The Apache–Sitgreaves National Forest is a

United States National Forest In the United States, national forest is a classification of protected and managed federal lands. National forests are largely forest and woodland areas owned collectively by the American people through the federal government, and managed by ...

which runs along the

Mogollon Rim The Mogollon Rim ( or or ) is a topographical and geological feature cutting across the northern half of the U.S. state of Arizona. It extends approximately , starting in northern Yavapai County and running eastward, ending near the border ...

and the White Mountains in east-central

Arizona Arizona ( ; nv, Hoozdo Hahoodzo ; ood, Alĭ ṣonak ) is a state in the Southwestern United States. It is the 6th largest and the 14th most populous of the 50 states. Its capital and largest city is Phoenix. Arizona is part of the Fou ...

and into the

U.S. state In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its sove ...

New Mexico ) , population_demonym = New Mexican ( es, Neomexicano, Neomejicano, Nuevo Mexicano) , seat = Santa Fe , LargestCity = Albuquerque , LargestMetro = Tiguex , OfficialLang = None , Languages = English, Spanish ( New Mexican), Navajo, Ke ...

. Formerly two forest, it is currently managed as one unit by

USDA The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is the federal executive department responsible for developing and executing federal laws related to farming, forestry, rural economic development, and food. It aims to meet the needs of com ...

Forest Service from the Forest Supervisors Office in

Springerville, Arizona Springerville is a town in Apache County, Arizona, United States, within the White Mountains. Its postal ZIP Code is 85938. As of the 2010 census, the population of the town was 1,961. Springerville sits at an elevation of above sea level. A ...

. 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 Phoenix ( ; nv, Hoozdo; es, Fénix or , yuf-x-wal, Banyà:nyuwá) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Arizona, with 1,608,139 residents as of 2020. It is the fifth-most populous city in the United States, and the on ...

, residents. The forest is divided into 5 Ranger Districts (Clifton, Alpine, Springerville, Lakeside, and Black Mesa) that span almost from Clifton, Arizona in the east-central portion of Arizona to the eastern boundary of the

Coconino National Forest The Coconino National Forest is a 1.856-million acre (751,000 ha) United States National Forest located in northern Arizona in the vicinity of Flagstaff. Originally established in 1898 as the "San Francisco Mountains National Forest Reserve", th ...

in north-central Arizona. The Apache–Sitgreaves National Forest borders the western and northern borders of the

Fort Apache Indian Reservation The Fort Apache Indian Reservation is an Indian reservation on the border of New Mexico and Arizona, United States, encompassing parts of Navajo, Gila, and Apache counties. It is home to the federally recognized White Mountain Apache Tribe of ...

. 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 Sitgreaves National Forest was established by the U.S. Forest Service in Arizona on July 1, 1908 with from portions of Black Mesa and Tonto National Forests. In 1974 entire forest was administratively combined with Apache National Forest to cre ...

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 . The more southeasterly and much larger

Apache National Forest Apache National Forest was established by the U.S. Forest Service in Arizona and New Mexico on July 1, 1908, with from portions of Black Mesa National Forest. In 1974 the entire forest was administratively combined with Sitgreaves National For ...

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 .

Lakes, rivers, and streams

Apache–Sitgreaves National Forests has eight notable cold water lakes and boasts numerous lakes and reservoirs and over 680 miles (1094 km) of rivers and streams. The headwaters for the

Black Black is a color which results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without hue, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness. Black and white ...

Little Colorado The Little Colorado River () is a tributary of the Colorado River in the U.S. state of Arizona, providing the principal drainage from the Painted Desert region. Together with its major tributary, the Puerco River, it drains an area of about in ...

, and

San Francisco San Francisco (; Spanish for " Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the fourth most populous in California and 17th ...

rivers are in the White Mountains. * Aker Lake * Big Lake * Woods Canyon Lake * Willow Springs Lake * Black Canyon Lake *

Chevelon Canyon Lake Chevelon Canyon Lake is a small reservoir located in northern Arizona, about northwest of the town of Heber. It is one in a series of small, canyon-bound lakes located on the Mogollon Rim, collectively referred to as the Rim Lakes. It is sa ...

* Luna Lake * Bear Canyon Lake * Crescent Lake * Blue River

Wilderness areas

There are four

wilderness area Wilderness or wildlands (usually in the plural), are natural environments on Earth that have not been significantly modified by human activity or any nonurbanized land not under extensive agricultural cultivation. The term has traditionally re ...

s within Apache–Sitgreaves National Forests. All lie within the former

section. Three have been officially designated by Congress as part of the National Wilderness Preservation System. * Bear Wallow Wilderness * Escudilla Wilderness * Mount Baldy Wilderness The fourth, the Blue Range Primitive Area, was designated as a

Primitive Area A Primitive Area is a land designation previously used by the United States Forest Service. Although there are still lands with this title, most are now known as wilderness areas. The Forest Service began this new designation in 1929 with the L- ...

by the Secretary of Agriculture in 1933. The area has been managed under the highest level of forest service protection to maintain its wilderness qualities. It was recommended that this area be included in the Blue Range Wilderness in 1971, but in 1980 Congress only acted upon an adjacent New Mexico portion within

Gila National Forest The Gila National Forest is a protected national forest in New Mexico in the southwestern part of the United States established in 1905. It covers approximately of public land, making it the sixth largest National Forest in the continental U ...

History

About 18 miles southwest of

Alpine, Arizona Alpine is a census-designated place in Apache County, Arizona, United States, in Bush Valley in the east central part of the state. As of the 2010 census, it had a population of 145. It is located near the eastern border of the state. History ...

is the Hannagan Meadow area with a lodge, trailheads, and campground. The meadow was named after Robert Hannagan, a miner and cattle rancher from

Nevada Nevada ( ; ) is a state in the Western region of the United States. It is bordered by Oregon to the northwest, Idaho to the northeast, California to the west, Arizona to the southeast, and Utah to the east. Nevada is the 7th-most extensive, ...

. One local legend is that Hannagan was chained to a tree near the meadow until his debt of $1,200 was paid off. It was promptly paid by his son, but the name stuck. Another story suggests that Toles Cosper, a rancher from over to

Luna Luna commonly refers to: * Earth's Moon, named "Luna" in Latin * Luna (goddess), the ancient Roman personification of the Moon Luna may also refer to: Places Philippines * Luna, Apayao * Luna, Isabela * Luna, La Union * Luna, San Jose Roma ...

, was riding with the young Hannagan when they came across the meadow during the 1870s. They flipped a coin to see which man they would name it after, and Hannagan won.Waite, Tessa (2003
"History of Hannagan Meadow Lodge"
pp. 1–2 In 1909, while surveying for US Route 191, John D. Guthrie observed that "there was neither fence nor cabin at Hannagan Meadow."Tucker, Edwin A. and Fitzpatrick, George (1972
''Men who matched the mountains: the Forest Service in the Southwest''
(pp. 153–55), United States Forest Service, United States Department of Agriculture, Washington D.C., citing a paper read by John D. Guthrie at the dedication of the Coronado Trail Road. However, with the advent of road construction on the Coronado Trail Road (later Coronado Trail Scenic Byway) tourism became a possibility, and Toles Cosper's son, DeWitt Cosper, built a lodge there in 1926. The Hannagan Meadow Lodge provided tourists and travelers with rental cabins, single rooms for rent and a general store. As of 2016, the Lodge is still there and still serving tourists and travelers.

Climate

Hannagan Meadows has a

humid continental climate A humid continental climate is a climatic region defined by Russo-German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1900, typified by four distinct seasons and large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot (and often humid) summers and freezing ...

( Dsb). Summers are typically pleasant, with warm days and cool nights. Winters are moderately cold, with brisk days and chilly nights. Hannagan Meadows has five seasons, with Spring being the driest and Summer being the wettest. The dry part of Summer typically begins at the beginning of June, and lasts into July. The Monsoon season usually begins by mid-July (

North American Monsoon The North American monsoon, variously known as the Southwest monsoon, the Mexican monsoon, the New Mexican monsoon, or the Arizona monsoon is a pattern of pronounced increase in thunderstorms and rainfall over large areas of the southwestern Uni ...

) and lasts until the beginning of September, with thunderstorms being very common. Autumn begins during September, and can last to the end of November, with cool – mild days and nights beginning to dip below freezing. Winter usually begins by late November, and lasts until the end of February, but wintry days can be observed during March, and even as late as April, with heavy snowfall being common. Spring usually starts during early March, and lasts well into may, and is usually relatively dry. The highest temperature recorded in Hannagan Meadows is and occurred on August 6, 2019. The lowest temperature recorded in Hannagan Meadows is and occurred on January 7, 1989. Interestingly, the highest minimum and the lowest maximum temperatures recorded occurred in the same year, 2011, and are for the highest minimum which occurred on September 5, and for the lowest maximum which occurred on February 2. The first and last average freeze dates are June 3 and September 25, giving Hannagan Meadows a growing season of 114 days.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Apache-Sitgreaves National Forests National Forests of Arizona National Forests of New Mexico Protected areas of Greenlee County, Arizona Protected areas of Apache County, Arizona Protected areas of Navajo County, Arizona Protected areas of Coconino County, Arizona Protected areas of Catron County, New Mexico White Mountains (Arizona)