Fort Apache Historic Park

Tour well-preserved ruins and a historic military outpost at this Apache Wars-era settlement.

The forests and rivers near present-day Pinetop-Lakeside sustained the Apache people and their ancestors for thousands of years. Tour the remnants of Fort Apache, which include nearly 30 buildings from the 1870s to the 1930s. The self-guided walking and driving tour spans multiple blocks in this small enclave at the bottom of a canyon. Visitors can pick up a map at the museum and explore this interesting historic district at their own pace.

Tour the Fort

Check in at the Apache Cultural Center & Museum before touring the grounds of Fort Apache. In the museum, permanent and rotating exhibits plus historic photographs and documents present the story of the White Mountain Apache Tribe. At the museum gift shop, secure a piece of authentic Apache art such as handwoven willow baskets and turquoise beaded jewelry. On the grounds, see military barracks and a historic Bureau of Indian Affairs boarding school. The oldest structure on the fort is General Crook’s Cabin, which dates to 1871. Other preserved structures were used to house U.S. Army officers and their families in this remote outpost.

Visit Kinishba Ruins National Historic Landmark

Admission to the museum and historic park includes access to Kinishba Ruins. Located four miles west of Fort Apache, the ancient pueblo structure was occupied by the Apache’s Zuni and Hopi ancestors. Before exploring the prehistoric ruins, visitors can walk the 1.4-mile loop trail through East Fork Canyon to see the remnants of an Apache scout camp and a small Ancestral Pueblo village.

Explore More in the Area

A scenic loop drive on Highway 73 passes through one of the largest tribal lands in the nation. Visit the area’s top gaming destination and luxury resort lodge at Hon-Dah Resort Casino, less than an hour north near Pinetop-Lakeside. The remote Hawley Lake and more accessible Sunrise Lake offer mountain hikes and water recreation in the spring and summer. Winter recreation comes into play at Mt. Baldy, where visitors shred at the state’s largest ski area, Sunrise Park Resort. For visitors driving from the Phoenix area, the route north on Highway 60 passes through Arizona’s “other Grand Canyon.” The surprising spectacle of Salt River Canyon climbs some 2,000 feet from the rocky riverbed to pine forests along the Mogollon Rim.