The Prescott National Forest is a 1.25 million-acre (510,000 ha)

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

National Forest located in north 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 ...

in the vicinity of Prescott. The forest is located in the mountains southwest of Flagstaff and north of

Phoenix Phoenix most often refers to: * Phoenix (mythology), a legendary bird from ancient Greek folklore * Phoenix, Arizona, a city in the United States Phoenix may also refer to: Mythology Greek mythological figures * Phoenix (son of Amyntor), a ...

Yavapai County Yavapai County is near the center of the U.S. state of Arizona. As of the 2020 census, its population was 236,209, making it the fourth-most populous county in Arizona. The county seat is Prescott. Yavapai County comprises the Prescott, AZ M ...

, with a small portion (about 3.5 percent) extending into southwestern

Coconino County Coconino County is a county in the north-central part of the U.S. state of Arizona. Its population was 145,101 at the 2020 census. The county seat is Flagstaff. The county takes its name from ''Cohonino'', a name applied to the Havasupai p ...

. The Forest Service divides the forest into 3 administrative districts. The northern section of the forest is the Chino Valley Ranger District, the southwest section is the Bradshaw Ranger District, and the southeast section is the Verde Ranger District. Central administrative offices are in Prescott with local

ranger A Ranger is typically someone in a military/paramilitary or law enforcement role specializing in patrolling a given territory, called “ranging”. The term most often refers to: * Park ranger or forest ranger, a person charged with protecting and ...

district offices in

Camp Verde Camp Verde ( yuf-x-yav, ʼMatthi:wa; Western Apache: Gambúdih) is a town in Yavapai County, Arizona, United States. As of the 2010 census, the population of the town is 10,873. The town hosts an annual corn festival in July, sponsored and orga ...

, Chino Valley, and Prescott.

Wilderness

There are eight designated

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 comprising more than , located entirely or partially within the Prescott National Forest. These are: *

Apache Creek Wilderness Apache Creek Wilderness is a 5,666-acre (2,293 ha) wilderness area under the jurisdiction of the Chino Valley District of the Prescott National Forest in the U.S. state of Arizona. Established in 1984, the Wilderness contains rolling hills of ...

''(Chino Valley District)'' * Castle Creek Wilderness ''(Bradshaw District)'' *

Cedar Bench Wilderness Cedar Bench Wilderness is a protected wilderness area in the Prescott National Forest in the U.S. state of Arizona. Established in 1984 under the Arizona Wilderness Act, the area protects the large "bench" that divides the Agua Fria and Verde ...

''(Verde District)'' * Granite Mountain Wilderness ''(Bradshaw District)'' * Juniper Mesa Wilderness ''(Chino Valley District)'' *

Pine Mountain Wilderness Pine Mountain Wilderness is a protected wilderness area managed by the Prescott National Forest in the U.S. state of Arizona. Pine Mountain is the high point of the Verde River Rim at 6,814 feet (2076 m) and provides an excellent viewing to the ...

''(Verde District)'' (mostly in Tonto NF) * Sycamore Canyon Wilderness ''(Chino Valley District)'' (partly in Coconino NF and in Kaibab NF) *

Woodchute Wilderness Woodchute Wilderness is a 5,923-acre (2,397 ha) wilderness area in Prescott National Forest in the U.S. state of Arizona. It is about 4 miles (6.4 km) west of the town of Jerome. Elevation within the area, on the flanks of Woodchute Mountain, ran ...

''(Verde District)''

Campgrounds

The following table(s) display all public campgrounds within the Prescott National Forest.

Dispersed campsites

Dispersed campsites are undeveloped and no facilities such as trash collection, water and toilets are available. Recommended for experienced campers. Dispersed camping is allowed in wide areas of the Forest except in the Prescott Basin area. Dispersed campsite locations in that area are listed below.

Family campgrounds

Developed campsites designed to accommodate families of 5-10 (maximum) per site. * Pricing and Open Season information current as of Monday, 3 December 2007 at 18:27:06 EST; please refer to the official Forest Service website for up-to-date information as it is subject to change.

History

The Prescott Forest Reserve was established by the

General Land Office The General Land Office (GLO) was an independent agency of the United States government responsible for public domain lands in the United States. It was created in 1812 to take over functions previously conducted by the United States Department o ...

on May 10, 1898. It was transferred to the U.S. Forest Service in 1906 and became a National Forest on March 4, 1907. On July 1, 1908, it absorbed Verde National Forest, and on October 22, 1934, it absorbed Tusayan National Forest.

References

External links

U.S. Forest Service: Prescott National Forest
{{Authority control National Forests of Arizona Prescott, Arizona Protected areas of Yavapai County, Arizona Protected areas of Coconino County, Arizona Protected areas established in 1908 1908 establishments in Arizona Territory