USFS · National forest · Colorado

White River National Forest

White River National Forest is a National Forest in northwest Colorado. It is named after the White River that passes through its northern section. It is the most visited National Forest in the United States, primarily from users of the twelve ski areas within its boundaries.

From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

National Forest2.5 million acresUSFSCO138 campgrounds within 10 mi471 Forest Service sites
Official page at U.S. Forest Service ↗
1fire
active
Willow · 33 mi from the center · 7,389 acres
Interagency incident data as of 2026-09-17
Incident details ↓

Facts

Where each comes from ↓
DesignationNational Forest
Managed byU.S. Forest Service
StateColorado
Size2.5 million acres (Forest Service administrative boundary (gis_acres))
Forest Service code0215, region 02
Center point39.5608, -106.8930
Night skyAbout as dark as the ground gets (Black Marble reading 16)

Boundary map

2 outlines

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 →

69 federal campgrounds sit inside the boundary and 69 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
Avalanche Campground
First-comeCO
FS · Inside
Blue River Campground
Reservable24 sites
FS · Inside
Bogan Flats Campground And Group
Reservable37 sites
FS · Inside
Bogan Flats Group Campground
ReservableCO
FS · Inside
Camp Hale East Fork Group
Reservable1 site
FS · Inside
Camp Hale Memorial
Reservable21 sites
FS · Inside
Cataract Creek Campground
First-come5 sites
FS · Inside
Chapman Campground And Group
Reservable84 sites
Show 4 more

126 more within ten miles are not listed here.

Trailheads and sites

Forest Service directory · 471

The Forest Service lists 471 recreation sites in this forest, among them 165 day hikings, 127 trailheads, 54 campgrounds, 16 OHV Campings. 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; 411 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
    Willow

    33 mi from the center point · 7,389 acres · 80% 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 Register listings within 15 miles · 119 in all · Register Atlas

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

Reference

Questions people ask

How big is White River National Forest?

2.5 million acres.

Source: Forest Service boundary data

Who manages White River National Forest?

The U.S. Forest Service.

Source: U.S. Forest Service

What state is White River National Forest in?

Colorado.

Source: How states are assigned

Can I camp at White River National Forest?

69 federal campgrounds sit inside the boundary, including Avalanche Campground, Blue River Campground and Bogan Flats Campground And Group. 138 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 White River National Forest?

The Forest Service lists 471 recreation sites here, including 165 day hikings, 127 trailheads and 54 campground campgrounds. Each one links to its Forest Service page.

Source: Trailheads and sites

How do I get to White River National Forest?

A point inside the boundary is at 39.561, -106.893. The official page carries directions and the office address.

Source: U.S. Forest Service

Is there a fire near White River National Forest right now?

1 active incident within 50 miles as of 2026-09-17, the nearest Willow at 33 miles. Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge.

Source: Fire nearby

How dark is the night sky at White River National Forest?

NASA’s Black Marble night-lights image reads 16 on a 0 to 255 scale at the center point, about as dark as the ground gets.

Source: NASA Black Marble

Are there historic places near White River National Forest?

119 National Register listings within 15 miles, including Georgetown Schoolhouse and Tabor Opera House.

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: White River 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.