San Isabel National Forests

San Isabel National Forest is spread out over eleven different counties in the state of Colorado including Custer, Huerfano, Lake, Pueblo, Summit Fremont, Chaffee, Saguache, Costilla, Park, and Las Animas counties. The closest city to the forest is the city of Pueblo. The forest was established on April 11, 1902, and today encompasses a total area of about 1.12 million acres of land. 

San Isabel National Forest is managed by the U.S. Forest Service which also manages the Cimarron National Grassland, and Comanche National Grassland located in the same protected area. There are several unique features that the San Isabel National Forest boasts. 

Some of the more common ones include the fact that the forest is home to nineteen of the state's fifty-three fourteeners or mountain areas that have peaks that are over 14,000 feet. Two of these peaks include the Collegiate Peaks and Mount Elbert, which is the highest point in Colorado. 

Furthermore, San Isabel National Forest is divided into six ranger districts including Leadville, Salida, Pikes Peak, South Park, San Carlos, and South Platte. The forest is also home to nine wilderness areas, Scenic byways and a wide range of camping and recreational opportunities. 

If you come to enjoy recreational opportunities in the forest, you can bring your dog along, but you will have to ensure that your pooch is well-behaved or else you may not get to enjoy all that the park has to offer. For example, you are expected to clean up after your dog and ensure that your dog does not cause any form of disturbance to the ecology and forest resources. 

In fact, if you bring your dog with you to the San Isabel National Forest, it is important to be aware of the areas of the forest that you can and cannot visit. You can get details of such areas from any of the local ranger district offices located in Cañon City, Leadville, and Salida.