Ashley National Forest is located in northeastern Utah and Wyoming.
It encompasses 1,384,132 National Forest acres (1,287,909 in Utah and 96,223 in Wyoming). Of the total acres, 276,175 are High Uintas Wilderness (180,530 additional acres of High Uintas Wilderness is located on the Wasatch / Cache National Forest).
Elevations on the Ashley National Forest range from 6,000 feet to over 13,500 feet.
The Ashley National Forest asks the public to please recreate responsibly. Law enforcement and/or search and rescue operations may be limited due to COVID-19 issues. High-risk activities such as rock climbing, etc. or backcountry activities that increase your chance of injury or distress should be avoided. We also encourage you to follow public health guidelines regarding social distancing while you recreate in National Forests. For more information about how the Forest Service is responding to COVID-19, visit https://www.fs.usda.gov/about-agency/covid19-updates.
Fire Restrictions Lifted on the Ashley National Forest on October 28, 2020
Effective on October 31st the closure area for the East Fork Fire has been modified to open areas to the public.
Key areas open with this order are the Blind Stream Road, Rock Creek Road, the Pigeon Water and Bear Wallow areas and that area west of the Yellowstone Canyon Road to the Hells Canyon road.
Petty Mountain, Hells Canyon, Center Creek Park, Lake Mountain and Fish Creek Drainage will remain closed at this time, as well as the High Uintas Wilderness Area.
For those entering these areas please be aware of the dangers presented by falling rocks and trees where fire has moved through the area. Rocks and trees can dislodge and fall without notice in these areas.
The closure area has been moved to the boundary of the High Uintas Wilderness area in some locations. Please refer to the map below for information on the closure boundaries.
Forest Plan Revision Webinar December 17, 2020 from 6 to 7 p.m.
As part of the Forest Plan Revision process, an informational webinar will be hosted by the Ashley National Forest on Thursday, December 17, 2020 from 6:00-7:00 PM. This webinar will present the outcome from the wilderness evaluation process as well as the range of alternatives to be analyzed for the development of the Draft Environmental Impact Statement.
Ashley Karst National Recreation and Geologic Area
What is the Ashley Karst National Recreation Geologic Area (NRGA)?
The Ashley Karst NRGA received this special designation by Congress in March of 2019. The designation is part of the John D. Dingell Jr. Conservation, Management, and Recreation Act. The purposes of the designation are to, “conserve and protect the watershed, geological, recreational, wildlife, scenic, natural, cultural, and historic resources” that are located within the NRGA.
The Ashley National Forest is preparing to develop a management plan for the Congressionally designated Ashley Karst National Recreation and Geologic Area.
A public meeting was held virtually on December 8 with presenters from the National Forest and Uintah County. Items discussed during the meeting include:
What was the purpose of the designation?
What does the designation include?
What are some of the unique features of the Ashley Karst NRGA?
How can you assist in the development of a management plan?
A brief period of questions and responses.
To view a recorded version of the presentation, please the Ashley National Forest Facebook page. Alternatively, the meeting was also broadcast by Channel V6 and the recorded video can be viewed on their webpage by clicking here.
The Ashley National Forest is currently seeking comments to assist in the development of the management plan.
Final Environmental Impact Statement and Draft Records of Decision for Greater Sage-grouse Conservation
Forest Service Issues Final Environmental Impact Statement and Draft Records of Decision for Greater Sage-grouse Conservation
The Intermountain and Rocky Mountain Regions of the Forests Service incorporated standards and guidelines for the conservation of greater sage-grouse into forest plans in 2015. After two years of implementation and monitoring, the Forest Service identified new information that could be used to improve the clarity, efficiency, and implementation of the 2015 Greater Sage-Grouse Plan Amendments, in order to benefit greater sage-grouse conservation at the landscape scale. During the development of a draft Environmental Impact Statement, comments were requested from the public and were used to create proposed revisions to greater sage-grouse plans for forests in Colorado, Idaho, Nevada, Utah, and Wyoming. Most of the content of 2015 plans remained, but changes were proposed that incorporated new information and attempted to improve the efficiency of plan implementation. The Final Environmental Impact Statement can be found here, and draft Records of Decision can be found at the links for Colorado, Idaho, Nevada, Utah, and Wyoming. The publication of the final Environmental Impact Statement on August 2nd, 2019 begins a 60-day objection period that cannot be extended. After the objection period, which is described in the Records of Decision and in the Federal Register, the Forest Service will attempt to resolve any remaining concerns before creating final Records of Decision. Members of the public may examine interactive maps of habitat management areas using a web tool.
Travel stories audio tour of the FLAMING GORGE - UINTAS SCENIC BYWAY (download the Travelstorys app from Google Play or the Apple Store and download the Flaming Gorge tour for the next time you travel from Vernal to Manila. Visit https://www.travelstorys.com/explore-tours/ to review some of their tours.
The interactive travel map shows the National Forest System roads, National Forest System trails, and areas on National Forest System lands that are designated for motor vehicle use. The map is searchable by vehicle class, time of year, route number, and travel mode. You can zoom into an area on a national forest or grassland, see the roads and trails in that area, and find out which ones are open to motor vehicles, and when. You can see rivers, lakes, mountain peaks, campgrounds, and topographic lines. Land ownership is shown by color. You can also print a map of the area you wish to visit.
Ashley National Forest is located in northeastern Utah and Wyoming.
The Ashley Karst NRGA received this special designation by Congress in March of 2019. The designation is part of the John D. Dingell Jr. Conservation, Management, and Recreation Act. The purposes of the designation are to, “conserve and protect the watershed, geological, recreational, wildlife, scenic, natural, cultural, and historic resources” that are located within the NRGA. 
