ARIZONA—Black Mesa Ranger District, Apache-Sitgreaves National Forests, has been the workplace of hundreds of employees. Yet no employee has been as dedicated as forest technician Bob Montgomery, who has devoted more than 60 years to sharing his love and enthusiasm of this iconic landscape with generations of visitors.

After he came down with Valley Fever as a child, Bob and his parents spent the summer camping in Arizona forests while he convalesced, a time he credits with teaching him the healing properties of forests. Bob recalls many subsequent summers spent in the woods, hiking, camping and horseback riding—and even a few visits made to Civilian Conservation Corps camps when the occasional mishap required the help of a doctor.

Bob often jokes that he started his career with the Forest Service on Sitgreaves National Forest before the camel laid down and became Camelback Mountain. While this is a bit of an exaggeration, he did witness the earliest days of most of the forest campgrounds and fishing reservoirs, built during the 1960s. Ranger Bob caught the Forest Service bug in 1961 as a rookie elementary school science teacher when a friend approached him with the idea of becoming a forest naturalist” on the then Heber Ranger District. Although he was unsure what being a forest naturalist entailed, Bob decided it might be fun to spend an entire summer in the cool weather on the rim, so he decided to give it a try.

Once hired, he trained with some of the most knowledgeable forest interpreters in the western United States. Courses were taught by experts in astronomy, photography, archaeology, forest ecology and wildlife. While he was already college educated and familiar with formal classroom teaching, this training introduced Bob to a whole new world of outdoor education.

During his first years of service to the Sitgreaves National Forest, Bob and his family lived in a small camping trailer at Canyon Point Campground without running water or electricity. They eventually moved to a nearby community to be away from the 24/7 needs of campers but still close to the forest.

While Bob is not an official ranger, it is common for Forest Service employees to be referred to as forest rangers by the public, so it is no surprise that visitors were calling him “Ranger Bob” from day one. The honorary title was further reinforced when Bob was interviewed by the media and the reporter referred to him as Ranger Bob. Bob apologized to his district ranger, who recognized an opportunity for public outreach and responded, “That’s OK. You can have this job anytime! But I want you to get a Ranger Bob nametag, because the public loves the name.” The honorary title stuck, and he has been officially named “Ranger Bob” ever since.

Ranger Bob recently concluded his 61st season as a naturalist on the forest. His programs remain a favorite attraction for visitors. Families return year after year to the area just to have the opportunity to learn more from one of Bob’s presentations. Over time, the children that Bob encountered in earlier years have grown and returned to the forest with their own children and grandchildren just to meet Ranger Bob. The district receives dozens of phone calls annually from enthusiastic visitors calling to inquire about his schedule. Bob has become a part of the landscape and history of the forest.

“Ranger Bob” Montgomery sums it up this way. “One of the most rewarding aspects of being an interpreter is teaching visitors, especially the kids, about the forest ecosystem. Many of these children leave my program proclaiming their desire to become a forest ranger when they grow up,” he said. “The children are like sponges, enthusiastically soaking up every tidbit of information I share with them. It has been my experience that kids who do not necessarily do well in a traditional classroom setting often thrive in the forest setting. It is a relaxed, calming environment that brings out the best in them and makes them excited to learn—especially when they don’t realize that is what they are doing!”

Ranger Bob plans to return to the Black Mesa Ranger District for his 62nd season in May 2024.