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The San Juan National Forest is a U.S. National Forest covering over 1,878,846 acres (2,935.7 sq mi, or 7,603.42 km²) in western Colorado. The forest occupies land in Archuleta, Conejos, Dolores, Hinsdale, La Plata, Mineral, Montezuma, Rio Grande, San Miguel and San Juan Counties.
Camping & Cabins. Choose from the following to find a site: Campground Camping. Dispersed Camping. Group Camping. RV Camping. There are many camping opportunities on the San Juan National Forest. We offer developed campgrounds and more isolated dispersed camping areas.
Apr 14, 2024 · San Juan National Forest Overview. The San Juan National Forest encompasses about 1.8 million acres in the southwestern corner of Colorado. Terrain ranges from high-desert mesas to alpine peaks, with thousands of miles of back roads and hundreds of miles of trails to explore.
The San Juan National Forest covers more than 1.8 million acres in Southwest Colorado. It’s most noted for its staggering San Juan Mountains, some of the steepest in the state. The views here are spectacular, so all the recreation is first-rate.
The San Juan National Forest abound with natural and cultural treasures. Five distinct life zones range from elevations near 5,000 feet to above 14,000 feet. Several of Colorado’s famous “14’ers” can be found in the Weminuche and Lizard Head Wilderness Areas. The San Juan also includes the South San Juan Wilderness Area.
According to users from AllTrails.com, the best trail to hike for backpacking in San Juan National Forest is Island Lake and Ice Lake via Ice Lakes Trail, which has a 4.9 star rating from 1,794 reviews. This trail is 6.9 mi long with an elevation gain of 2,650 ft.
The San Juan National Forest was created in 1905 by Theodore Roosevelt and has since been managed by the US Forest Service to help protect the lands and prevent natural disasters like forest fires. Over its large area, the San Juan National Forest is home to four separate wilderness areas of closely protected grounds.
