Tonto National Forest

Tonto National Forest
IUCN category VI (protected area with sustainable use of natural resources)
Location	Gila, Maricopa, Yavapai, and Pinal counties, Arizona, USA
Nearest city	Payson, Arizona
Coordinates	33°50′40″N 111°17′04″W / 33.8443241°N 111.2845025°W / 33.8443241; -111.2845025Coordinates: 33°50′40″N 111°17′04″W / 33.8443241°N 111.2845025°W / 33.8443241; -111.2845025
Area	2,873,200 acres (11,627 km2)
Established	1905
Visitors	5,922,000 (in 2005)
Governing body	United States Forest Service
Website	Tonto National Forest

The Tonto National Forest, encompassing 2,873,200 acres (1,162,700 ha), is the largest of the six national forests in Arizona and is the fifth largest national forest in the United States. The Tonto National Forest has diverse scenery, with elevations ranging from 1,400 feet (427 m) in the Sonoran Desert to 7,400 feet (2,256 m) in the ponderosa pine forests of the Mogollon Rim (pronounced MOH-gee-on, or MUH-gee-own). The Tonto National Forest is also the most visited "urban" forest in the United States. The boundaries of the Tonto National Forest are the Phoenix metropolitan area to the south, the Mogollon Rim to the north and the San Carlos and Fort Apache Indian Reservation to the east. The Tonto (Spanish for "fool") is managed by the USDA Forest Service and its headquarters are in Phoenix. There are local ranger district offices in Globe, Mesa, Payson, Roosevelt, Scottsdale, and Young.

Many wildlife species inhabit the forest including raccoons, bald eagles, black bears, coyotes, skunks, bobcats, roadrunners, prairie falcons, white-tailed deer, long-eared owls, mule deer, red-tailed hawks, Great blue herons, cougars, barn owls, ring-tailed cats, kestrels, pronghorns, and javelinas.