Roosevelt National Forest

Roosevelt National Forest
Map showing the location of Roosevelt National Forest
Map showing the location of Roosevelt National Forest
LocationColorado, United States
Nearest cityFort Collins, CO
Coordinates40°42′32″N 105°34′52″W / 40.709°N 105.581°W / 40.709; -105.581
Area813,799 acres (3,293.33 km2)
EstablishedMay 22, 1902
Named forTheodore Roosevelt[1]
Governing bodyU.S. Forest Service
WebsiteArapaho & Roosevelt National Forests and Pawnee National Grassland

The Roosevelt National Forest is a National Forest located in north central Colorado. It is contiguous with the Colorado State Forest as well as the Arapaho National Forest and the Routt National Forest. The forest is administered jointly with the Arapaho National Forest and the Pawnee National Grassland from offices in Fort Collins, and is denoted by the United States Forest Service as ARP (Arapaho, Roosevelt, Pawnee).

Map of Colorado. The area of the Roosevelt National Forest is in red.

The forest encompasses a mountainous area of the foothills on the eastern side of the Continental Divide of the Front Range in Larimer County and Boulder County. In Larimer County it includes the upper valleys of the Cache la Poudre and Big Thompson Rivers. It includes forested areas along both sides of the Poudre Canyon and along the north and east sides of Rocky Mountain National Park. Smaller parts of the forest also extend into northern Gilpin and extreme northwestern Jefferson counties.

Entrance to Roosevelt National Forest near Estes Park, Colorado.

The Roosevelt National Forest is divided into two ranger districts, the Canyon Lakes Ranger District, with offices in Fort Collins, and the Boulder Ranger District, with offices in Boulder.

The Roosevelt National Forest began on May 22, 1902 as part of the Medicine Bow Forest Reserve. It was renamed the Colorado National Forest in 1910, and was renamed to honor President Theodore Roosevelt in 1932.[1]

The forest has a total area of 813,799 acres (1,271.56 sq mi, or 3,293.33 km2).[2]

Several volunteer groups work with the US Forest Service to help manage the Roosevelt National Forest, including the Poudre Wilderness Volunteers.

  1. ^ a b Executive Order 5826 . 1932-03-28 – via Wikisource.
  2. ^ Table 6 - NFS Acreage by State, Congressional District and County - United States Forest Service - September 30, 2007