San Juan National Forest Welcome to the San Juan National Forest

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. These federal lands are managed for multiple uses and visitors are asked to respect each other and the natural resources. The San Juan National Forest Headquarters is located in Durango, Colorado, with district offices in Bayfield, Dolores and Pagosa Springs. Discover the Forest Come and enjoy the natural splendor of the San Juan Mountains and your public lands! Know Before You Go COVID Updates: Focus on recreatin g safely while protecting yourself, Forest Service employees and our volunteers. San Juan National Forest continues to monitor the COVID-19 situation and evaluate potential impacts and adjustments to reservations and our reservation policies through Recreation.gov. Reservation holders will be notified via email and/or cell phone text messages if there are any changes affecting their reservation. For up-to-date campground information, check Campground Status. All group use campground areas remain closed due to group size limits. Trails, trailheads and general forest areas will remain accessible for public use.

Current Fire Restrictions: Stage 1, effective 8/20/20 ​ On Wednesday, Colorado Governor Jared Polis signed an Executive Order, effective at 9:00 a.m. on Thursday, August 20, for fire restrictions. All National Forests and Grasslands in Colorado will be under stage 1 or 2 fire restrictions. The Executive Order aligns with Rocky Mountain Region stage 1 fire restrictions. Under federal law, state and local governments retain jurisdiction over persons on National Forest System land unless there is direct conflict with federal law.

Road Conditions Check out the up-to-date Forest Road conditions and surrounding mountain passes. Interactive Visitor Map Explore recreation opporunities, fire activity and more on our interactive visitor map. Passes and Permits Check out our annual Recreation Pass options. Determine if your trip requires any forest product, recreation or other permits. Know Before you Go Brush up on your forest knowledge, regulations and more before your trip. Spotlights Wetland Restoration Work: Rare wetlands, such as the Grasshopper Fen, create unique ecosystems and take thousands of years to develop. In 2019, SJNF workers helped rehabilitate this damaged high elevation Fen.



