ARIZONA
The State of Arizona is noted for its desert climate, exceptionally hot summers, and mild
winters, but the high country in the north features pine forests and mountain ranges with
cooler weather than the lower deserts. In addition to the Grand Canyon, many other forests,
parks, monuments, and Indian reservations are located in the state. Arizona is best known for
its desert landscape, which is rich in xerophyte plants such as cactus. Less well known is the
pine-covered high country of the Colorado Plateau in the north-central portion of the state,
which contrasts with the desert Basin and Range region in the southern portions of the state.
Like other states of the Southwest, Arizona has an abundance of topographical characteristics
in addition to its desert climate. Mountains and plateaus are found in more than half of the
state. The largest stand in the world of Ponderosa pine trees is contained in Arizona.
The Mogollon Rim, a 2,000-foot (610 m) escarpment, cuts across the central section of the
state and marks the southwestern edge of the Colorado Plateau. Arizona belongs firmly within
the Basin and Range region of North America. The Grand Canyon is a colorful, steep-sided
gorge, carved by the Colorado River, in northern Arizona, good for visiting on numerous
occasions to hunt mountain lion or just enjoy the scenery. The Canyon was created by the
Colorado River cutting a channel over millions of years, and is about 277 miles (446 km)
long, ranges in width from 4 to 18 miles (6 to 29 kilometers) and attains a depth of more than
1 mile (1.6 km).
Arizona is home to one of the most well-preserved meteorite impact sites in the world. The
Barringer Meteorite Crater (better known simply as "Meteor Crater") is a gigantic hole in the
middle of the high plains of the Colorado Plateau, about 25 miles (40 km) west of Winslow. A
rim of smashed and jumbled boulders, some of them the size of small houses, rises 150 feet
(46 m) above the level of the surrounding plain. The crater itself is nearly a mile wide, and
570 feet (174 m) deep.
CLIMATE
Due to its large area and variations in elevation, the state has a wide variety of localized
climate conditions. In the lower elevations, the climate is primarily desert, with mild winters
and hot summers.
Typically, from late fall to early spring, the weather is mild, averaging a minimum of 60
degrees Fahrenheit (15 °C).
November through February are the coldest months with temperatures typically ranging
from 40–75 °F (4–24 °C), although occasional frosts are not uncommon.
About midway through February, the temperatures start to rise again with warm days, and
cool breezy nights.
The summer months of June through September bring a dry heat ranging from 90–120 °F
(32–48°C), with occasional high temperatures exceeding 125 °F (52 °C) having been
observed in the desert area.
Due to the primarily dry climate, large temperature swings often occur between day and
night in less developed areas of the desert. The swings can be as large as 50 °F (28 °C) in the
summer months.
Arizona has an average annual rainfall of 12.7 inches (323 mm), which comes during two
rainy seasons, with cold fronts coming from the Pacific Ocean during the winter and a
monsoon in the summer. The monsoon season occurs towards the end of summer. In July
or August, the dewpoint rises dramatically for a brief period. During this time, the air contains
large amounts of water vapor. Dewpoints as high as 81°F (27 °C) have been recorded during
the Phoenix monsoon season. This hot moisture brings lightning, thunderstorms, wind, and
torrential, if usually brief, downpours. It is rare for tornadoes and hurricanes to occur in
Arizona, but there are records of both occurring. However, the northern third of Arizona is a
plateau at significantly higher altitudes than the lower desert, and has an appreciably cooler
climate, with cold winters and mild summers. Extreme cold temperatures are not unknown;
cold air systems from the northern states and Canada occasionally push into the state, bringing
temperatures below 0 °F (−18 °C) to the Northern parts of the state.
Indicative of the variation in climate, Arizona is the state which has both the metropolitan
area with the most days over 100 °F (37.8 °C) (Phoenix), and the metropolitan area in the
lower 48 states with nearly the most days with a low temperature below freezing (Flagstaff).
FORESTS
Apache-Sitgreaves Forest is a 10.652 km² Forest which runs along the Mogollon Rim and
the White Mountains in east-central Arizona and extending into New Mexico. Apache-
Sitgreaves has over 400 species of wildlife. With its high elevation and cool summer breezes
it is a popular settler destination. The Apache-Sitgreaves 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 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 3.312,96 km².
The more southeasterly and much larger Apache 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 (7,339.38 km²). Apache-Sitgreaves Forests has 8 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, Little Colorado and San Francisco rivers are in the White
Mountains.
Big Lake - Woods Canyon Lake - Willow Springs Lake - Black Canyon Lake -
Chevelon Canyon Lake - Luna Lake - Bear Canyon Lake - Crescent Lake - Blue River
San Francisco Mountains forest is a 1.8 million acre (7,300 km²) forest located in northern
Arizona in the vicinity of Flagstaff. Established as the "San Francisco Mountains Forest".
Today, the Coconino Forest contains diverse landscapes, including deserts, ponderosa pine
forests, flatlands, mesas, alpine tundra, and ancient volcanic peaks. The forest surrounds the
towns of Sedona and Flagstaff and borders four other forests; the Kaibab Forest to the west
and northwest, the Prescott Forest to the southwest, the Tonto Forest to the south, and the
Apache-Sitgreaves Forest to the southeast. The forest contains all or parts of ten designated
wilderness areas, including the Kachina Peaks Wilderness, which includes the summit of the
San Francisco Peaks.
The elevation in the forest ranges from 2,600 feet (800 m) in the southern part of the forest
near the Verde River to 12,633 feet (3,851 m) at the summit of Humphreys Peak, the highest
point in the state of Arizona. Much of the forest is a high altitude plateau (average elevation is
roughly 7,000 feet (2,100 m) on the plateau) that is located in the midst of the largest
contiguous ponderosa pine forest in North America. The southern border of this plateau is the
Mogollon Rim, a nearly 400 mile (640 km) long escarpment running across central Arizona
that also marks the southern boundary of the Colorado Plateau. The Coconino forest is
divided into four districts that each possess their own distinct geography and environments.
The northern most district, known as the Peaks District, is home to the San Francisco Peaks,
an ancient group of volcanic summits. The highest peak, Humphreys Peak, is the highest point
in Arizona at 3.851 m. The second, third, and fourth highest peaks in Arizona are found
nearby. The San Francisco Peaks are the dominant structure of the San Francisco Volcanic
Field, an 1,800 square mile (4,700 km²) volcanic field that contains more than 600 volcanic
features. The Coconino forest encompasses a large portion of the volcanic field and so the
forest landscape around Flagstaff is dotted with tree-covered cinder cones, lava flows, and
underground lava tubes.
The Red Rock district, centered on the town of Sedona, encompasses many of the famous red
rock buttes and mesas, and canyons that have made Sedona famous. Just north of Sedona is
Oak Creek Canyon, one of the many large canyon located along the Mogollon Rim. Oak
Creek Canyon is also a popular leaf peeping area in the fall as it is one of the few areas in the
forest where deciduous (loof) trees are the dominant vegetation type. This region is also home
to Sycamore Canyon, the second largest canyon in Arizona. Elevations in this part of the
forest are substantially lower (Sedona is at 4,500 feet (1,400 m) above sea level) than the rest
of the forest resulting in higher temperatures year round.
Located south of Flagstaff is the Mormon Lake District. The most obvious topographical
feature of this region is Mormon Lake, the largest natural lake in the state of Arizona. Several
other natural lakes, including Ashurst Lake and Marshall Lake, dot the top of Anderson Mesa,
an approximately 20 mile (30 km) long ridge that rises 200 to 400 feet (60−120 m) above the
surrounding landscape. Upper Lake Mary contains water year round in all but the very driest
years while Lower Lake Mary, located just to the northwest of Upper Lake Mary, usually
resembles a wet meadow rather than a lake.
The fourth district is the Mogollon Rim District, located along the Mogollon Rim south of the
Mormon Lake District and east of the Red Rock District. The landscape here resembles the
Mormon Lake District with a number of small lakes and perennial streams scattered among a
dense ponderosa pine forest. The southern boundary of the district is the edge of the Mogollon
Rim where the Coconino Forest borders the Tonto National Forest and Coconino County
borders Gila County.
Conifers and other evergreen plants are the dominant type of vegetation in the Coconino
Forest. Due in part to the dry climate, deciduous trees are rare except for in some moist areas
along creeks and streams. While the ponderosa pine is by far the most common tree species in
the Coconino National Forest, vegetation type varies depending on the elevation of a certain
area.
At the lowest elevations, in the extreme southwestern portion of the forest, actual trees are
scarce and the landscape is dominated by various small shrubs and sagebrushes. At elevations
between 4,500 feet and 6,500 feet (1,400−2,000 m), which includes the area surrounding
Sedona, various species of juniper are predominant. Other common tree and shrubs of this
environment, often classified as the "Juniper-Pinyon woodlands", include Arizona Cypress,
manzanita, and pinyon pine. The huge stands of ponderosa pine on the forest are found
primarily at elevations between 6,500 feet and 8,000 feet (2,000−2,400 m). Other species
scattered among this region include gambel oak, quaking aspen, and Rocky Mountain Juniper.
The highest elevations in the forest are located in the San Francisco Peaks area north of
Flagstaff. Here grow large conifers such as engelmann spruce, blue spruce, subalpine fir,
corkbark fir (a variety of subalpine fire found only in isolated areas of Arizona and New
Mexico), douglas fir, bristlecone pine, and limber pine. Isolated stands of quaking aspen,
usually the first tree to regenerate following a severe wildfire, are scattered across the
mountain.
Above 11,000 feet (3,400 m) is found the only alpine tundra region in Arizona. Vegetation is
scarce in this region. A few small bristlecone pines are found otherwise the area is above tree
line and inhabited by small grasses, lichens, and alpine wildflowers.
Coronado Forest includes an area of about 7.200 km² spread throughout mountain ranges in
southeastern Arizona and southwestern New Mexico. It is located in parts of Cochise,
Graham, Santa Cruz, Pima, and Pinal counties in Arizona, and Hidalgo County in New
Mexico. The National Forest is divided into five ranger districts. The districts themselves are
not contiguous; each consists of multiple "sky island" mountain ranges.
The Santa Catalina Ranger District near the city of Tucson comprises the Santa Catalina and
Rincon Mountains. Included in this area is the highest peak of the Santa Catalinas, Mount
Lemmon, the rugged Pusch Ridge Wilderness Area, and the popular Sabino Canyon. Much of
this district was part of Santa Catalina National Forest before its inclusion in Coronado.
The Safford Ranger District comprises the mountain ranges surrounding the city of Safford,
Arizona. These five ranges are the Pinaleño, Galiuro, Santa Teresa, Winchester, and
Greasewood Mountains. Included in this area is the highest peak of the Pinaleños, Mount
Graham. Mount Graham National Forest was a formerly separate national forest, combined
into Crook National Forest in 1908. In 1953 part of Crook was absorbed into Coronado.
The Nogales Ranger District comprises four mountain ranges north and west of Nogales,
Arizona. These ranges are the Santa Rita, Tumacacori, Pajarito, and San Luis Mountains.
Included in this area are Mount Hopkins, Mount Wrightson, and Madera Canyon, all located
in the Santa Ritas. In the early 20th century this area included two national forests which were
absorbed into Coronado: Santa Rita National Forest and Tumacacori National Forest.
The Douglas Ranger District comprises three mountain ranges north and east of Douglas,
Arizona. These ranges are the Chiricahua, Dragoon, and Peloncillo Mountains. A portion of
the Ranger District in the Peloncillos extends into New Mexico. The district comprises three
formerly separate national forests: Chiricahua National Forest, Dragoon National Forest and
Peloncillo National Forest, all combined into Coronado.
The Sierra Vista Ranger District comprises three mountain ranges west of Sierra Vista,
Arizona. These ranges are the Huachuca, Patagonia, and Whetstone Mountains. Included in
this area is the highest peak in the Huachucas, Miller Peak, and the region of the Huachucas
known as Canelo Hills. The district includes the formerly separate Huachuca National Forest
At 6,500 km² the Kaibab Forest borders both the north and south rims of the Grand Canyon,
in north-central Arizona. It is divided into three major sections: the North Kaibab Ranger
District and the South Kaibab. South Kaibab is further divided into two forests, the Tusayan
Ranger District and the Williams Ranger District. The Grand Canyon is a natural boundary
between the North Kaibab and the South Kaibab. The South Kaibab covers 3,683 km² and the
North Kaibab stretches over 2,616 km². Elevations vary on the forest from 1,676 m in the
southwest corner to 3,175 m at the summit of Kendrick Peak on the Williams Ranger District.
The North Kaibab Plateau is an island surrounded by lower elevations. The plateau, with
elevation up to 9,000 feet (2,700 m) is bordered on the south by the Grand Canyon, on the
east and the west by tributary canyons of the Colorado River, and on the North by tiers of
uplifted cliffs.
The South Kaibab includes the Tusayan Ranger District and the Williams Ranger District.
Vegetation in the forest varies by elevation and exposure. Principal tree species are ponderosa
pine, Douglas-fir, Engelmann spruce, aspen, blue spruce, oak, pinyon pine, and juniper.
Among other things, they enhance the beauty of the landscape, hold soil in place, and provide
cover and food for wildlife. As elevation decreases, trees give way to bitter brush, Gambel
oak, sagebrush, and cliffrose. Within the forest, there are irregular areas entirely free of tree
growth.
Commonly seen large wild animals include mule deer, elk, antelope, turkey and coyote.
Mountain lion, bobcat, wolf, and black bear are seen less frequently.
Common small animals in Kaibab National Forest include chipmunks, ground squirrels and
Abert's squirrels. Less common are porcupines, small lizards, and rattlesnakes. Most common
birds are bluebirds, robins, Steller's jays, nuthatches, flickers and other woodpeckers, crows,
various hummingbirds, ravens, and a variety of hawks. Bats also occupy the park.
Prescott Forest is a 1.25 million acre (5,100 km²) United States National Forest located in
north central Arizona in the vicinity of Prescott. The forest is located in the mountains
southwest of Flagstaff and north of Phoenix in Yavapai County. The forest includes Lynx
Creek where Sam Miller panned for gold and was wounded by a cougar.
Tonto Forest, encompassing 2,873,200 acres (11,627 km²) , is the largest of the six forests in
Arizona. The Tonto Forest has diverse scenery, with elevations ranging from 1,400 feet (427
m) in the Sonoran Desert to 7,400 feet (2,256 m) in the ponderosa pine forests of the
Mogollon Rim (pronounced muggy-own). The boundaries of the Tonto Forest are the Phoenix
metropolitan area to the south, the Mogollon Rim to the north and the San Carlos and Fort
Apache Indian Reservation to the east.
The Tonto forest has six notable cold water reservoirs:
Bartlett Reservoir - Horseshoe Reservoir
The next four are created by the Salt River chain of dams:
Saguaro Lake - Canyon Lake - Apache Lake - Theodore Roosevelt Lake
DESERTS
Meer nog dan door canyons wordt het landschap beheerst door de woestijnen. In Arizona
liggen 4 woestijnen.
De grimmige en kurkdroge Mojave woestijn ligt in het noordwesten. Dit is de droogste
woestijn. Ze beantwoord het meest aan het beeld van een onherbergzaam gebied. Het symbool
van de Mojave is de Joshua tree, een grillige Yuca die meer dan 500 jaar oud kan worden.
Dieren en planten die hier wonen moeten meer dan 50°c kunnen weerstaan.
De Sonora woestijn ligt in het zuidwesten, zowel op Mexicaans als US gebied. Zij krijgt
relatief veel regen en vertoont daardoor in het voorjaar een uitbundige plantengroei. Deze
woestijn wordt gedomineerd door majestueuze silhouetten van saguaro’s, de reuzencactussen.
Hier leeft ook het beruchte Gila monster (het gerucht gaat dat het met zijn giftig spuug
mensen kan doden, in feite gaat het om een schuchtere, onschuldige hagedis). Door de relatief
overdadige regenval lijkt deze woestijn in het voorjaar een tropisch paradijs vol cactussen,
planten en dieren maar voor de mens is het slechts een verraderlijke schijn van veiligheid. De
cacti bevatten veel water maar dat is zo zuur dat het darmkrampen en dus nog snellere
uitdroging veroorzaakt.
Great Basin desert of Painted desert ligt in het noordoosten. Hier ligt ook Monument
Valley, een vlakte met grillage rotsformaties.
De Chihuahuan desert in het zuidoosten is een gebied met vele mijnstadjes en spooksteden.
Hier is het sinistere fenomeen Willcox playa: de reiziger ziet een enorm meer dat in feite niets
anders is dan een permanente luchtspiegeling op de kurkdroge vlakte van 130 km².