The primary difference between a National Preserve and a National Forest lies in their management goals and permitted activities. National Preserves are managed by the National Park Service and are very similar to National Parks in that they prioritize the protection of natural resources; however, they specifically allow certain "consumptive" activities like public hunting or oil/gas extraction if those activities were established before the preserve was created. For example, Big Cypress National Preserve allows hunting, while nearby Everglades National Park does not. In contrast, National Forests are managed by the Department of Agriculture under a "Multiple Use" mandate. This means they are actively managed for timber harvesting, livestock grazing, and large-scale mining, alongside recreation. While both offer beautiful hiking and camping in 2026, a National Forest is essentially a "working forest" meant for resource production, whereas a National Preserve is a protected "park-lite" area that allows for specific traditional uses.