White River National Forest

Welcome to the White River National Forest nestled in the Colorado Rockies not too far from Denver. This is one of the largest National Forests in the United States and boasts 10 peaks over 14,000 feet ASL and 750,000 ares of wilderness.

Forest History: The White River National Forest was once part of the Plateau Timberland Reserve which was established by President Benjamin Harrison in October 1891. It was the first reserve in Colorado and the second in the United States and sprawled over a million acres.

Wildlife: White River National Forest helps protect the home of numerous wild critters including bighorn sheep, black bears, deer, coyotes, foxes, raccoons, hawks, owls, and bald eagles. Please treat their home with respect.

For the lover of the outdoors this forest boasts hundreds of miles of multipurpose trails, high mountain tops, the ski resorts of Breckenridge, Aspen and Vail, and so much more. As founder of RecPlanet I can tell you about my personal experience. My first visit was in December 1989 when I was only 8 years old. It was my first ski trip and I only remember images of the slopes. I do remember the awesome snowmobile ride where we went to an abandoned silver mine and that was pretty neat. I went again in the summer of 1991 and took a long bike ride around the Lake Dillon reservoir. I was moaning and groaning for much of the way but I did get in some nice exercise. My most recent visit was in August 2007 when my dad and I took some pretty spectacular hikes. The towering granite domes of the massive peaks will really etch into your memory. Come on out and explore.