Wild game species include Rocky Mountain Elk, Mule Deer, Pronghorn, Javelina, mountain lion, Black Bear, and Wild Turkey. The Black Mesa Ranger District is home to a variety of wildlife species, several threatened, endangered, and sensitive species, including The Mexican Spotted Owl, Northern Goshawk, American Bald Eagle, Peregrine Falcon, Little Colorado Spinedace, and Bebb’s Willow. The District hosts thousands of visitors year-round from the Phoenix metropolitan area, which is within 2 and 1/2 hours travel time. The district encompasses approximately 616,000 acres of timber and has within its boundaries five high elevation lakes, numerous scenic canyons, 8 campgrounds offering about 400 campsites, mountain biking, hiking, fishing, hunting, OHV trails, non-motorized areas, several small communities and many developed inholdings. The dramatic rise of the Mogollon Rim produces a sudden uplift to approaching storms resulting in a high incidence of lightning strikes during the summer, creating an active fire season from May to July.īlack Mesa’s elevations range from 4,500 feet in the northern Pinyon-juniper forests to 8,500 feet along the edge of The Rim where a dense mixed conifer forest thrives. Many vantage points along The Rim offer remarkable viewing opportunities of the mountains and valleys to the south. This massive escarpment, created by a fault line, presents a nearly vertical drop as much as 2,000 feet to the forested hills and desert below. The entire southern boundary of the district is defined by The Mogollon Rim, the southern edge of the great Colorado Plateau. The Black Mesa Ranger District extends from Leonard Canyon, south of Winslow east to the communities of Clay Springs and Pinedale. Always call ahead for current conditions. Never blindly trust directions given by a GPS - always double check road conditions along your route BEFORE traveling. Keep a clean campsite, respect the space of others, and take home all you bring in. Help us keep the forest open to visitors and reduce the risk to others during the COVID-19 pandemic. Visitors are reminded that the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forests is a pack-it-in / pack-it-out forest. The forest is open for camping but many facilities are closed due to lack of access to cleaning supplies and proper PPE. Many educational items are available for sale through Arizona Natural History Association, a cooperating not-for-profit organization dedicated to assisting public agencies with interpretation and educational programs, and promoting general respect for the public lands in the Southwest. Open year-round, visitors will find a responsive staff available to answer questions about the area, informative literature, and gifts and souvenirs relating to the forest, history, and geology of the Rim.
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