Best use for backyard

One thing you could do, to gather ideas, would be to contact a local gardening society and see if anyone would be interested in coming out and giving you some ideas. I don't know what your property looks like, but I can imagine a woodland garden in your forested area with lots of native plants, winding pathways, and a few seating areas where you can sit under the trees in the shade. You could use some of the open areas for orchards or vegetable gardening, if you fancy that and have a desire to start a produce stand or save what you harvest for your family and friends. You could even put in a pond. If I had three acres, I'd probably put in a nice, big cistern to collect water. We're in a drought, so that's important and will probably become increasingly important. I'd probably also consider a goat or two, maybe a cow. I hope you have tons of fun with your property! To determine what will use the land to the best advantage, you have to consider what you want, what you can successfully maintain, and what you're interested in pursuing in the future.