About the Area
The Manti-La Sal National Forest, a 1.4-million-acre mountain range, occupies parts of central and southeastern Utah, as well as parts of Colorado. Offering everything from scenic hikes to thrilling off-road adventures and memorable experiences, the forest has something for everyone. During your visit, be sure to check out surrounding areas and all they have to offer.
Bears Ears National Monument
The Bears Ears National Monument is the 12th national monument managed by the Forest Service, and the fifth managed jointly with the U.S. Department of Interior’s Bureau of Land Management. Monuments generally preserve current uses of the land, including tribal access for traditional plant and firewood gathering and for ceremonial purposes. Current uses also include recreation, grazing, hunting and fishing and water and utility infrastructure.
Arapeen OHV Trail System
The Arapeen OHV Trail system is located in south central Utah on the Manti-La Sal National Forest. Over 350 miles of ATV and 4X4 routes are included in the system. The backbone of the system is the scenic South Skyline Drive which is a rugged 4X4 experience for most of its 58-mile length from Utah Highway 31 on the north to the Fishlake National Forest boundary on the south.
San Rafael Swell
The Swell is a playground for the whole family. With several popular hikes in the region that take you through slot canyons (Little Wild Horse Canyon) to breathtaking vistas (the Wedge Overlook) and in an amongst the goblins in Goblin Valley, this area offers a wide variety of family adventures. In addition to getting out in nature, the museums in and around the Swell welcome visitors of all ages. From the Museum of the San Rafael and Pioneer Museum to the John Wesley Powell River Museum, visitors can go back in time and learn about the region from when dinosaurs roamed the land up to the present.
You've heard about Utah's world-class outdoor recreation and spectacular landscapes. But have you experienced Utah's thriving restaurant scene, rich selection of museums, cultural attractions and luxury travel experiences? Customize your perfect Utah vacation.
There are so many things to do and places to see in and around the corridor, from the remarkable beauty of Nine Mile Canyon to the Historic Main Street of Downtown Helper, you won't run out of places and activities to Explore in the Corridor. Check out more of what the Carbon Corridor has to offer.
Utah's Canyon Country is a land of contrasts at the heart of the Colorado Plateau, where tremendous geologic activity has created a unique desert and mountain environment. Covered with deep canyons and high mountains there is a 10,000 foot difference in elevation throughout San Juan County, the La Sal Mountains rise to over 13,000 feet (3,962.4 meters) and Lake Powell is close to 3,000 feet (914.4 meters). With this elevation change comes drastic changes in geology, biology, and opportunities for outdoor adventure.
National parks are America's crown jewels, inspiring awe and wonder. Moab's iconic national parks, Arches and Canyonlands, attract visitors from all over the world but our public lands include more than national parks. The town of Moab is surrounded by scenic rivers, forests, a state park and thousands of square miles of ruggedly beautiful Bureau of Land Management land.
ATVing and dirt biking are popular on Sanpete’s many excellent trails, as well mountain biking, hiking, snowmobiling, and horseback riding. Several lakes in the area are less crowded than other Utah lakes and offer great boating, water skiing, fishing, and camping. The county is only about two-hour drive south of Salt Lake City and offers most of the same recreational activities as the larger Wasatch Range, but without the crowds.
Montrose County is found on Colorado’s western border with Utah. The county seat and largest city is Montrose. 2020’s population was estimated to be 42,679. Parks, forests, and protected wilderness areas abound here. A large and popular choice is Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park, with the South Rim main entrance and Visitor Center accessed via Montrose.
Mesa County is the fourth-largest county by area in Colorado, recording a 2020 population of 155,703. Grand Junction, the county seat, is Colorado’s 15th most populous city. Grand Junction serves as a major hub of commerce and transport, and most recently, a popular mountain biking destination, thanks to the Tabeguache and Kokopelli trails.
Manti-La Sal National Forest History
The mountain and desert landscapes of the Manti-La Sal National Forest hold secrets of people who came before us. For over 10,000 years, the Forest was home to native cultures: Paleo-Indians (12,000 - 7,500 years ago), Desert Archaic (7,500 - 2,500 years ago), and Fremont and Ancestral Puebloans (2,500 - 800 years ago). The Paleo-Indians and Desert Archaic people were semi-nomadic hunters and gatherers living on wild game and foods. About 2,500 years ago, prehistoric farmers started settling in the lower elevations of the Forest. They built more permanent structures, cultivated corn, beans and squash, and left rock art on the cliffs and food stored in small granaries built into the cliff walls. Then about 900 years ago, new groups moved into Utah: the Utes, Paiutes, Shoshones, Goshutes, and Navajos.
The first Europeans to visit Utah were part of the Dominguez-Escalante Expedition, a Spanish group hoping to find a route to California in 1776. Fur trappers and other expeditions explored the territory until the first settlers arrived. The Mormons settled in the Salt Lake Valley in 1847 and expanded to other settlements within a few years. Throughout the Forest you can find evidence of historic homesteads built by Mormon settlers, remains of cattle and sheep ranching operations, mining activity, and trails developed for the extraction of gold, silver, radium, uranium.
Prehistoric and historic artifacts collected from sites in the Forest can be seen in outstanding displays located in various communities and on the Forest.
- Edge of Cedars Museum and State Park in Blanding, Utah
- College of Eastern Utah Prehistoric Museum in Price, Utah
- The Great Basin Environmental Education Center on the Ephraim Canyon Road Forest Highway 8
- Stuart Guard Station on State Road 31
- Several historic sites can also be visited along the Huntington and Eccles Canyons National Scenic Byway State Roads 31 and 264