Valuation of forest recreation resources is an important issue. This paper collected relevant data from 1990 to 2010 in China, and created an evaluation model using the optimal control method, and calculated the optimal price of forest recreation in China. Results show that China's forest recreation optimal price is 10,440 RMB yuan per hectare. Social and economic factors should be taken into account in the evaluation, as well as using shadow prices. This study has important implications for compensation and management of forest recreation resources in China.