Prescott National Forest

Prescott National Forest encompasses a total area of approximately 1.25 million acres of land located in central Arizona. The protected forest land is located near several cities and towns including Clarkdale, Camp Verde, Cottonwood, Prescott Valley, Jerome, Chino Valley, Dewey, and Prescott. The main roads that you can use to access the forest include US 89, US 69, and I-17. 

The forest was designated as a national forest in 1908 and is currently managed by the U.S. Forest Service. Visitors to the Prescott National Forest get to experience several interesting features including The Verde River, which is Arizona’s only wild and scenic river. Flora and fauna in the forest are quite varied due to the diverse terrain in the forest that ranges from arid desert to the south and forested plateaus to the north. 

Furthermore, the Prescott National Forest is home to several designated wilderness areas including Castle Creek Wilderness, Cedar Bench Wilderness, Granite Mountain Wilderness, Apache Creek Wilderness, Juniper Mesa Wilderness, Woodchute Wilderness, Sycamore Canyon Wilderness, and several more. 

Besides these features, the forest also has several amenities some of which include four group camps, cabin, dispersed camping, 10 campgrounds, trails, picnic sites, scenic drives, and archeological sites. These facilities are used for recreational activities like hunting, camping, trout fishing, canoeing, mountain biking, whitewater rafting, rock climbing, hiking, horseback riding, hang gliding, and gold panning. 

Dogs are allowed into the Prescott National Forest as long as they are closely supervised by their owners. The forest management has laid out several regulations that are designed to protect other forest visitors and their pets along with the wildlife and natural habitat in the forest. Some basic rules include ensuring that dogs are leashed or that they are kept in a secure enclosure. Also, all dogs must be kept away from certain areas of the park.