San Jacinto National Forest was established as the San Jacinto Forest Reserve by the United States General Land Office in California on February 22, 1897 with . After the transfer of federal forests to the U.S. Forest Service in 1905, it became a National Forest on March 4, 1907. On July 1, 1908 the entire forest was combined with Trabuco Canyon National Forest to establish Cleveland National Forest, and the name was discontinued.