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A beautiful landscape awaits

From the tallest mountains to the rolling sea, adventure awaits!

Explore your forests
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Welcome to the Pacific Southwest!

The Pacific Southwest Region of the US Forest Service manages 20 million acres of National Forest land in California and assists the State and Private forest landowners in California, Hawaii and the U.S. Affiliated Pacific Islands. Eighteen national forests are located in this region, in the North Coast, Cascade, and Sierra Nevada ranges and from Big Sur to the Mexican border in the south Coast range. 

Learn more about Region 5

Find a Forest

Select your state or territory to find a forest or grassland to explore.

Virtual Services

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Visit our FAQ's for answers to many common visitor questions. If you need assistance or have any questions, please use our contact us form. Versión en Español: Visite Preguntas Frecuentes del visitante. Si necesita atención, por favor use nuestro formulario de contacto (inglés únicamente).

Featured Programs

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Region 5 employees work on a wide variety of innovative programs such as these, below.

Feature Stories

Forest Focus Podcasts

California Forest News Videos

Conservation Finance

Packstock Center of Excellence

Wildfire Risk Reduction

Wildfire: A Modern-Day Paradox

USDA Forest Service works collaboratively to address wildfire risks to critical infrastructure, protect communities, and make forests more resilient. 

Reduce your risk

Events

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Recent Press Releases

Enjoy National Forests This Memorial Day

Release Date: May 19th, 2025

Forest Service Announces Hiring of Firefighters

Release Date: April 17th, 2025

Forest Service Chief Schultz Announces Acting Regional Forester for Pacific Southwest Region

Release Date: March 28th, 2025
View All Press Releases

Features

Small flowers sit amid larger green leaves on the ground

Aflutter for Monarchs

 Monarch butterflies (Danaus plexippus) reign supreme in human enchantment — rooted in this whisp-of-a-creature’s ability to migrate great…
Group in uniforms stand in front of cargo helicopter

Partnering Up Brings Critical Supplies to Forest Wilderness

When venturing out in the Sierra Nevada wilderness, the hum of a helicopter is probably the last sound you expect to hear in the pristine, yet rugged…
A large group of people pose for picture with white coolers.

Creative Conservation for Endangered Frogs

Conserving endangered species requires a bit of creativity. And when it comes to the Sierra Nevada yellow-legged frog in California, zoos, coolers…
Gray smoke billows over mountainous terraine

When Wildfires Meet Thinned Forests

 Wildfire. It’s not if, but when.That’s the paradigm for most Western states affected by wildfire each year. California routinely tops the…
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