Its called God’s Country.. Lakes.. Mountains… The Mogollon Rim made famous by Zane Grey… What makes this Forest so special It’s the water, lots of it, draining the high mountains and forming numerous lakes and streams. It’s the water that helps make the White Mountains green by ponderosa pine with cold waters flowing to the valleys below and far beyond. The forest is a physically challenging and rewarding recreational landscape. A place for spiritual renewal and more. The Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest has 34 lakes and reservoirs and more than 680 miles of rivers and streams more than can be found in any other Southwestern national forest. The White Mountains contain the headwaters of several Arizona rivers including the Black, the Little Colorado and the San Francisco.
The Apache and the Sitgreaves National Forests were administratively combined in 1974 and are now managed as one unit from the Forest Supervisor’s Office in Springerville. The two million acre Forest encompasses magnificent mountain country in east-central Arizona along the Mogollon Rim and the White Mountains.
History & Culture
The Sitgreaves was named for Captain Lorenzo Sitgreaves, a government topographical engineer who conducted the first scientific expedition across Arizona in the early 1850’s. On the Sitgreaves, the major attractions for visitors from the hot valleys of Phoenix or Tucson are the Mogollon Rim and the string of man-made lakes. From the Rim’s 7600 foot elevation, vista points provide inspiring views of the low country to the south and west. In the last century, the US Army established a series of forts in New Mexico and Arizona. To supply these forts and settlements, a military road was built linking Sante Fe, New Mexico and Camp Verde near Prescott. Part of this road, called the General Crook Trail, runs almost the length of the Sitgreaves and in many places follows the brink of the Rim.
The Apache National Forest is named after the tribes that settled in this area. It ranges in elevation from 3500 feet near Clifton to nearly 11,500 feet on Mount Baldy. The congressionally proclaimed Mount Baldy, Escudilla and Bear Wallow wildernesses and the Blue Range Primitive Area make the Apache one of America’s premier backcountry Forests. The Apache is also noted for its trout streams and high-elevation lakes and meadows.
Recreation
There are approximately 875 miles of trails in the forest, many of which are maintained through the generosity and hard work of volunteers and user groups. There are excellent opportunities for horseback riding, mountain biking and hiking. The forest contains four National Recreation Trails, all of which provide beautiful vistas, varying physical challenges and several opportunities for the enjoyment of historic interpretation.
Traveler Facts
Contact Information
Apache-Sitgreaves National Forests
P. O. Box 640
Springerville, AZ 85938
Phone: 928-333-4301
