| Uinta National Forest | |
| Map: | USA |
| Relief: | 1 |
| Location: | Juab, Sanpete, Utah, and Wasatch counties, Utah, U.S. |
| Nearest City: | Provo, UT |
| Coordinates: | 40.25°N -128°W |
| Area Acre: | 880719 |
| Area Ref: | [1] |
| Established: | 2 February 1897 |
| Visitation Num: | 3,200,000[2] |
| Visitation Year: | 2006 |
| Governing Body: | U.S. Forest Service |
| Website: | Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest |
Uinta National Forest is a national forest located in north central Utah, USA. It was originally part of the Uinta Forest Reserve, created by President Grover Cleveland on 2 February 1897. The name is derived from the Ute word Yoov-we-teuh which means pine forest. Because of changes to the boundaries over the years, the Uinta Mountains are now located in the Wasatch-Cache National Forest. In August 2007 it was announced that the Uinta National Forest would merge with the Wasatch-Cache National Forest based in Salt Lake City, Utah, 50miles north of Provo, Utah.[3]
The Uinta National Forest was headquartered in Provo, Utah with four outlying district offices located in Pleasant Grove, Heber, Spanish Fork, and Nephi, Utah until August 2007. The Uinta National Forest is now managed as one unit along with the Wasatch-Cache National Forest as the Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest. Managing 880719acres, the Uinta National Forest is less than 45 minutes south of Salt Lake City and only minutes away from Provo, Utah. In descending order of land area it is located in parts of Utah, Wasatch, Juab, and Sanpete counties.[4]
One of the most prominent features of the Uinta National Forest is the Mount Timpanogos mountain peak, towering over 11750feet above sea level. However, the highest point in the Unita National Forest (as well as the entire Wasatch Range) is the nearby Mount Nebo at 11928feet above sea level.[5]
There are three officially designated wilderness areas in Uinta National Forest that are part of the National Wilderness Preservation System. One of them lies partly in neighboring Wasatch National Forest.
There is a SNOTEL weather station near Trial Lake, in the west of the Uinta Forest at 10000 feet. It features a subalpine climate (Köppen Dfc) with continental characteristics. This climate type is one of the most prevalent in the forest, particularly at higher elevations.