WHITE RIVER NATIONAL FOREST

THINGS TO DO IN WHITE RIVER NATIONAL FOREST & FACTS

Besides all the fun activities to experience in the National Forest, there are numerous ‘special’ destinations that you should try to explore. These attractions are worth a visit not only for their extraordinary beauty but for their historical significance as well. These ‘special’ destinations include Maroon Bells Scenic Area, the 82-mile Flat Tops Scenic Byway, and the Crystal Mill near Marble, Colorado. With more than 10 million visitors per year, the White River National Forest is by far the most visited recreational forest in the country as mentioned previously. It spans 2.3 million acres and includes the following features:

• 4 MAJOR RESERVOIRS

• 2,500 MILES OF TRAILS

• 1,900 MILES OF FOREST SERVICE ROADS

• 8 WILDERNESS AREAS

• 12 SKI RESORTS

• 10 PEAKS 14,000+ FEET IN ELEVATION

HISTORY OF THE WHITE RIVER NATIONAL FOREST

In October 1891, the White River Plateau Timberland Reserve, the precursor of the White River National Forest, was set aside by executive order of President Benjamin Harrison. It was the first such designation in Colorado and only the second in the nation. At the time, it covered more than 1.1 million acres of land and was overseen by just one supervisor and three rangers.

In 1901, the White River hosted Vice President Teddy Roosevelt on one of his big game hunting expeditions based out of the Hotel Colorado in Glenwood Springs. Roosevelt was successful in killing a trophy mountain lion that measured eight feet in length and weighed in excess of 220 pounds. Following an Act of Congress in 1905, “forest reserves” were renamed “national forests.” It was at this time it became known as the White River National Forest.

In 1932, with the opening of Hayden Peak, a ski area near Aspen, the White River National Forest took the first step toward becoming the home of some of the most renowned ski areas in the country and the world.