Urban forests established from natural forests or artificial plantations to support urban life in a positive way are becoming increasingly important. This attracts attention not only from landscape and ecology view-points, but also because local populations need recreation for a healthy life-style. Sustainable development of urban and peri-urban forests should be ensured by a set of scientifically justified measures and by creating a system for the research of natural objects. This requires forest monitoring, and an important part of this geographic and ecological monitoring is the assessment of forests for their recreational potential. Monitoring will also provide the set of properties needed to determine possibilities for recreational use. This article presents the methods used in researching recreational potential and the application of one possibility in practice.