Dixie National Forest is a United States National Forest in Utah with headquarters in Cedar 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 the Great Basin and the Colorado River.
The Powell Ranger District encompasses nearly 400,000 acres of high plateau county, with distinctive vegetation and geological features. The Red Canyon area of the district offers many unique hiking experiences with spectacular views.
Map for Camping on the east Fork in Dixie National Forest (NF) west of Bryce Canyon National Park (NP) in Utah. Published by the U.S. Forest Service (USFS).
Map of Dave's Hollow Designated Camping in Dixie National Forest (NF) west of Bryce Canyon National Park (NP) in Utah. Published by the U.S. Forest Service (USFS).
Map of Allotments and Pastures of Beaver Ranger District in Fishlake National Forest (NF) in Utah. Published by the U.S. National Forest Service (USFS).
Map of Allotments and Pastures of the Monroe Section of Richfield Ranger District in Fishlake National Forest (NF) in Utah. Published by the U.S. National Forest Service (USFS).
Motor Vehicle Travel Map (MVTM) of Beaver Ranger District in Fishlake National Forest (NF) in Utah. Published by the U.S. National Forest Service (USFS).
Motor Vehicle Travel Map (MVTM) of Cedar City Ranger District in Dixie National Forest (NF) in Utah. Published by the U.S. National Forest Service (USFS).
Motor Vehicle Travel Map (MVTM) of Escalante Ranger District in Dixie National Forest (NF) in Utah. Published by the U.S. National Forest Service (USFS).
Map of the Daily Lottery Permit Application Geofence Perimeter for Coyote Buttes North (The Wave) and South in the Vermilion Cliffs National Monument (NM), Arizona Strip BLM Field Office area and Kanab BLM Field Office area in Utah and Arizona. Published by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM).
Dixie NF - Powell
https://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/dixie/recarea/?recid=24932
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dixie_National_Forest
Dixie National Forest is a United States National Forest in Utah with headquarters in Cedar 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 the Great Basin and the Colorado River.
The Powell Ranger District encompasses nearly 400,000 acres of high plateau county, with distinctive vegetation and geological features. The Red Canyon area of the district offers many unique hiking experiences with spectacular views.
i x i e Nat i on a l For e s t
VISITOR
GUIDE
A Contrast in Color, Climate, & Culture
Pine Valley Reser
voir
yon
Red Can
A
place of diversity, the Dixie National Forest straddles
the divide between the Great Basin and the Colorado
River in southern Utah. Scenery ranges from desert
canyon gorges of amber, rose, and sienna to high
mountain forests, plateaus, and alpine lakes.
Fast Forest Facts
Elevation Range: 3,000’–11,000’
Acres: Nearly 2 million
The Name: Southwest Utah was called
Utah’s Dixie by early settlers from the
southern states sent to the desert to
grow cotton and silk; the forest was
named after the area.
Temperature Range: From mountain
lows of -30 degrees to valley highs of
over 100 degrees Fahrenheit.
T
What’s Inside
History .................................. 2
Scenic Byways,
Backways, & Drives ............. 3
Special Places ..................... 4
Our Natural Resources ........ 6
Map ....................................... 8
Campgrounds &
Guard Station Rentals ....... 10
Trails .................................... 11
Activities .............................. 12
Know Before You Go............ 14
Contact Information ............ 16
he Dixie National
Forest is characterized by
contrast. As a part of the
world-renowned landscapes
of Southern Utah, the forest
provides a backdrop and serves as a gateway to
surrounding National Parks and Monuments.
Nationally recognized highways and trails
course through the forest and provide
ready access to the distinctive natural
highlights of the forest landscape.
Come see for yourself!
Sego Lily
This Visitor Guide provides the information you can
use to plan your trip to the Dixie National Forest.
G
et to Know Us
inhabited by the Paleo-Indian Culture who hunted woolly
mammoths and megafauna. This culture was followed
by another hunter-gatherer group known as the Archaic
Culture. They also lived seasonally in the high country
and followed game to lower elevations in winter.
B.C.
ca 2,000
ir
c
,
h
p
a
Pictogr
ictographs, petroglyphs,
P
dwellings, and artifacts—all indicate
the presence in the area of
horticultural cultures. Identified
as the Fremont and Anasazi
(Ancestral
Puebloean), they
occupied the
Dixie National
Forest area
from 5001275 AD. They
were farmers,
planting corn,
beans, and
squash near
water sources.
North Creek granary
These cultures used the high country
for hunting and gathering of rock, medicinal plants, and
other resources. Their stone granaries—still visible tucked
into the sandstone cliffs—kept their stores safe from
animals.
By the early 1300s, groups
Ute family,
circa 1860-1
88
(courtesy of
firstpeople.c 0
om)
known as the Paiutes and Utes
moved here from the west,
living much the same as their
predecessors. These were the
people who were here when
the first Europeans explored
the area. In 1776, led by
Fathers Dominquez and
Escalante, a new route was
pioneered known as the Old
Spanish Trail. By the mid
1800s trappers, traders, gold
hunters, slave traders, and
immigrants traveled this road regularly.
Today it parallels much of Interstate 15.
orested lands in
F
Southern Utah are vital
to the surrounding
communities. This point
was not lost on President
Theodore Roosevelt who
reserved 20 million acres
of the forest during his first term
in office and 80 million during his
second. While the forest reserves
were originally set aside to provide
favorable conditions for water flow
to the valleys and a continuous
supply of timber, additional lands
were added to the reserves
in response to concerns
The conservation mission of the
from local communities
Forest Service was best stated by
about overgrazing and
its first Chief, Gifford Pinchot (1905water quality. In the 1930s, 1910): “To provide the greatest good
for the greatest number of people for
three different reserves
the long run.”
were combined to form
the Dixie National Forest.
uring the
D
Great Depression
of the 1930s,
the national
forest served
as a work area
for the Civilian
CCC building a restroom on Brian Head
Conservation
Peak, circa 1935
Corps (CCC),
providing young men with jobs building roads, guard
stations, and recreation sites. There are still several
facilities on the forest that show off the craftmanship
of “The Boys.”
oday, people value the Dixie National Forest not only
T
for its resources (minerals, timber, water, and forage)
but also for its opportunities for
camping, fishing, hiking, and wildlife
viewing. The Dixie National Forest
is located in the “Grand Circle” with
several famous neighbors, including
Zion, Bryce Canyon, and Capitol Reef
National Parks, and Cedar Breaks and
the Grand Staircase-Escalante National
Monuments. The dramatic elevation
differences mean you can pick the
weather you want to recreate in!
Virgin River Rim
2
The vast resources of the Dixie National Forest belong to all Americans. These resources must rely on the
stewardship of us all if they are to be sustained for our future generations.
Gifford Pinchot
What is now th