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| Dixie National Forest | |
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 Red Canyon at Scenic Byway 12 | |
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| Location | Garfield,Iron,Kane,Piute,Washington, andWayne counties,Utah, U.S.[1] |
| Nearest city | Cedar City, UT |
| Coordinates | 38°02′N111°38′W / 38.033°N 111.633°W /38.033; -111.633 |
| Area | 1,889,106 acres (7,644.94 km2)[2] |
| Established | September 25, 1905[3] |
| Visitors | 700,000 (in 2006) |
| Governing body | U.S. Forest Service |
| Website | Dixie National Forest |
Dixie National Forest is aUnited States national forest inUtah with headquarters inCedar City. It occupies almost two million acres (8,000 km2) and stretches for about 170 miles (270 km) across southern Utah. The largest national forest in Utah, it straddles the divide between theGreat Basin and theColorado River. In descending order of forestland area it is located in parts ofGarfield,Washington,Iron,Kane,Wayne, andPiute counties. The majority (over 55%) of forest acreage lies in Garfield County.[4]
Elevations vary from 2,800 feet (850 m) abovesea level nearSt. George, Utah to 11,322 feet (3,451 m) at Blue Bell Knoll onBoulder Mountain. The southern rim of theGreat Basin, near the Colorado River, provides spectacular scenery. Colorado River canyons are made up of multi-colored cliffs and steep-walled gorges.
The Forest is divided into four geographic areas. High altitude forests in gently rolling hills characterize theMarkagunt,Paunsaugunt, andAquarius Plateaus. Boulder Mountain, one of the largest high-elevation plateaus in the United States, is dotted with hundreds of small lakes 10,000–11,000 feet (3,000–3,400 m) above sea level. The forest includes thePine Valley Mountains north of St. George.
The Forest has many climatic extremes. Precipitation ranges from 10 inches (250 mm) in the lower elevations to more than 40 inches (1,000 mm) per year nearBrian Head 11,307 feet (3,446 m). At the higher elevations, most of the annual precipitation falls as snow. Thunderstorms are common during July and August and produce heavy rains. In some areas, August is the wettest month of the year.
Temperature extremes can be impressive, with summer temperatures exceeding 100 °F (38 °C) near St. George and winter lows exceeding −30 °F (−34 °C) on the plateau tops.
The vegetation of the Forest grades from sparse, desert-type plants at the lower elevations to stand of low-growingpinyon pine andjuniper dominating the mid-elevations. At the higher elevations,aspen andconifers such aspine,spruce, andfir predominate.
The Dixie Forest Reserve was established on September 25, 1905 by theUnited States General Land Office. The name was derived from the local description of the warm southern part of Utah as "Dixie".[5] In 1906 theU.S. Forest Service assumed responsibility for the lands, and on March 4, 1907 it became a National Forest. The western part ofSevier National Forest was added on July 1, 1922, and all ofPowell National Forest on October 1, 1944.[3]
There are localranger district offices and visitor centers in[6]
There are four officially designatedwilderness areas within Dixie National Forest that are part of theNational Wilderness Preservation System.
The Dixie National Forest is located within six counties: Garfield, Iron, Kane, Piute, Washington, and Wayne
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