San Isabel

Monarch Mountain is located within the San Isabel National Forest in central Colorado.  The San Isabel National Forest is co-managed by the USFS together with Pike National Forest, Cimarron National Grassland, and Comanche National Grassland (PSICC).  The PSICC contains 19 of the state’s 53 peaks over 14,000 feet in elevation, including Mt Elbert at 14,440′.  This is the highest point in Colorado and all of the Rocky Mountains. The Pike and San Isabel National Forests & Cimarron and Comanche National Grasslands (PSICC) make up a very diverse area and covers nearly three million acres and includes two states (Colorado and Kansas).

The San Isabel NF Supervisor’s office is located in Pueblo, Colorado and there are local Ranger District offices in Canon City, Leadville and Salida.   The San Isabel NF is one of eleven national forests in the state of Colorado and includes the Sawatch Mountain Range (where Monarch is located) and much of the Sangre de Cristo Mountain Range.  There are also seven designated wilderness areas within the San Isabel NF.