Uncompahgre National Forest is a
U.S. National Forest covering 955,229
acres (1,492.55 sq mi, or 3,865.68 km²) -
United States Forest Service - September 30, 2007 in (in descending order of land area) parts of
Montrose,
Mesa,
San Miguel,
Ouray,
Gunnison,
San Juan, and
Delta Counties in western
Colorado. (Only its headquarters is in Delta County, in the city of Delta.) It borders
San Juan National Forest to the south.
Within the national forest boundaries can be found the arid
Uncompahgre Plateau and the northern portion of the
San Juan Mountains. The forest contains three
alpine wilderness areas,
Uncompahgre (formally the Big Blue),
Mount Sneffels and
Lizard Head.
The Uncompahgre National Forest is managed jointly with the
Grand Mesa and
Gunnison National Forests headquartered in
Delta. There are local
ranger district offices located in
Montrose and
Norwood.
Recreation
The varied climate, sparse population, and abundance of sun make
Uncompahgre National Forest popular with jeepers, atv'ers, sight seers, and hikers. Probably the most common recreational activity within the Forest boundaries is scenic driving, thanks in part to the
Million Dollar...
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