Hurtgen Forest was a shambles. Terrible terrain, very few roads so basically on foot, no mobility, no fields of fire. Worst thing was the CG. It was trying to cut the hydro electric power for the Ruhr, but (like Market-Garden) going the wrong way around. What they were aiming for were the dams outside the Hurtgen. The dams, whether you had the forest or not were valuable. But the forest was worthless without the dams since the Germans could have opened the sluice gates and flooded the whole area.
And if you read "A Bridge Too Far", at the end of Market Garden one of the Dutch officers says something about that scenario being a map exercise at their war college, and anyone who heads straight up the road over the bridges fails. The correct answer to getting over the Rhine is to travel inland where there are fewer choke points.
(Benefits of attending CGSC)