ARIZONA CENTRAL HIGHLANDS
S
ome scholars claim Prescott is an historical accident. Place climate, geology and humans together and almost anything can happen. Those who live here know that, over the millennia, people have been coming to the Prescott area for a good reason: It’s one of the world’s great places.
CENTRAL HIGHLANDS
The Central Highlands stands as a broad swath of land roughly a mile high and more in elevation, a tall uplift at the very heart of Arizona.
With alternating pine-clad mountains and broad, brushy valleys, this is lush, verdant country compared to the arid Sonoran Desert to the south and the Colorado Plateau to the north. As storm clouds track north from the Gulf of California, these collide with the great wall of the Mogollon Rim, marking the southern limit of the Colorado Plateau. Meeting that barrier, clouds turn southward again, shedding rain on the region laced with rivers and streams that feed great forests of ponderosa pine, juniper, oak, manzanita, agave and other plant species green zones that in turn sustain a wealth of diverse animal species. Elevation, airflow and moisture combine to give the high country a fine, even climate that is neither excessively hot in the summer nor excessively cold in the winter. At its core is Prescott, a popular destination where residents and visitors meld together to enjoy the culture, history, activities and events.
Northeast view of Thumb Butte, with Bradshaw Mountains in background.
Territorial Seal of Arizona, courtesy © Sharlot Hall Museum
Map 200, U.S. Geologic Society, 1955, courtesy © Sharlot Hall Museum archives