Sierra National Forest

Sierra National Forest
IUCN category VI (protected area with sustainable use of natural resources)
Lake of the Lone Indian, John Muir Wilderness
Map of the United States
Location	Sierra Nevada Mountains
Nearest city	Oakhurst, California
Coordinates	37°25′N 119°10′W / 37.417°N 119.167°W / 37.417; -119.167Coordinates: 37°25′N 119°10′W / 37.417°N 119.167°W / 37.417; -119.167
Area	1,300,000 acres (5,300 km2)
Established	1893
Governing body	U.S. Forest Service
Website	Sierra National Forest

Sierra National Forest is a U.S. National Forest located on the western slope of central Sierra Nevada in the state of California. The forest is known for its mountain scenery and natural resources. Forest headquarters are located in Clovis, California. There are local ranger district offices in North Fork and Prather.

Sierra National Forest was the second National Forest created in California and the largest at the time. It covered over six million acres (24,000 km²) of the Sierra Nevada and was about four times the average area of typical California National Forests. Originally it embraced parts of eight counties from Tuolumne on the north to Kern on the south and Mono and Inyo on the east. Initially its name was descriptive, but later when the Sierra was divided into different units this was no longer the case.

President Harrison proclaimed the Sierra Forest Reserve on February 14, 1893. Four years later the south half became a separate unit and was named Sierra South during the "forest reserves" era. This designation was dropped after the administrative transition to the National Forests on March 4, 1907. On July 1, 1908, the Sequoia National Forest, Kings Canyon and Sequoia National Parks were established from this south portion of Sierra National Forest. Eastern portions of Sierra National Forest became the Inyo and Toiyabe National Forests; northern portions were used for Yosemite National Park and the Stanislaus National Forest.