USFS · National forest · Colorado

San Juan National Forest

The San Juan National Forest is a U.S. national forest covering over 1,878,846 acres in western Colorado. The forest occupies land in Archuleta, Conejos, Dolores, Hinsdale, La Plata, Mineral, Montezuma, Rio Grande, San Miguel and San Juan Counties. It borders the Uncompahgre National Forest to the north and the Rio Grande National Forest to the east. The forest covers most of the southern portion of the San Juan Mountains west of the Continental Divide. The forest contains two alpine wilderness areas; the Weminuche and South San Juan, as well as the Piedra Area. The Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad passes through the National Forest.

From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

National Forest2.1 million acresUSFSCO65 campgrounds within 10 mi65 Forest Service sites
Official page at U.S. Forest Service ↗
4fires
active
Gold Mountain · 39 mi from the center · 39,747 acres
3 more within 50 miles
Incident details ↓

Facts

Where each comes from ↓
DesignationNational Forest
Managed byU.S. Forest Service
StateColorado
Size2.1 million acres (Forest Service administrative boundary (gis_acres))
Forest Service code0213, region 02
Center point37.4939, -107.6503
Night skyAbout as dark as the ground gets (Black Marble reading 15)

Boundary map

1 outline

Boundary, simplified to about 0.005 degrees Federal campground Forest Service recreation site

The outline is the agency boundary simplified for display, so small parcels and inholdings may not show. The agency page has the authoritative map.

Where to camp

Campsite Atlas →

40 federal campgrounds sit inside the boundary and 25 more are within ten miles of it. Nearest first. Distances are from the campground point to the boundary edge, from the Campsite Atlas index.

FS · Inside
Aspen Guard Station
Reservable1 site
FS · Inside
Blanco River Group Campground
Reservable1 site
FS · Inside
Bridge
Reservable19 sites
FS · Inside
Burro Bridge
Reservable4 sites
FS · Inside
Cayton Campground
Reservable27 sites
FS · Inside
Chris Park
Reservable3 sites
FS · Inside
Cimarrona
Reservable22 sites
FS · Inside
East Fork Campground
Reservable25 sites
Show 4 more

53 more within ten miles are not listed here.

Trailheads and sites

Forest Service directory · 65

The Forest Service lists 65 recreation sites in this forest, among them 33 campgrounds, 18 trailheads, 2 viewpoints, 2 cabins. Each links to its page on fs.usda.gov, which carries the season, fees and current status.

Show all 60

The 60 closest to the center point are listed; 5 more are on the Forest Service site.

Distance is from the center point of the boundary, not from a road or town.

Fire nearby

Within 50 miles · as of 2026-09-17
  • Wildfire
    Gold Mountain

    39 mi from the center point · 39,747 acres · 92% contained

  • Wildfire
    Elk

    46 mi from the center point · 7,257 acres · 73% contained

  • Prescribed
    Wolf Creek Rx

    47 mi from the center point · 1 acres

  • Wildfire
    Swiss Roll

    48 mi from the center point · 775 acres · 0% contained

Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge, and is measured from the center of a boundary that may be many miles across. Check the agency page for closures.

Explore

Nearby on the other atlases

National Park System units within 30 miles · Park Atlas
National Park · 12 mi
Mesa Verde National Park
National Monument · 18 mi
Yucca House National Monument
National Monument · 22 mi
Hovenweep National Monument
National Register listings within 15 miles · 38 in all · Register Atlas

Landmarks are listed first, then by distance from the boundary.

Reference

Questions people ask

How big is San Juan National Forest?

2.1 million acres.

Source: Forest Service boundary data

Who manages San Juan National Forest?

The U.S. Forest Service.

Source: U.S. Forest Service

What state is San Juan National Forest in?

Colorado.

Source: How states are assigned

Can I camp at San Juan National Forest?

40 federal campgrounds sit inside the boundary, including Aspen Guard Station, Blanco River Group Campground and Bridge. 65 in all are within ten miles. Dispersed camping is allowed on most national forest land outside developed sites; check the forest page for closures.

Source: Where to camp

Where are the trailheads in San Juan National Forest?

The Forest Service lists 65 recreation sites here, including 33 campground campgrounds, 18 trailheads and 2 viewing scenerys. Each one links to its Forest Service page.

Source: Trailheads and sites

How do I get to San Juan National Forest?

A point inside the boundary is at 37.494, -107.650. Mesa Verde National Park is 12 miles away. The official page carries directions and the office address.

Source: U.S. Forest Service

Is there a fire near San Juan National Forest right now?

4 active incidents within 50 miles as of 2026-09-17, the nearest Gold Mountain at 39 miles. Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge.

Source: Fire nearby

How dark is the night sky at San Juan National Forest?

NASA’s Black Marble night-lights image reads 15 on a 0 to 255 scale at the center point, about as dark as the ground gets.

Source: NASA Black Marble

Which national parks are near San Juan National Forest?

Mesa Verde National Park (12 mi), Yucca House National Monument (18 mi) and Hovenweep National Monument (22 mi). Park Atlas has fees, hours and alerts for each.

Source: Nearby on the other atlases

Are there historic places near San Juan National Forest?

38 National Register listings within 15 miles, including Shenandoah--Dives Mill and Old Bank of Telluride Building.

Source: Register Atlas

Sources

  • Boundary, name, acreage and code: the Forest Service Enterprise Data Warehouse.
  • States: computed by intersecting the boundary with Census state polygons; a state is listed when it holds at least one percent of the area.
  • Description: San Juan National Forest on Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. The article was accepted because its title contains this unit’s name.
  • Campgrounds: the Campsite Atlas index of federal campgrounds, matched to this boundary at build time.
  • Trailheads and sites: the Forest Service Recreation Opportunities layer, matched by forest code.
  • Night sky: NASA Black Marble (VIIRS, 2016 composite) sampled at zoom 6 around the center point.
  • Weather, alerts, air quality, river flow and earthquakes load live in your browser from NWS, AirNow, USGS and iNaturalist when you open the page.