Transition Zone of Arizona

Arizona is known as the Grand Canyon state, and is most recognized for the canyon and the Sonoran Desert. These wonderful features of Arizona often lead people to make the misconception that Arizona is a big, flat desert, but it is home to many forests and mountains with vastly different ecology.

The Mogollon rim and plateau dominate Arizona's "Transition Zone", an area that separates the Sonoran basin from the Colorado plateau. It is home to unique ecology that is part of the EPA designated Arizona/New Mexico Mountains ecoregion. This ecoregion is the only place in the United States that is described as a temperate sierra.

The forests, mountains, lakes, and rivers of this area contain a multitude of campsites, trails, fishing spots, and more, making them an excellent place for an excursion or vacation in the wilderness. The Mogollon Rim/Coconino national forest and the White Mountains/Apache-Sitgreaves national forest have never disappointed me and I am always looking to revisit them.