The interactions between forest and soil are complex in the process of forest community succession and recovery due to the difference in forest types and site environment conditions. In this study, we selected the Xinglong Mountain located in Gansu province as study area to quantify the response of soil properties to the forest succession and recovery processes. Soil physical and chemical properties in depth of 0-60 cm layers under 6 main forest covers including Picea wilosonii pure forest, Larix principis-rupprechtii pure forest, Pinus tabulaeformis pure forest, Picea wilosonii and Betula platyphlla mixed forest, Populus davidiana and Betula platyphlla mixed forest, Cotonester multiglorus and Rosa xanthina mixed shrubs were analyzed, based on field sampling and laboratory test. The results showed that: (1) The value of bulk density in forest soil of Xinglong Mountain increased with the increasing of soil depth in the 0-60cm soil layers, while the soil physical properties including the soil porosity, capillary porosity, soil water content, field maximum water capacity, capillary water capacity and field capacity were all decreasing with the increasing of soil depth in these layers. However, no significant difference of pH value was detected in the 0-60 cm soil profile. The value of soil chemical properties containing the soil organic matter, total nitrogen (TN), hydrolysable nitrogen (HN), available phosphorus (AP) and available potassium (AK) decreased with the increasing of soil depth. Profile distribution characteristics of soil chemical properties showed obvious accumulation effect in the top soil layers. However, no significant difference of total phosphorus (TP) had been found in the top and deeper soil layers. The profile distribution of total phosphorus appeared a "cylinder" distribution pattern. (2) The bulk density, soil porosity, soil water holding capacity and soil penetrability in natural forest were obviously better than that in artificial forest during the processes of forest succession and restoration. The bulk density in natural forest was gradually degrading, but the soil porosity and soil perviousness were enhancing with the positive succession of natural forest community. Nonetheless, compared with the dynamics of soil properties in natural forest, the soil physical properties in artificial forest presented an obviously degeneration in the entire soil profile. No obvious acidification phenomenon was detected during the succession of natural forest by pH value test. Furthermore, no obvious change in soil chemical properties including soil organic matter, total nitrogen, hydrolysable nitrogen, available phosphorus and available potassium had been found during this process. Generally, the trend of soil chemical properties in natural forest was that the value increased in early stage but decreased in latter period. (3) The observation in this study showed a significant positive correlation between soil organic matter and total nitrogen, hydrolysable nitrogen, field maximum water capacity, capillary water capacity and field capacity. The correlation analysis showed the total nitrogen also had a significant positive correlation with hydrolysable nitrogen, the soil organic matter on the other hand showed a significant negative correlation with soil bulk density. These findings indicated that the soil organic matter played an important role in improving soil physical and chemical properties as well as promoting the soil nutrient cycling. For practice, the soil organic matter can be employed as an indicator of soil properties change during the process of vegetation restoration. The results of this study can provide scientific guidance for the restoration of degenerated forest ecosystem in this area.