Santa Fe National Forest

{{short description|National forest in the U.S. state of New Mexico}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=February 2025}}

{{Infobox protected area

| name = Santa Fe National Forest

| photo = Jemez Falls 1.jpg

| photo_caption =Photo of the Jemez Falls

| map = USA#New Mexico

| relief = 1

| map_caption =

| location = New Mexico, United States

| nearest_city = Santa Fe, NM

| coordinates = {{coord|35.7|N|106.2|W|region:US|format=dms|display=inline,title}}

| coords_ref =

| area = {{convert|1558452|acre|km2}}{{cite web |title=Land Areas of the National Forest System |publisher=U.S. Forest Service |date=January 2012 |url=http://www.fs.fed.us/land/staff/lar/LAR2011/LAR2011_Book_A5.pdf |access-date=June 26, 2012}}

| established = July 1, 1915{{cite web |title=The National Forests of the United States |publisher=ForestHistory.org |url=https://foresthistory.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/National-Forests-of-the-U.S.pdf |access-date=July 26, 2012}}

| visitation_num =

| visitation_year =

| governing_body = U.S. Forest Service

| website = [http://www.fs.usda.gov/santafe/ Santa Fe National Forest]

}}

Image:Santa Fe National Forest Ranger Districts.jpg

The Santa Fe National Forest is a protected national forest in northern New Mexico in the Southwestern United States. It was established in 1915 and covers {{convert|1558452|acre|km2}}. Elevations range from 5,300 feet (1600 m) to 13,103 feet (4000 m) at the summit of Truchas Peak, located within the Pecos Wilderness. The Jemez, Coyote, and Cuba districts are located in the Jemez Mountains; the Pecos/Las Vegas district is located in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains; and the Española district is located in both mountain ranges. In descending order of land area the forest lies in parts of Rio Arriba, San Miguel, Sandoval, Santa Fe, Mora, and Los Alamos counties. Forest headquarters are located in the city of Santa Fe.

Santa Fe National Forest was established on July 1, 1915 by the U.S. Forest Service with the amalgamation of Jemez National Forest to the west of Santa Fe and Pecos National Forest to the east.{{Cite journal|title=National Forests of the United States|url=http://www.foresthistory.org/ASPNET/Places/National%20Forests%20of%20the%20U.S.pdf|date=September 29, 2005|author=Davis, Richard C.|publisher=The Forest History Society|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121028014355/http://www.foresthistory.org/ASPNET/Places/National%20Forests%20of%20the%20U.S.pdf|archive-date=October 28, 2012}}

The former division is remembered in the ranger districts, with the Jemez Ranger District to the west and the Pecos/Las Vegas district to the east. The western district is adjacent to the Valles Caldera National Preserve, which is administered by the National Park Service.

Bandelier National Monument was created from a portion of Santa Fe in 1916, but additional land was added to Bandelier from land that was formerly part of Los Alamos National Laboratory and from land that was owned by the Dunnigans when they owned the Baca Ranch.{{cite web|url=http://www.foresthistory.org/research/usfscoll/publications/region/3/history/chap4.htm|date=2008-08-26|work=Timeless Heritage: A History of the Forest Service in the Southwest|title=Establishment of Forest Reserves and Land Status Changes|publisher=Forest History Association}}