Fort Bragg’s beautiful, mountainous backyard, Jackson Demonstration State Forest spans 48,652 acres due east of town. Demonstration forests are owned and managed by CAL FIRE as living laboratories for how to care for California’s timberland. Of the 14 demonstration forests, Jackson is the largest, with a mission to provide research on forest management best practices, along with recreation – from camping, hiking, biking and horseback riding to swimming, mushroom collecting, hunting and picnicking.