San Carlos Apache Tribe

Gila County

The San Carlos Apache Indian Reservation spans Gila,
Graham, and Pinal Counties in southeastern Arizona,
roaming over a landscape that ranges from alpine meadows
to desert. Encompassing 1,834,781 acres, the San Carlos
Apache Reservation was established by executive order on
November 9, 1871.

Over one-third of the community’s land is forested
(175,000 acres) or wooded (665,000) acres). Forest
lands, with their jumbled topography, create a naturally
superior habitat for many wildlife species causing elk,
mule deer, turkeys, black bear and mountain lion to be at
home on this reservation. A portion of the reservation is
contiguous with the largest stand of ponderosa pines in the world.

The Apaches are descendent of the Athabascan family
who migrated to the Southwest in the 10th century.
Over time, many bands of Apache were relocated to the
reservation from their traditional homelands, which once
extended through Arizona and New Mexico.

Currently the largest employer on the reservation is
the government which operates many agencies there.
In addition to government work, cattle ranching operations
contribute approximately $1 million in annual livestock sales.