In the growth of carbon nanotube (CNT) forests, the catalytic activity decreases due to structural changes of the catalytic nanoparticles, and the mass density becomes lower at the root of the forest in the case of the base-growth mechanism, which is an obstacle to the application of high-density forests. In this study, colloidal nanoparticles were used as catalyst precursors to grow CNT forests with independently controlled CNT diameter, length, and mass density to elucidate the catalytic dynamics in the CNT growth process. By optimizing the chemical vapor deposition process, high catalytic activity was maintained during the growth. A mass density of 46 mg/ cm 3 was achieved with CNT forests grown to 1.2 mm length, a very high mass density compared to previously reported CNT forests over 1 mm. From a downward linear relationship between the mass density and length of the CNT forests in the double logarithmic plot, we proposed a transition model for the active catalyst survival rate, which changes dynamically with the growth of CNTs. It was found that the catalysts of CNT forests grown over several hundred microns are significantly deactivated and reduced to less than a few percent of their initial density.