THE FOREST

The Manti-La Sal National Forest punctuates the scenic wonders of southeastern Utah.The three separate mountain blocks provide islands of green rising above the desert. Here visitors can find adventure, romance, and unparalleled scenery.

This forest, found in central and southeastern Utah contains over a million acres in three mountain blocks.

The Abajo Mountains, rising 11.360 feet above sea level, and their associated red rock plateaus just west of Monticello in southeastern Utah are a part of the Forest. They are rich in history as well as scenic beauty. Places named Deadman point, Babylon Pasture, or Chippean Rocks conjure vivid stories of the early West of the white man, but the imagination can go wild over pictographs, petroglyphs, cliff dwellings, arrowheads and pottery left by Anasazis and others who came here.

Along the eastern Utah border near Moab, the La Sal Mountains rise 12,721 feet above sea level. This part of the Forest provides climatic relief to the desert of the Colorado River Plateau. Narrow Forest roads lead travelers to the high mountain passes, and into narrow canyons like Dark Canyon where the crystalline rock structure of the peaks is exposed for all to see or into Mill Creek where Oowah Lake sets as a small jewel amid spruce trees.

The Wasatch Plateau, locally called the Manti Top or Manti Mountains, rises to 11,000 feet above sea level in central Utah. This part of the Forest is bounded on the east by shear escarpment rising 1,000 to 2,000 feet above Castle Valley, and on the west by steep slopes into the Sanpete Valley. The broad rolling ridges of the plateau have forest cover varying from deep green conifers to delicate light stemmed aspen separated by wild meadows where flowers bloom from snowmelt until fall.

RESOURCE ACTIVITES

Manti-La Sal National Forest is committed to a variety of public benefits or "Multiple Uses." During your visit, you might encounter evidence of management activities such as mining, oil and gas production, range and wildlife habitat improvement, watershed rehabilitation, and timber production.

RECREATION OPPORTUNITIES

Manti-La Sal National Forest offers an unlimited variety of recreational opportunities, such as:

Sightseeing:
    The Fairview to Huntington Byway is a scenic drive through the heart of Utah's Energy-Producing country and the Manti-La Sal National Forest. The Utah Adventure Highway across the Manti-La Sal National Forest is also known as the Skyline Drive. It affords pleasing views of the valleys below, passing a variety of high mountain settings including reservoirs, glacial cirques, and spruce-fir and aspen forest. Animals are abundant including Utah's largest elk herd, deer, bear, moose, and beaver. September is an ideal time to travel this high road to capture the fall colors and glimpses of migratory raptors.

Camping:
    Uncrowded camp spots nestled softly into natural surroundings typify the Manti-La Sal National Forest camping experience.Whether you pack to a remote site beside a wilderness lake or drive to a developed campsite just off a paved road, you'llenjoy your camp's beauty and privacy.

Hiking:
    Hundreds of miles of trails are found in the Manti-La Sal National Forest - from open grassy slopes to deep spruce/fir groves. The Forest contains two National Recreation Trails: The Left Fork of Huntington Canyon Trail and the Fish Creek Trail. Whether you're a a novice hiker or advanced in orienteering, your sure to find what you are looking for.

Winter Fun:
    Whether it's the silent beauty of mountain snow on trees and skis, or the fast-paced excitement of back-road snowmobiling, Manti-La Sal National Forest offers outstanding adventures for winter-time fun.

Hunting:
    If big game is your bag, you can hunt trophy mule deer, elk, black bear, and mountain lion on your own or with a licensed outfitter. Don't overlook the excitement of the area's forest grouse, water foul, and turkey hunting.

Fishing:
    Try your luck on the resident and planted brown cutthroat and rainbow trout that lurk in our beautiful mountain lakes,reservoirs, and bubbling mountain streams. Huntington Creek is noted as one of the premiere fly-fishing streams in the state.   Joe's Valley on the Ferron Ranger District, is a well respected reservoir statewide, that offers fishing year-round.

FOR MORE INFORMATION

If you'd like more information or detailed maps of the Manti-La Sal National Forest, please contact:

FOREST SUPERVISOR

MANTI-LA SAL NATIONAL FOREST

599 W. Price River Drive

PRICE, UTAH 84501

(801) 637-2817