Kaibab National Forest
Encyclopedia
At 1.6 million acres the Kaibab National Forest borders both the north and south rims of the Grand Canyon
, in north-central Arizona
. It is divided into three major sections: the North Kaibab Ranger District (offices in Fredonia
) and the South Kaibab and are managed by USDA
Forest Service
. The South Kaibab is further divided into two forests, the Tusayan Ranger District (offices in Grand Canyon), and the Williams Ranger District (offices in Williams
). The Grand Canyon is a natural boundary between the North Kaibab and the South Kaibab. The South Kaibab covers 1422 square miles (3,683 km²) and the North Kaibab stretches over 1010 square miles (2,615.9 km²). Elevations vary on the forest from 5,500 feet (1,676 m) in the southwest corner to 10,418 feet (3,175 m) at the summit of Kendrick Peak
on the Williams Ranger District. The forest as a whole is headquartered in Williams.
is an island surrounded by lower elevations. The plateau, with elevation up to 9,000 feet (2,700 m) is bordered on the south by the Grand Canyon, on the east and the west by tributary canyons of the Colorado River
, and on the North by tiers of uplifted cliffs.
in 1893 and included in the Grand Canyon Forest Reserve
. President Theodore Roosevelt
created the Grand Canyon Game Preserve in 1906. The game preserve which includes 612736 acres (2,479.7 km²) of the Kaibab National Forest, is "set a side for the protection of game animals and birds," and is "to be recognized as a breeding place therefore." in 1908, the Forest Reserve north of the Grand Canyon, including the game preserve, was renamed Kaibab Nation Forest. In 1919, the Grand Canyon National Park was created from the forest service lands surrounding the Grand Canyon. In 1934, the Tusayan National Forest
south of the Grand Canyon was consolidated into the Kaibab National Forest, forming the present forest boundaries. The forest area north of the canyon became the North Kaibab Ranger District. The headquarters for the Kaibab National Forest is in Williams
, Arizona.
in the forest varies by elevation and exposure. Principal tree species are ponderosa pine
, Douglas-fir
, Engelmann spruce
, aspen
, blue spruce
, oak
, pinyon pine
, and juniper
. Among other things, they enhance the beauty of the landscape, hold soil in place, and provide cover and food for wildlife. As elevation decreases, trees give way to bitter brush, Gambel oak
, sagebrush
, and cliffrose. Within the forest, there are irregular areas entirely free of tree growth.
, elk
, antelope
, turkey
and coyote
. Mountain lion, bobcat
, and black bear
are seen less frequently.
Common small animals in Kaibab National Forest include chipmunk
s, ground squirrel
s and Abert's squirrel
s. Less common are porcupine
s, small lizard
s, and rattlesnake
s. Most common birds are bluebird
s, robins
, Steller's jay
s, nuthatch
es, flicker
s and other woodpecker
s, crow
s, various hummingbird
s, raven
s, and a variety of hawk
s. Bat
s also occupy the park.
in the Williams Ranger District, is available for rentals through the "Rooms with a View" Arizona Cabin Rental Program. The cabin was built in 1917. It served as the residence for rangers who worked at the guard station. The bunkhouse
was the original office.
Located one mile south of the Grand Canyon
, Hull Cabin is the oldest surviving historic cabin near the Grand Canyon’s south rim. This rustic cabin was built in 1889 as part of a sheep ranch, and was acquired by the Forest Service in 1907 for use as a ranger station. In 1985, the cabin was listed in the National Register of Historic Places
. Hull Cabin is also available for rentals through the "Rooms with a View" program.
Grand Canyon
The Grand Canyon is a steep-sided canyon carved by the Colorado River in the United States in the state of Arizona. It is largely contained within the Grand Canyon National Park, the 15th national park in the United States...
, in north-central Arizona
Arizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
. It is divided into three major sections: the North Kaibab Ranger District (offices in Fredonia
Fredonia, Arizona
Fredonia is a town in Coconino County, Arizona, United States. Fredonia is Arizona's northernmost town and the gateway to the North Rim of the Grand Canyon. Visitors enjoy seeing the Grand Canyon from the North Rim because they can experience the wonder and beauty without large crowds and high...
) and the South Kaibab and are managed by USDA
United States Department of Agriculture
The United States Department of Agriculture is the United States federal executive department responsible for developing and executing U.S. federal government policy on farming, agriculture, and food...
Forest Service
United States Forest Service
The United States Forest Service is an agency of the United States Department of Agriculture that administers the nation's 155 national forests and 20 national grasslands, which encompass...
. The South Kaibab is further divided into two forests, the Tusayan Ranger District (offices in Grand Canyon), and the Williams Ranger District (offices in Williams
Williams, Arizona
Williams is a city in Coconino County, Arizona, United States west of Flagstaff. Its population was 2,842 at the 2000 census; according to 2006 Census Bureau estimates, the population of the city is 3,094. It lies on the route of Historic Route 66, Interstate 40, and the Southwest Chief Amtrak...
). The Grand Canyon is a natural boundary between the North Kaibab and the South Kaibab. The South Kaibab covers 1422 square miles (3,683 km²) and the North Kaibab stretches over 1010 square miles (2,615.9 km²). Elevations vary on the forest from 5,500 feet (1,676 m) in the southwest corner to 10,418 feet (3,175 m) at the summit of Kendrick Peak
Kendrick Peak
Kendrick Peak or Kendrick Mountain is one of the highest peaks in the San Francisco volcanic field north of the city of Flagstaff in the U.S...
on the Williams Ranger District. The forest as a whole is headquartered in Williams.
North Kaibab
The Kaibab PlateauKaibab Plateau
The Kaibab Plateau is located in northern Arizona in the United States. The plateau, part of the larger Colorado Plateau, is bordered on the south by the Grand Canyon and reaches an elevation of 9241 feet above sea level. The plateau is divided between Kaibab National Forest and the "North Rim"...
is an island surrounded by lower elevations. The plateau, with elevation up to 9,000 feet (2,700 m) is bordered on the south by the Grand Canyon, on the east and the west by tributary canyons of the Colorado River
Colorado River
The Colorado River , is a river in the Southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico, approximately long, draining a part of the arid regions on the western slope of the Rocky Mountains. The watershed of the Colorado River covers in parts of seven U.S. states and two Mexican states...
, and on the North by tiers of uplifted cliffs.
North Kaibab History
The North Kaibab Ranger District was part of the lands withdrawn from the public domainPublic domain (land)
Public domain is a term used to describe lands that were not under private or state ownership during the 18th and 19th centuries in the United States, as the country was expanding. These lands were obtained from the 13 original colonies, from Native American tribes, or from purchase from other...
in 1893 and included in the Grand Canyon Forest Reserve
Grand Canyon Forest Reserve
The Grand Cañon Forest Reserve was established by the General Land Office in Arizona on February 20, 1893 with . It was renamed Grand Canyon on August 8, 1906 and transferred to the U.S. Forest Service becoming a National Forest on March 4, 1907...
. President Theodore Roosevelt
Theodore Roosevelt
Theodore "Teddy" Roosevelt was the 26th President of the United States . He is noted for his exuberant personality, range of interests and achievements, and his leadership of the Progressive Movement, as well as his "cowboy" persona and robust masculinity...
created the Grand Canyon Game Preserve in 1906. The game preserve which includes 612736 acres (2,479.7 km²) of the Kaibab National Forest, is "set a side for the protection of game animals and birds," and is "to be recognized as a breeding place therefore." in 1908, the Forest Reserve north of the Grand Canyon, including the game preserve, was renamed Kaibab Nation Forest. In 1919, the Grand Canyon National Park was created from the forest service lands surrounding the Grand Canyon. In 1934, the Tusayan National Forest
Tusayan National Forest
Tusayan National Forest was established by the U.S. Forest Service in Arizona on July 1, 1910 with from part of Coconino National Forest and other lands. On October 22, 1934 the entire forest was transferred to Prescott National Forest and the name was discontinued. -External links:** Text from...
south of the Grand Canyon was consolidated into the Kaibab National Forest, forming the present forest boundaries. The forest area north of the canyon became the North Kaibab Ranger District. The headquarters for the Kaibab National Forest is in Williams
Williams, Arizona
Williams is a city in Coconino County, Arizona, United States west of Flagstaff. Its population was 2,842 at the 2000 census; according to 2006 Census Bureau estimates, the population of the city is 3,094. It lies on the route of Historic Route 66, Interstate 40, and the Southwest Chief Amtrak...
, Arizona.
South Kaibab
The South Kaibab includes the Tusayan Ranger District and the Williams Ranger District.Vegetation
VegetationVegetation
Vegetation is a general term for the plant life of a region; it refers to the ground cover provided by plants. It is a general term, without specific reference to particular taxa, life forms, structure, spatial extent, or any other specific botanical or geographic characteristics. It is broader...
in the forest varies by elevation and exposure. Principal tree species are ponderosa pine
Ponderosa Pine
Pinus ponderosa, commonly known as the Ponderosa Pine, Bull Pine, Blackjack Pine, or Western Yellow Pine, is a widespread and variable pine native to western North America. It was first described by David Douglas in 1826, from eastern Washington near present-day Spokane...
, Douglas-fir
Douglas-fir
Douglas-fir is one of the English common names for evergreen coniferous trees of the genus Pseudotsuga in the family Pinaceae. Other common names include Douglas tree, and Oregon pine. There are five species, two in western North America, one in Mexico, and two in eastern Asia...
, Engelmann spruce
Engelmann Spruce
Picea engelmannii is a species of spruce native to western North America, from central British Columbia and southwest Alberta, southwest to northern California and southeast to Arizona and New Mexico; there are also two isolated populations in northern Mexico...
, aspen
Aspen
Populus section Populus, of the Populus genus, includes the aspen trees and the white poplar Populus alba. The five typical aspens are all native to cold regions with cool summers, in the north of the Northern Hemisphere, extending south at high altitudes in the mountains. The White Poplar, by...
, blue spruce
Blue Spruce
Picea pungens is a species of spruce native to western North America, from southeast Idaho and southwest Wyoming, south through Utah and Colorado to Arizona and New Mexico. It grows at high altitudes from altitude, though unlike Engelmann Spruce in the same area, it does not reach the alpine...
, oak
Oak
An oak is a tree or shrub in the genus Quercus , of which about 600 species exist. "Oak" may also appear in the names of species in related genera, notably Lithocarpus...
, pinyon pine
Pinyon pine
The pinyon pine group grows in the southwestern United States and in Mexico. The trees yield edible pinyon nuts, which were a staple of the Native Americans, and are still widely eaten...
, and juniper
Juniper
Junipers are coniferous plants in the genus Juniperus of the cypress family Cupressaceae. Depending on taxonomic viewpoint, there are between 50-67 species of juniper, widely distributed throughout the northern hemisphere, from the Arctic, south to tropical Africa in the Old World, and to the...
. Among other things, they enhance the beauty of the landscape, hold soil in place, and provide cover and food for wildlife. As elevation decreases, trees give way to bitter brush, Gambel oak
Gambel oak
Quercus gambelii, or Gambel oak, is a deciduous small tree or large shrub widespread in the foothills and lower mountain elevations of the central southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico: its range is centered on the Colorado Plateau–Four Corners states of Utah-Colorado,...
, sagebrush
Sagebrush
Sagebrush is a common name of a number of shrubby plant species in the genus Artemisia native to western North America;Or, the sagebrush steppe ecoregion, having one or more kinds of sagebrush, bunchgrasses and others;...
, and cliffrose. Within the forest, there are irregular areas entirely free of tree growth.
Wildlife
Commonly seen large wild animals include whitetail deer, mule deerMule Deer
The mule deer is a deer indigenous to western North America. The Mule Deer gets its name from its large mule-like ears. There are believed to be several subspecies, including the black-tailed deer...
, elk
Elk
The Elk is the large deer, also called Cervus canadensis or wapiti, of North America and eastern Asia.Elk may also refer to:Other antlered mammals:...
, antelope
Antelope
Antelope is a term referring to many even-toed ungulate species indigenous to various regions in Africa and Eurasia. Antelopes comprise a miscellaneous group within the family Bovidae, encompassing those old-world species that are neither cattle, sheep, buffalo, bison, nor goats...
, turkey
Turkey (bird)
A turkey is a large bird in the genus Meleagris. One species, Meleagris gallopavo, commonly known as the Wild Turkey, is native to the forests of North America. The domestic turkey is a descendant of this species...
and coyote
Coyote
The coyote , also known as the American jackal or the prairie wolf, is a species of canine found throughout North and Central America, ranging from Panama in the south, north through Mexico, the United States and Canada...
. Mountain lion, bobcat
Bobcat
The bobcat is a North American mammal of the cat family Felidae, appearing during the Irvingtonian stage of around 1.8 million years ago . With twelve recognized subspecies, it ranges from southern Canada to northern Mexico, including most of the continental United States...
, and black bear
American black bear
The American black bear is a medium-sized bear native to North America. It is the continent's smallest and most common bear species. Black bears are omnivores, with their diets varying greatly depending on season and location. They typically live in largely forested areas, but do leave forests in...
are seen less frequently.
Common small animals in Kaibab National Forest include chipmunk
Chipmunk
Chipmunks are small striped squirrels native to North America and Asia. They are usually classed either as a single genus with three subgenera, or as three genera.-Etymology and taxonomy:...
s, ground squirrel
Ground squirrel
The ground squirrels are members of the squirrel family of rodents which generally live on or in the ground, rather than trees. The term is most often used for the medium-sized ground squirrels, as the larger ones are more commonly known as marmots or prairie dogs, while the smaller and less...
s and Abert's squirrel
Abert's Squirrel
Abert's squirrel is a tree squirrel in the genus Sciurus endemic to the Rocky Mountains from United States to Mexico, with concentrations found in Arizona, The Grand Canyon, New Mexico, and southwestern Colorado.-Etymology:The Abert's squirrel is named after Colonel John James Abert, an American...
s. Less common are porcupine
Porcupine
Porcupines are rodents with a coat of sharp spines, or quills, that defend or camouflage them from predators. They are indigenous to the Americas, southern Asia, and Africa. Porcupines are the third largest of the rodents, behind the capybara and the beaver. Most porcupines are about long, with...
s, small lizard
Lizard
Lizards are a widespread group of squamate reptiles, with nearly 3800 species, ranging across all continents except Antarctica as well as most oceanic island chains...
s, and rattlesnake
Rattlesnake
Rattlesnakes are a group of venomous snakes of the genera Crotalus and Sistrurus of the subfamily Crotalinae . There are 32 known species of rattlesnake, with between 65-70 subspecies, all native to the Americas, ranging from southern Alberta and southern British Columbia in Canada to Central...
s. Most common birds are bluebird
Bluebird
The bluebirds are a group of medium-sized, mostly insectivorous or omnivorous birds in the genus Sialia of the thrush family . Bluebirds are one of the few thrush genera in the Americas. They have blue, or blue and red, plumage...
s, robins
American Robin
The American Robin or North American Robin is a migratory songbird of the thrush family. It is named after the European Robin because of its reddish-orange breast, though the two species are not closely related, with the European robin belonging to the flycatcher family...
, Steller's jay
Steller's Jay
The Steller's Jay is a jay native to western North America, closely related to the Blue Jay found in the rest of the continent, but with a black head and upper body. It is also known as the Long-crested Jay, Mountain Jay, and Pine Jay...
s, nuthatch
Nuthatch
The nuthatches are a genus, Sitta, of small passerine birds belonging to the family Sittidae. Characterised by large heads, short tails, and powerful bills and feet, nuthatches advertise their territory using loud, simple songs...
es, flicker
Northern Flicker
The Northern Flicker is a medium-sized member of the woodpecker family. It is native to most of North America, parts of Central America, Cuba, the Cayman Islands, and is one of the few woodpecker species that migrate. There are over 100 common names for the Northern Flicker...
s and other woodpecker
Woodpecker
Woodpeckers are near passerine birds of the order Piciformes. They are one subfamily in the family Picidae, which also includes the piculets and wrynecks. They are found worldwide and include about 180 species....
s, crow
Crow
Crows form the genus Corvus in the family Corvidae. Ranging in size from the relatively small pigeon-size jackdaws to the Common Raven of the Holarctic region and Thick-billed Raven of the highlands of Ethiopia, the 40 or so members of this genus occur on all temperate continents and several...
s, various hummingbird
Hummingbird
Hummingbirds are birds that comprise the family Trochilidae. They are among the smallest of birds, most species measuring in the 7.5–13 cm range. Indeed, the smallest extant bird species is a hummingbird, the 5-cm Bee Hummingbird. They can hover in mid-air by rapidly flapping their wings...
s, raven
Raven
Raven is the common name given to several larger-bodied members of the genus Corvus—but in Europe and North America the Common Raven is normally implied...
s, and a variety of hawk
Hawk
The term hawk can be used in several ways:* In strict usage in Australia and Africa, to mean any of the species in the subfamily Accipitrinae, which comprises the genera Accipiter, Micronisus, Melierax, Urotriorchis and Megatriorchis. The large and widespread Accipiter genus includes goshawks,...
s. Bat
Bat
Bats are mammals of the order Chiroptera "hand" and pteron "wing") whose forelimbs form webbed wings, making them the only mammals naturally capable of true and sustained flight. By contrast, other mammals said to fly, such as flying squirrels, gliding possums, and colugos, glide rather than fly,...
s also occupy the park.
Wilderness
There are four designated wilderness areas in the Kaibab National Forest. Two in the North Kaibab Ranger District and two in the Williams Ranger District.- Kanab Creek WildernessKanab Creek WildernessKanab Creek Wilderness is a wilderness area located along the Coconino/Mohave County line in the U.S. state of Arizona, approximately south of Fredonia...
(North Kaibab Ranger District) - Saddle Mountain Wilderness (North Kaibab Ranger District)
- Kendrick Mountain WildernessKendrick Mountain WildernessKendrick Mountain Wilderness is a wilderness area in the U.S. State of Arizona. It lies north of the city of Flagstaff on the Coconino Plateau in Coconino County. Kendrick Mountain Wilderness was designated a protected Wilderness area by Congress in 1984. About two thirds of the wilderness is...
(Williams Ranger District) - Sycamore Canyon Wilderness (Williams Ranger District)
Attractions
The historic Spring Valley Cabin, near Parks, ArizonaParks, Arizona
Parks is a census-designated place in Coconino County, Arizona, United States. The population was 1,137 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Parks is located at ....
in the Williams Ranger District, is available for rentals through the "Rooms with a View" Arizona Cabin Rental Program. The cabin was built in 1917. It served as the residence for rangers who worked at the guard station. The bunkhouse
Bunkhouse
A bunkhouse is a hostel or barracks-like building that historically was used to house working cowboys on ranches in North America. As most cowboys were young single men, the standard bunkhouse was a large open room with narrow beds or cots for each individual and little privacy...
was the original office.
Located one mile south of the Grand Canyon
Grand Canyon
The Grand Canyon is a steep-sided canyon carved by the Colorado River in the United States in the state of Arizona. It is largely contained within the Grand Canyon National Park, the 15th national park in the United States...
, Hull Cabin is the oldest surviving historic cabin near the Grand Canyon’s south rim. This rustic cabin was built in 1889 as part of a sheep ranch, and was acquired by the Forest Service in 1907 for use as a ranger station. In 1985, the cabin was listed in the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
. Hull Cabin is also available for rentals through the "Rooms with a View" program.