What makes this Forest so special? Its the water...lots of it...draining the high mountains and forming numerous lakes and streams...a fisherman's paradise in the arid Southwest.
The Apache-Sitgreaves 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 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.
Big Lake at SunsetIn 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.
The management concerns on the Apache-Sitgreaves include the health and restoration of the watersheds, sustaining the Forest's ecosystems, improving customer service in our recreation areas, reducing the dangers associated with wildfire in the urban interface, and maintaining the National Forest road system to desired standards.
Wolf pictureA leisurely drive in the twilight may yield wonderful rewards as it is during the evening twilight and early morning hours that wildlife within the forest are most active and can be seen most anywhere if you look hard enough. Deer and elk come out to feed in the early morning and evening, watch for them at the forest's edge or in meadows.
A lucky wildlife viewer may catch sight of a mountain lion, a black bear, or the newly re-introduced Mexican gray wolf. Sightings of these large predators are rare occurrences and should be viewed as something truly special, not merely because of the scarcity of these 3 fish pictureanimals but also because of their secretive nature.
If seeing an osprey hover over a clear mountain lake or hearing a mountain chickadee's cheery song is your idea of a great outdoor experience, then the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forests is for you. The forest contains a wide variety of birds and can provide you with many memorable moments. In addition to a good pair of binoculars you'll probably want to stop by the local district office and pick up a copy of "Birds of the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest: A Checklist".
The forest is also considered one of the top forests in the nation for fishing. The Apache-Sitgreaves contains over 450 miles of streams and nearly 2,000 surface acres of cold water lakes. Fish species include Arctic Grayling, Rainbow, German Brown, Brook, Apache, and Cutthroat trout. Bring your favorite fishing gear and try your luck. Be sure to check State Fishing Regulations before wetting your line.
Today trails are built to provide a variety of users a chance to experience the unique settings that are offered in a forest environment. It's the journey as much as the destination that counts. The Apache-Sitgreaves National Forests offer almost 1,000 miles of trails across a variety of terrain. These trails are built to different standards depending upon who is the intended user and the difficulty level.
Opportunities abound for horseback riding, mountain biking, and hiking. Trails within the wilderness and primitive areas are designed for hikers and horses. Trails outside these areas can include a broad spectrum of users.
The Forest has four National Recreation Trails: Eagle, Blue Ridge, Escudilla, and General George Crook. Additionally, many of the forest trails are part of the White Mountain Trail System which is managed in partnership with the Pinetop-Lakeside TRACKS volunteers. The Forest does offer several barrier free trails, including; Mogollon Rim Interpretative Trail and Pintail Lake Wetland.
Mogollon Rim Interpretive Trail The Apache-Sitgreaves National Forests provides a four season recreational experience with settings ranging from low elevation desert to high elevation mixed conifer stands. A word of caution, because of the dramatic differences in elevation across the Forest, there are chances for sudden storms and changes in weather.
Season of use varies depending on elevation and exposure. You can expect cool nights in the higher elevations even during the summer. Periodic thunderstorms are also common during July and August. Snow may completely cover some trails and access points through the month of May at higher elevations.
Mountain Biking:
Mountain biking is one of the fastest growing recreation experiences on America's national forests, and the Apache-Sitgreaves is no exception to the trend. In view of the growing popularity of this new and exciting sport, the Forests have already taken a number of steps to provide areas where mountain biking forest visitors can enjoy themselves without causing undue environmental damage or without resulting in conflicts with other users.
Just looking at the Forest map should make it apparent that the opportunities to go mountain biking are almost limitless. Many of the roads that crisscross the Forests are made to order for these sturdy all-terrain bicycles that have evolved as a hybrid of the old balloon tired cruiser and the sleek ten-speed racer. There are jeep tracks, logging roads, and little used forest roads where motorized traffic is infrequent enough not to interfere with bike riding. The best way to find these unmarked bonanzas is to get a Forest map and start looking for the double dotted lines or unshaded double solid lines that indicate primitive roads or dirt roads. The next step is to pick out the ones which lead to places that look to be of interest to you. If you have the time and inclination, this way of approaching the situation is a bit like discovering the forest all over again and seeing it from a brand new perspective in the process.
