San Juan National Forest

USDA Forest Service
San Juan National Forest
15 Burnett Court
Durango, CO 81301
970-247-4874

Telephone for the
Hearing Impaired
970-385-1257

Recreation

Our Forest offers a diversity of outdoor opportunities. These lands are yours—to visit, care for and, most of all, enjoy.

Natural Resources

San Juan Public Lands 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.

Cultural resources run the gamut from historic mining ghost towns and mills to Ancestral Puebloan cliff dwellings and pit houses. Some heritage sites offer guided tours; others are unmarked treasures you may happen across in the backcountry.

History

On June 5, 1905, President Theodore Roosevelt signed the Proclamation that created the San Juan and Montezuma Forest Reserves. The reserves extended from the San Miguel and Disappointment country east through the San Juan basin to the San Luis Valley.

In 1918 the Durango and San Juan Forests were consolidated administratively, with headquarters in Durango. In 1920, President Woodrow Wilson signed an Executive Order officially combining the two Forests into the San Juan National Forest. In 1947, a Land Order was issued that officially consolidated the Montezuma and San Juan Forests, and the present Forest is the result.

Organization

The San Juan Public Lands Center combines the former San Juan National Forest Supervisor’s Office and one-third of the former BLM Montrose District into one independent, integrated unit. As such, it is the only organization in the country with a single team providing leadership in all aspects of land management and public service for the two federal agencies.

Shared USFS/BLM offices are located in Pagosa Springs, Durango, and Dolores, Colorado, to oversee three combined USFS Ranger Districts and BLM Field Offices. The Canyons of the Ancients National Monument is also an attached BLM unit.

Annual Reports

How many acres are included in the San Juan National Forest and BLM's San Juan Field Office? What are their budgets? How many employees manage these public lands? See these and many other statistics.

• FY 2003
  [PDF, 5 pages, 144 KB]
• FY 2004
  [PDF, 5 pages, 154 KB]
• FY 2005
  [PDF, 5 pages, 154 KB]
• FY 2006
  [PDF, 5 pages, 50 KB]
• FY 2007
  [PDF, 5 pages, 42 KB]

Newsletter

Read Southwest Public Lands People, our quarterly newsletter.

Service First

Under Service First, the San Juan Field Center-BLM and San Juan National Forest work as a joint entity, which allows local USFS and BLM offices to combine resources to improve public-land management.

The Service First Initiative was highlighted as a line item in the President’s, and USFS and BLM, 2002 budget justifications.

Read a summary of the San Juan Public Lands Service First venture.

Research

The Rocky Mountain Research Station supports our natural-resource programs through relevant research and development of state-of-the-art management tools.

Working With Others

Forest Service staff work with volunteers, teachers, groups, tribes, permittees, contractors, and other agencies. See our Annual Report for more information.

Artist-in-Residence Program

Applications are accepted from January– March each year, and residencies for those selected are scheduled between June–September.

• "Virtual reality" tour of Aspen Guard Station residence
• More information [PDF, 3 pages, 485 KB]
• How to apply [PDF, 1 page, 105 KB]