Prescott National Forest lies in a mountainous section of central Arizona between forested plateaus to the north and arid desert to the south. The Natural beauty of mountain tops, clear lakes and rivers, great varieties of fish, unique wildlife and remnants of cultural heritage provide settings for a diversity of outdoor recreation activities. Comprised of about 1.25 million acres, Prescott National Forest borders three other National Forests in Arizona: Kaibab, Coconino and Tonto. Roughly half of the forest lies west of the city of Prescott, Arizona, in the Juniper, Santa Maria, Sierra Prieta and Bradshaw Mountains. The other half of the Forest lies east of Prescott and takes in the Black Hills, Mingus Mountain, Black Mesa and the headwaters of the Verde River.
History & Culture
The Prescott Forest Reserve, predecessor to the Prescott National Forest, was established on May 10, 1898, by a proclamation issued by President William McKinley. The Reserve consisted of 16 sections of land laying southwest Prescott. Generally, its boundaries were Copper Basin on the west, Aspen Creek on the east, Bootlegger Spring to the south and Williams Peak to the north. The establishment of the Reserve came in response to the community’s need to protect its domestic watershed; the town’s water plan called for dams to be constructed on Banning and Potts Creeks. In 1891, Congress had passed legislation authorizing the president to set aside from the public domain, forest reserves to protect timberlands and watersheds. The Prescott Forest Reserve was the second established in Arizona; the first was the Grand Caon Forest Reserve, established in February, 1893. The mountains surrounding Prescott had already been heavily mined and its timber severely cut since 1863 when gold was discovered in the Bradshaw Mountains. This, despite federal laws forbidding the cutting of timber from the public domain. Timber could only be cut legally from homesteads, mining claims,and private property. By 1898, most of the mature timber had been stripped from the mountains and hillsides, sawed into timbers and construction lumber and transported to the mining operations. At first, even the Reserve and the hiring of a Ranger was not protection enough. Within a year after its establishment,approximately 1,000 additional trees had been cut from it. In October, 1899, the Reserve was greatly enlarged to offer additional protection for the timberlands. The Reserve then stretched from Granite Mountain to the north to Black Canyon City to the south.
In 1908, the now renamed Prescott National Forest, absorbed the Verde National Forest. The Verde National Forest was established the previous year to protect the watershed of the Verde River. Over the years, Forest boundaries have changed as land was turned back to the public domain or traded with private owners to consolidate boundaries for easier administration.
Recreation
Summer visitors seeking relief from the hot weather of the desert come to Prescott to camp, fish, picnic, hike and ride. The main recreation season generally runs from May to October; however, winter daytime temperatures are moderate and the Prescott National Forest can be enjoyed all year. The forest contains 10 campgrounds, 4 group reservation campgrounds, 7 picnic areas and 2 group reservation picnic areas. Most of the developed recreation sites are located in the pines with 5 of the campgrounds and two of the picnic areas situated near manmade lakes. Several developed sites offer barrier-free access for users experiencing diabilities.
Nearly 450 miles of scenic trails for hiking, backpacking, horseback riding, or mountain biking are offerred on the Prescott National Forest. The forest also contains one National Recreational Trail (Granite Mountain Trail) and one National Historic Study trail (General Crook Trail). The mild climate allows the trails to be enjoyed year-round.
For the more daring visitors, the forest offers opportunities for hang gliding, technical rock climbing and bouldering, whitewater rafting and excellent mountain bicycling.
The Prescott National Forest is guardian of more than 100,000 acres of wilderness represented by 8 wilderness areas. Of these, Granite Mountain Wilderness is the most popular because it is only 20 minutes from Prescott by paved road. Travel is limited to foot or horseback in wilderness areas.
Traveler Facts
Contact Information
Prescott National Forest
344 South Cortez Street
Prescott, Arizona 86303
Phone: 928-443-8000
Popularity: 1% [?]
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