| San Juan National Forest | |
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| Location | Colorado, United States |
| Nearest city | Durango, Colorado |
| Coordinates | 37°33′19″N 107°40′18″W / 37.5553°N 107.6716°W |
| Area | 1,878,846 acres (7,603.42 km2) |
| Established | June 3, 1905 |
| Governing body | U.S. Forest Service |
| Website | San Juan National Forest |
The San Juan National Forest is a U.S. National Forest covering over 1,878,846 acres (2,935.7 sq mi, or 7,603.42 km²) in western Colorado. The forest occupies land in Archuleta, Conejos, Dolores, Hinsdale, La Plata, Mineral, Montezuma, Rio Grande, San Miguel and San Juan Counties.[1] 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.
The name of the forest comes from the San Juan River, which was originally called the Rio San Juan, after Saint John the Baptist (San Juan Bautista in Spanish).[2][3]
- ^ Table 6 - NFS Acreage by State, Congressional District and County - United States Forest Service - September 30, 2007
- ^ "Map of Juan National Forest" (PDF). Arizona Government. 1961. Retrieved September 11, 2020.
- ^ "Utah History Encyclopedia". www.uen.org. Retrieved 2020-09-11.