| Arapaho National Forest | |
|---|---|
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  Location in Colorado Show map of Colorado Location in the United States Show map of the United States | |
| Location | Colorado, United States |
| Nearest city | Fort Collins, CO |
| Coordinates | 39°35′19″N105°38′34″W / 39.588611°N 105.642778°W /39.588611; -105.642778 |
| Area | 723,744 acres (2,928.89 km2) |
| Established | July 1, 1908 |
| Governing body | U.S. Forest Service |
| Website | Arapaho & Roosevelt National Forests and Pawnee National Grassland |
Arapaho National Forest is aNational Forest located in north-centralColorado, United States. The region is managed jointly with theRoosevelt National Forest and thePawnee National Grassland from theUnited States Forest Service office inFort Collins, Colorado. It has awildlife refuge which manages a protection for all birds and mammals. The combined facility of 1,730,603 acres (7,004 km2) is denoted asARP (Arapaho,Roosevelt,Pawnee) by the Forest Service. Separately,Arapaho National Forest consists of 723,744 acres (2,929 km2).[1]
The forest is located in theRocky Mountains, straddling thecontinental divide in theFront Range west ofDenver. It was established on July 1, 1908, by PresidentTheodore Roosevelt and named for theArapaho tribe ofNative Americans which previously inhabited theColorado Eastern Plains. The forest includes part of the high Rockies and river valleys in the upper watershed of theColorado River andSouth Platte River. The forest is largely inGrand andClear Creek counties, but spills over into neighboring (in descending order of land area)Gilpin,Park,Routt,Jackson, andJefferson counties. There are localranger district offices located inGranby andIdaho Springs.
There are six officially designatedwilderness areas within Arapaho National Forest that are part of theNational Wilderness Preservation System. Four are partially in neighboring National Forests, and one also extends ontoNational Park Service land:
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The ponds also produce many insects and otherinvertebrates needed by most female waterfowl for successfulegg laying. These insects also serve as an essential food item for the growth ofducklings andgoslings during the summer months.
The first waterfowl arrive in the spring when the ice vanishes in April. The peakmigration occurs in late May when 5,000 or more ducks may be present.Canada geese have been reestablished in North Park and begin nesting during April. Duck nesting usually starts in early June and peaks in late June. The forest produces about 9,000 ducklings and 150 to 200 goslings each year. The Fish and Wildlife Service expects that when refuge lands are fully acquired and developed, waterfowl production should increase significantly.
There have been 198 bird species recorded in the forest.[2] Primary upland nesting species include themallard,pintail,gadwall, andAmerican wigeon. A number of diving ducks, including thelesser scaup andredhead, nest on the larger ponds and adjacentwet meadows. Most species may be observed during the entire summer season. Fall migration reaches its height in late September or early October when up to 8,000 waterfowl may be present.
The wetlands also attract numerous marsh, shore, and water birds.Sora andVirginia rails are numerous but seldom seen. If they are present,Wilson's phalarope,American avocet,willet,sandpipers,Greater yellowlegs, anddowitchers will be easy to observe. Other less common species includegreat blue heron,black-crowned night heron,American bittern, and eared and pied-billedgrebe.
The upland hills harborsage grouse year around with a winter population of more than 200 birds.Golden eagles, several species ofhawks, and an occasionalprairie falcon circle the skies above in search of food. Their prey includesRichardson's ground squirrel,white-tailed prairie dog, andwhite-tailed jackrabbit.
Badger,muskrat,beaver,coyote, andpronghorn are commonly observed. It is also possible to see araccoon,red fox,mink,long-tailed weasel, orporcupine. As many as 400mule deer have wintered here and up to 200elk are frequently seen during the winter months.Moose have recently been reintroduced into North Park and may occasionally be observed in thewillow thickets along the Illinois River bottoms. There are no venomous snakes anywhere in this forest.
The Arapaho andRoosevelt National Forests were affected byfive major wildfires (Cameron Peak,East Troublesome,Williams Fork, Lefthand Canyon and CalWood) in 2020, burning over 25% of their total lands.[3] The Williams Fork Fire was the largest wildfire Arapaho National Forest had ever experienced until it was surpassed by the East Troublesome Fire two months later.[4]
As of 2024, the US Forest Service is continuing to work on long-term recovery, including reforestation, stream and waterway repair, fixing road and trail damage, repairing fences between range allotments, repairing historic buildings, and identifying and treating noxious weeds within the fire footprints.[3] In 2023, 344,000 seedlings were planted across 1,800 acres of high burn severity forest.[3]
Most of the 1984 filmRed Dawn is set in Arapaho National Forest.
The Arapaho National Forest plays a significant role inLaurell K. Hamilton'sAffliction (part of theAnita Blake book series).
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