrill comes from poisonous plants, wild and possibly endangered species, or dangerous hikes and climbs; most forest adventures have their fair share of thrill and intensity.

Located in Poland (Central Europe), this mysterious forest has a section of trees that strangely bend at a 90 degree angle. The forest contains about 400 pine trees that grow at an angle while the surrounding trees remain straight and tall.

Rumor says that the crooked forest is a man-made wonder. A human tool is thought to be the cause of the strange angle of the trees, transforming them into what we call compass timbers. If this is true, these trees were meant to be used in the manufacturing of great ships in the olden days. In recent times, steam has modernized the process of bending and shaping wood leaving us with a beautiful "crooked" forest to marvel upon.

Aokigahara or The sea of Trees is located at the base of Mount Fuji in Japan. "The forest contains a number of hidden caverns and giant trees" (Johnson, 2012).

"...the forest floor is a maze of roots and slippery rocks and, truth be told, I am lost in this vast woodland whose name, in part, translates as “Sea of Trees” ~ Rob Gilhooly (2011).

Unfortunately, the forest has become a tragic ending place for many depressed and lonely souls. This haunting forest has claimed at least 50-100 deaths a year ever since the publication of “Nami no Tō “or “Tower of Waves” a romantic and sorrowful tale written by Seichō Matsumoto in 1960. In the story a star-crossed love drives a young heroine into the forest; she was never heard from again. The tale was heartbreaking and apparently a little inspiring to some.

The Guinea Forest is both extraordinary and extremely important due to the amount of unique plant and animal species that make their home within its boundaries. More than 50% of plant and 30% of animal species found there cannot be found anywhere else in the world.

~The forest is the home to more than one fourth of Africa’s mammal species.

~There are about 9000 plant species in the Guinean forest; it is a very "bio-diverse" location.

Conservation Efforts

"Around 80% of the original forest of the Upper Guinea region has been lost through human activity" (http://www.zsl.org/).

The Zoological Society of London (ZSL) has made it their mission to "promote and achieve worldwide conservation of animals and their habitats" (http://www.zsl.org/about-us/).