White River National Forest

The most visited national forest in the United States, White River National Forest encompasses 2.3 million acres of Colorado's central Rocky Mountains, drawing over 12 million visitors annually to its world-renowned ski resorts, wilderness areas, and alpine landscapes. The forest is home to 10 premier ski areas -- including Vail, Aspen, Beaver Creek, Breckenridge, Copper Mountain, and Keystone -- making it the undisputed epicenter of North American skiing. Eight designated wilderness areas protect over 750,000 acres of pristine backcountry, including the iconic Maroon Bells-Snowmass Wilderness and the Flat Tops Wilderness.\n\nEleven peaks exceeding 14,000 feet rise within the forest's boundaries, including Mount of the Holy Cross, Capitol Peak, and Snowmass Mountain, drawing mountaineers from around the world. The Eagle River, Roaring Fork River, and Fryingpan River offer world-class gold-medal fly fishing for trophy trout, while the Colorado River's headwaters cascade through Glenwood Canyon.\n\nCulturally and economically, White River is the backbone of Colorado's outdoor recreation industry, supporting mountain resort communities from Aspen to Vail to Breckenridge. The forest preserves historic 10th Mountain Division ski huts connecting Vail to Aspen via a legendary backcountry skiing route, and manages critical watershed for the Colorado River system.