Manti-La Sal National Forest

Split between central and southeastern Utah across three distinct mountain divisions totaling 1.4 million acres, Manti-La Sal National Forest presents a striking geographic diversity found in few other forests. The Manti division encompasses the Wasatch Plateau, a broad elevated tableland reaching over 10,000 feet with vast alpine meadows, dense spruce-fir forests, and the headwaters of streams vital to agricultural communities below. The La Sal Mountains near Moab rise dramatically to 12,721 feet at Mount Peale, their snow-capped peaks forming an iconic backdrop to Arches and Canyonlands National Parks and providing exceptional mountain biking on trails like the Whole Enchilada that descend from alpine terrain to red-rock desert. The remote Abajo Mountains (Blue Mountains) in the third division offer solitude and archaeological richness near the Bears Ears region. All three divisions serve as critical watersheds for surrounding arid lands, capturing winter snowpack that feeds irrigation systems and communities throughout central and southeastern Utah. The forest supports diverse wildlife including Rocky Mountain elk, mule deer, black bears, and wild turkeys, while its varied elevation gradients create habitat for everything from pinyon-juniper woodland to alpine tundra.