Grand Mesa National Forest in western Colorado covers most of Grand Mesa and the southern part of Battlement Mesa, spanning 346,555 acres. Established on December 24, 1892, as the Battlement Mesa Forest Reserve by President Benjamin Harrison, it was the third forest reserve created in the United States, giving it an early role in federal forest protection. The forest is closely identified with Grand Mesa, often called the world’s largest flat-top mountain, and is known for abundant wildlife including elk, mule deer, black bears, cougars, lynx, bighorn sheep, eagles, owls, turkeys, ravens, and peregrine falcons.