Official websites use .gov
A .gov
website belongs to an official government organization in the
United States.
Secure .gov websites use HTTPS
A lock
(
) or https:// means you've safely
connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only
on official, secure websites.
Regional Overview
Highlights of the Region
From the famous red rocks of southern Utah to the rugged sawtooth mountains to the stark beauty of Nevada the Intermountain Region offers amazing diversity and unique land management challenges.
Four major geographic provinces come together to form the Region. These provinces are the reason for the tremendous diversity of landscape and ecosystems. - Northern Rocky Mountains, Middle Rocky Mountains, Colorado Plateau, and Great Basin.
The region encompasses more than 34-million acres of National Forest System land, which consists of 12 National Forests and 1 National Grassland in parts of 6 states.
- All states are implementing Great American Outdoors Act projects
- All states have Shared Stewardship projects
- 3 National Recreation Areas - Spring Mountain NRA, Sawtooth NRA and Flaming Gorge NRA
- 1 National Grassland - Curlew National Grassland
- 43 Wilderness Areas
- 4 Wild and Scenic Rivers composed of 18 different segments
- 21+ Ski Areas
- 7 National Historic Trails
- 2 Portions of National Scenic Trails
- 21 Active Large Mines
- Over 14 New Mining Projects
- 35+ Threatened & Endangered Species
- Approximately 1800 livestock permittees
- 45 Federally Recognized Indian Tribes
- 15 Tribes with Traditional Use
Regional Program Area Fact Sheets
National Forests in the Intermountain Region Fact Sheets
- Ashley N.F. ~ Utah
- Boise N.F. ~ Idaho
- Bridger-Teton N.F. ~ Wyoming
- Caribou-Targhee N.F. ~ Idaho
- Dixie N.F. ~ Utah
- Fishlake N.F. ~ Utah
- Humboldt-Toiyabe N.F. ~ Nevada
- Manti-La Sal N.F. ~ Utah
- Payette N.F. ~ Idaho
- Salmon-Challis N.F. ~ Idaho
- Sawtooth N.F. ~ Idaho
- Uinta-Wasatch-Cache N.F. ~ Utah
Special Features of Each Forest
Over 1.3 million acres
Kings Peak, highest peak in Utah
High Uintas Wilderness
Flaming Gorge National Recreation Area
Flaming Gorge-Uintas National Scenic Byway
Green River Corridor (world-class blue ribbon fisheries)
Bordered by the Uintah and Ouray Ute Indian Reservation and Dinosaur National Monument
2.6 million acres
Important habitat for oceangoing Chinook salmon & steelhead trout
Crucial Fire and Fuels Program
Forest headquarters (Boise) is a rapidly growing city in the Pacific Northwest
Lucky Peak Tree Nursery
3.4 million acres
Comprises a large part of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem
Nearly 1.2 million acres of designated Wilderness
Premier recreation destination in the US
2.6 million acres next to Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks
Lies almost entirely within the 20 million acre "Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem," the largest remaining block of relatively undisturbed plant and animal habitat in the contiguous US
The United Nations has identified the area as a Biosphere Reserve
Almost 2 million acres characterized by contrast
Provides a backdrop and serves as a gateway to surrounding high visibility National Parks and Monuments
Low elevation Mojave Desert scrub to desert mountains to red rock canyons and high elevation plateaus and lakes
1.8 million acres
Largest natural mountain lake in the state - offers trophy fishing & bird watching
Hunting, fishing & OHV use are popular forms of recreation
Paiute ATV trail
Increased interest in mineral, oil and gas reserves may extend to portions of the Fishlake National Forest
6.3 million acres, largest National Forest in lower 48
Nevada is the most mountainous state in the lower 48 with over 314 mountain ranges
23 wilderness areas totaling 1.2 million acres
316,000 acres on the Spring Mountain National Recreation Area with 50 endemic sensitive plants and animals
Largest gold producing mine in the FS
Produces some of the best big game hunting in The West
1.4 million acres
Abundance and variety of archaeology and minerals
Backdrop for Arches and Canyonlands National Parks
Provides more coal than any other National Forest in the nation
Natural gas production is big
For nearly a century, focused on restoring rangeland ecosystems while continuing to provide for commercial grazing
More than 2.3 Million Acres
Gateway to Frank Church River of No Return Wilderness (which is the largest wilderness in the lower 48
8,000 feet down to the Snake River that carved Hells Canyon National Recreation Area, deepest river gorge in North America
Over 4.3 million acres
Lewis and Clark Trail, Nez Perce Trail, Thunder Mountain Historic Trail, and the Continental Divide Scenic Trail cross the Forest
Frank Church River of No Return Wilderness
The Salmon and Middle Fork Wild and Scenic River canyons
2.1 million acres referred to as the “Swiss Alps of America”
One of the most photographed and spectacular scenery in the west
756,019-acre Sawtooth National Recreation Area - the largest National Recreation Area managed by the USDA-Forest Service
Nearly 2.1 million acres with 7 wilderness areas
Host of 2002 Winter Olympics
The Wasatch and Uinta Mountains provide essential and precious water supplies
Watershed restoration work to assure continuous, high quality water supplies and prevent disastrous floods has won international acclaim
Strawberry Reservoir, heaviest fished reservoir in the state
Greatest number of volunteers service-wide, over 10,000 /yr
Additional Offices within the Intermountain Region
The Regional State, Private and Tribal Forestry office in Ogden provides outreach and education to states and other partners in urban and community forestry, forest stewardship, and forest health programs. The Ogden and Boise Field Offices survey for insect and disease infestations.
The Rocky Mountain Research Station (RMRS) is one of several research stations around the country. The RMRS headquarters is in Ft. Collins, Colorado. The RMRS provides support to research units in:
The health of our forests and grasslands is an important focus that we take very seriously as we strive to succeed at Caring for the Land and Serving People.