Drúadan Forest

Drúadan Forest was a forest in northern Gondor.

Drúadan Forest lay in Anórien, and the great road which connected Gondor to Arnor ran through it.

It was avoided by the people of Gondor and Rohan, who believed it was haunted: in reality the forest was home to a small enclave of Drúedain, or Woses.

During the War of the Ring, a company of Orcs was waiting at Drúadan Forest to ambush the Host of Rohan and delay them from reaching Minas Tirith. A leader of the Woses, Ghan-Buri-Ghan came forward and offered to lead the Rohirrim by secret paths through the forest so they could avoid the Orcs.

In exchange for this help the forest was later given to the Drúedain as a protected enclave inside the Reunited Kingdom of Gondor and Arnor by King Elessar.

The name of the forest apparently means "Forest of the Drúedain".