Short Pine National Forest was established as the Short Pine Forest Reserve in South Dakota on July 22, 1905 with 19,040 acres (77.1 km2). It became a National Forest on March 4, 1907. On July 1, 1908 it was absorbed by Sioux National Forest and the name was discontinued.
The forest today comprises the Short Pine Hills unit of the Sioux Ranger District of Custer National Forest, southwest of Buffalo.