 Southern Arizona Travel Guide White Mountains & Mogollon Rim Destinationsby Joseph A. Sprince - Photography by Gerald B. AllenThe Southern Arizona Travel Guide is a resource for those planning a road trip or vacation to the region. The southern half of Arizona, including the metropolitan Phoenix and Tucson areas, is within the Sonoran Desert. The Mogollon Rim and White Mountains stretch across the central and eastern part of Arizona. When the desert region becomes extremely warm during the summer, the Rim Country's high elevation and lush forests offer desert dwellers a cool escape from the summer heat. The White Mountains also feature snow skiing and other winter sports. The higher elevations - above 8,500 feet - in far eastern Arizona offer a true alpine experience with plentiful camping, hiking trails and lakes and streams for fishing. The Coronado Trail is one of the state's finest scenic drives.
This guide offers descriptions of many points of interest, links to many references,
travel itineraries, and suggested visit times.
Using the Interactive MapPlace your mouse pointer on any Key symbol on the map. A brief description will appear. Click on the symbol for a link to detailed information in this guide. For easiest use, scroll map to top. NEW! Interactive, detailed Highway Map in separate window. 
Guide to White Mountains & Mogollon Rim Points of Interest
This symbol indicates links into the American West Travelogue. 
The Mogollon Rim / Rim Lakes Recreation Area -
The Mogollon Rim is a rugged escarpment, a high plateau with elevation generally over 7,000 feet which runs across two thirds of central Arizona into New Mexico. It is a region of heavily wooded forests and high country lakes. The Rim sometimes drops precipitously over 2,000 feet to the desert below, offering spectacular vistas. The Rim Lakes Recreation Area offers some of the state's finest fishing, camping, hiking, horseback trails, and scenic views. Only 90 minutes from Phoenix, it is indeed a popular summer destination for desert dwellers. The center of activity is Wood Canyon Lake and its numerous nearby campgrounds. Other lakes and campgrounds are also nearby. Also, at-large camping is permitted is designated areas of the national forest. Forest Road 300 is the main road through the area. It parallels the General Crook Trail and the edge of the Rim, with some exciting vista points. Location: Take AZ-87 north from Phoenix to Payson, then AZ-260 east. FR-300 leaves AZ-260 just after it climbs to the top of the Rim. Time: A long day trip, a weekend, or more.
Salt River Canyon -
The Salt River, the primary source of water for Phoenix and the Valley of the Sun, runs through a steep and spectacular canyon about 100 miles east of Phoenix. In most years during spring runoff, the river offers a very exciting and scenic venue for white water rafting. Highway US-60 crosses the river between the towns of Globe and Show Low. The highway descends 2,000 feet of steep switchbacks, crosses a bridge, and ascends the opposite side of the canyon. The route is considered one of the most scenic in Arizona and also offers access from the desert area to the White Mountains. The canyon is part of the Salt River Canyon Wilderness. The very remote area has no maintained trails and is mainly visited by rafters. Towns of Pinetop - Lakeside - The towns of Pinetop - Lakeside are the gateway to the White Mountains of eastern Arizona. The mountains rise several thousand feet above the Mogollon Rim and offer even cooler summer weather. Winter sports are also available in the mountains. Recreation is available in the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest and the White Mountain Apache Reservation. The Fool Hollow Lake Recreation Area outside the nearby town of Show Low offers especially nice camping, boating, and fishing. The campground is well-suited to RVs, with paved sites and hookups. A wide variety of lodging is available in the Pinetop-Lakeside area, ranging from cabins to bed and breakfasts to conventional motels.
White Mountain Apache Reservation -
The White Mountain Apache Reservation occupies some of the most pristine areas of the White Mountains. The tribe offers a wide variety of outdoor recreation opportunities to visitors. The reservations's lakes and streams offer outstanding fishing. Sunrise Lake offers some of the mountains' finest trout fishing. Boat rentals are available. Hawley Lake has fishing, camping, boat rentals, and cabins. Sunrise Park Resort offers skiing and winter recreation. The Hon-Dah Resort-Casino and Conference Center offers a casino, hotel, RV park, dining, and stores. Hunting is also available on the reservation. Because of the tribe's conservation practices, it is quite common to see wildlife on the reservation.
Hannagan Meadow / Blue Range Primitive Area -
Far from the hustle and bustle of Pinetop-Lakeside and the popular fishing holes of the White Mountains, secluded Hannagan Meadows in the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest offers visitors the best of the Arizona high country experience: beautiful woods and meadows, plentiful wildlife, convenient fishing and hiking, and peace and quiet. At an elevation of 9,100 feet, you will find some of Arizona's coolest weather, a wonderful summer respite for desert dwellers. The historic Hannagan Meadow Lodge provides rustic comfort in this beautiful and remote corner of Arizona's White Mountains. Winter recreation is also available at Hannagan Meadows. There is trailhead access to the Blue Range Primitive Area, more commonly known as the Blue, one of America's most remote and unspoiled wildernesses. Located on US-191, about 45 miles south of Springerville.
Coronado Trail Scenic Byway -
The Coronado Trail Scenic Byway is an adventure of switchbacks (nearly 400), steep grades, and hairpin turns and is known as one of the best scenic driving roads in the nation. The route, US-191, runs through the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest between the towns of Springerville and Morenci. Travel is generally north to south in order to go downhill on the many switchbacks. The route starts in the remote eastern half of the White Mountains, runs through Hannagan Meadows (see above), then soon starts dropping from alpine forests back down to the desert. The route passes by the immense Morenci copper pit where there is a vista point for this surreal sight. The Coronado Trail is especially scenic in the early autumn when the roadside aspens turn beautiful colors. The trail is named for Spanish explorer, Francisco Vasquez de Coronado, whose 1540 route of exploration ran close to this scenic byway. Index to the Southern Arizona Travel Guide
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Books
Adventuring in Arizona
by John Annerino
The authoritative guide to outdoor adventure in the wild and beautiful Grand Canyon State.
Wildflowers of the Desert Southwest 
by Meg Quinn
In Wildflowers of the Desert Southwest, Meg Quinn helps even the most amateur botanist to identify more than eighty-five of the most common and showy species found in the Sonoran Desert. Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum Book of Answers 
by David Wentworth Lazaroff
Everything you wanted to know about the Sonoran Desert. Photography
Related Pages
Arizona's Sonoran Desert runs roughly from the foot of the Mogollon Rim to the Mexican border. The desert exists generally at elevations lower than 4,000 feet. The many low desert mountain ranges create a wide variety of terrains and experiences.
Location
The Sonoran Desert encompasses the southern half of Arizona. Most destinations are readily accessible from Phoenix and/or Tucson, from Interstates 8,10,17. Local Weather
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