Wood beams or roundwood were used in some of the first protective structures to protect infrastructure against rockfall and avalanches. They were originally fabricated using vertical steel posts in foundations supporting horizontally aligned roundwood beams. In addition to engineered roundwood rockfall barriers, another method used in forestry is laying de-branched and barked tree trunks horizontally across a rockfall slope between standing trees. Advances in technologies using steel nets offering certified designs have largely replaced the use of wooden protective structures against rockfall. The reluctance to use wooden rockfall barrier systems stems from a lack of clear design methods and material parameters on the energy-dissipating mechanisms and dynamic resistance of wooden members subjected to impact loading. In this contribution, we present an overview of existing engineered wooden rockfall barriers and felled tree trunks used for rockfall protection in Swiss forests. We report on the progress of full-scale dynamic impact testing of wooden beams in rockfall barrier systems, aiming to provide clear engineering values for their use. Additionally, we discuss how combining wooden rockfall barrier systems with protection forests can offer a more sustainable approach to managing rockfall hazards.