© All Rights Reserved

Climbing out of Morenci

© All Rights Reserved

Coming from the South, we climbed out and stop here for a looksy, then continue north.
Much S-Curve on this mountain road.

© All Rights Reserved

The Apache–Sitgreaves National Forests is a 2.76-million-acre United States National Forest which runs along the Mogollon Rim and the White Mountains in east-central Arizona and into the U.S. state of New Mexico. Formerly two forests, it is currently managed as one unit by USDA Forest Service from the Forest Supervisors Office in Springerville, Arizona. Apache–Sitgreaves has over 400 species of wildlife. With its high elevation and cool summer breezes it is a popular weekend destination from the hot desert for Phoenix, Arizona, residents. The forest is divided into 5 Ranger Districts (Clifton, Alpine, Springerville, Lakeside, and Black Mesa) that span almost 300 miles from Clifton, Arizona in the east-central portion of Arizona to the eastern boundary of the Coconino National Forest in north-central Arizona. The Apache–Sitgreaves National Forest borders the western and northern borders of the Fort Apache Indian Reservation. It is located in parts of Greenlee, Apache, Navajo, and Coconino counties in eastern and east-central Arizona, and Catron County in western New Mexico. The more northwesterly Sitgreaves National Forest portion lies adjacent to the north side of the Fort Apache Indian Reservation and is located entirely in Arizona, within Navajo, Apache, and Coconino counties. It has a total area of 818,651 acres. The more southeasterly and much larger Apache National Forest portion lies adjacent to the east side of the Fort Apache and the San Carlos Indian Reservations. It lies on both sides of the border with New Mexico, in Greenlee, Catron, and Apache counties. It has a total area of 1,813,601 acres.

© All Rights Reserved

*Apache National Forest & Sitgreaves
Formerly two forests, it is currently managed as one unit by USDA Forest Service from the Forest Supervisors Office in Springerville, Arizona.

The White Mountains of Arizona are a mountain range and mountainous region in the eastern part of the state, near the border with New Mexico; they are a continuation from the west of the Arizona transition zone–Mogollon Rim, with the Rim ending in western New Mexico. The White Mountains are a part of the Colorado Plateau high country of Northeast Arizona, the Navajo Nation, with the rest of the Plateau in eastern Utah, northwest New Mexico, and southwestern Colorado. Nearby communities include Show Low, Pinetop-Lakeside, Greer, St. Johns, Springerville, Eagar, and McNary. Much of the range is within the Fort Apache Indian Reservation.

The highest summit is Mount Baldy, with an elevation of 11,400 feet (3,475 m). The mountains are drained to the south by several tributaries of the Salt River, and to the north by the Little Colorado River. There are several small lakes.

The part of the White Mountains outside the reservation is in the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forests.

© All Rights Reserved