About the Forest

Located in mountainous Central Arizona, Prescott National Forest embraces over 1.25 million acres of rugged, scenic landscapes ranging from cactus-studded desert to pine-clad mountains.  This variety, coupled with a wide range in elevation (from 3,000 to 8,000 feet), offers outstanding recreational opportunities all year long.

Prescott National Forest is one of 11 national forests in the Southwestern Region of the USDA Forest Service, composed of Arizona and New Mexico.  National forests are AMERICA’S GREAT OUTDOORS, and provide abundant natural resources that benefit us in many ways.  The Prescott is comprised of complex, dynamic ecosystems that have many values and many uses. Along with its outstanding recreational opportunities, it is a repository of clean water, diverse wildlife habitat, and many historic and prehistoric cultural sites.  Scenic beauty, livestock grazing, timber harvest, and extraction of essential minerals are important components of the multiple-use management policy of the Forest Service.

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.

Administratively, the Prescott National Forest is comprised of three Ranger Districts: the Bradshaw Ranger District, the Chino Valley Ranger District and the Verde Ranger District. The Forest is also home to the Prescott Fire Center and Henry Y. H. Kim Aviation Facility.

History of the Prescott National Forest

Portions of the Prescott National Forest today are much the same as they were when Sam Miller panned for gold in Lynx Creek and was wounded by a cougar, or when General Crook's flag fluttered over Palace Station. (MORE History of the Prescott National Forest)

Vegetation

At the lowest elevation, the primary vegetation is of the Sonoran Desert type. As the elevation rises, chaparral becomes common, followed by piñon pine and juniper. Above that, Ponderosa pine dominates the landscape.