A central Colorado forest protecting nineteen of the state's tallest fourteeners across the Sawatch and Sangre de Cristo ranges.
San Isabel National Forest
San Isabel National Forest is a large federally managed forest in central Colorado that protects some of the highest and most iconic mountain terrain in the Rocky Mountains. Established in the early twentieth century and administered by the U.S. Forest Service, the forest spans parts of eleven counties and sits at the heart of Colorado's high country. It is distinguished by holding nineteen of Colorado's fifty-three fourteeners, peaks that rise above 14,000 feet, including Mount Elbert, the highest point in the state.
The forest's landscape is defined by several famous mountain ranges, most notably the Sawatch Range and the Sangre de Cristo Range, along with the dramatic peaks of the Collegiate Peaks area. Together these mountains create a varied environment that ranges from montane forests to high alpine tundra, dotted with lakes, glacial valleys, and broad meadows. Beyond its mountain character, the forest is also notable for its system of designated wilderness areas, several of which extend into neighboring national forests and adjacent national park units.
San Isabel is more than a wilderness landscape. It is a working forest managed for recreation, watershed protection, wildlife habitat, and timber, and it shares its administration with the nearby Pike National Forest and the Cimarron and Comanche National Grasslands. This shared governance, combined with the proximity of major population centers along Colorado's Front Range and in southern Colorado, makes San Isabel one of the most heavily visited national forests in the United States.
