The Rim
The Mogollon Rim is a long escarpment that crosses central Arizona, marking the southern edge of the Colorado Plateau. In some places it rises as a cliff of a thousand feet or more, and to the south of it the land drops away toward the Tonto Basin and the desert valleys beyond. The name comes from a Spanish colonial governor of New Mexico, Juan Ignacio Flores Mogollón, who served in the early eighteenth century; it is an outsider’s name for a landform that Apache communities knew by other names.
The country along the top of the Rim is covered by a large ponderosa pine forest, with meadows, aspen at higher elevations, and many small streams that flow south and east. Winters are cold and snowy, and summers are comparatively cool. Below the Rim, oak and juniper, then desert scrub, take over, and the change takes place over a short distance.
The White Mountains
East of the Rim, the White Mountains form a broad, forested upland of volcanic origin in east-central Arizona. The highest peaks reach well above 10,000 feet, and some are among the tallest in the state. Many streams that feed the Salt River system begin here, including the White River and the Black River. Spruce, fir and aspen grow near the summits, and mountain meadows and lakes lie among the pines.
The White Mountains are the heart of the homeland of the White Mountain Apache, a Western Apache people whose reservation lies in this area and whose tribal government is separate from other Apache nations. Some peaks in the region are of religious significance and may be closed to visitors, and travelers should follow posted signs and permit requirements.
Western Apache Groups and the High Country
Several Western Apache groups lived in and around this terrain. Today’s White Mountain Apache are associated with the White Mountains, while the Cibecue Apache are tied to Cibecue Creek country on the Rim’s southern slopes, and the Tonto Apache to the Tonto Basin and nearby areas. The groups are connected by language and by kinship, though each had its own territory, leadership and history. Western Apache social life was organized around local groups and clans, which are explained in other articles on the site.
The high country offered cool summer camps, game, and plant foods. Deer and elk lived in the forests, and families hunted them. Acorns, pinyon nuts, juniper berries and many other plants were gathered at appropriate elevations, and farmers planted along streams where the growing season allowed. The Rim and mountains thus formed part of a seasonal pattern of movement between high and low country, which varied by group and by period.
Forests, Fire and Management
The ponderosa forests of the Rim country are shaped by fire. Natural low-intensity fires historically cleared undergrowth, and scholars discuss how Native communities may have used fire in some parts of the Southwest. Specific claims about Apache fire use should be made cautiously, since evidence differs by region. Today the White Mountain Apache Tribe manages forest and wildlife resources on its lands, and the topic is covered under Apache forestry and fire management.
A Contested and Changing Landscape
In the nineteenth century, soldiers established posts in this country, among them Fort Apache, and the area became the scene of a series of events involving the army and Western Apache communities. These included the Cibecue Creek incident of 1881 and the pressure on scouts who were caught between their communities and the army. The Rim also marked a line that Rio Verde removal marchers crossed in 1875 when people were driven from the Verde Valley toward San Carlos.
Parts of the former homeland were later set aside for national forests and logging, and the Fort Apache Reservation was reduced and reshaped over time. Those developments are described in the article on shrinking Apache territory.
Visiting the Region
The Rim and White Mountains are popular for camping, fishing and hiking. Large parts of the White Mountains lie on the Fort Apache Indian Reservation, where recreation permits and local rules apply, and other parts are national forest. Roads can close in winter, summer storms bring lightning, and fire restrictions are common in dry seasons. Check the White Mountain Apache Tribe’s official website or the relevant forest office for up-to-date information on permits, closures and conduct, and follow all posted signs.
Visitors may encounter places of religious or cultural importance without realizing it. Staying on public roads and marked trails, and asking before entering unfamiliar areas, is both respectful and practical.