Packard Ranch – Coconino National Forest

Fewer than 10 miles from Clarkdale lies the 139-acre Packard Ranch, a side door into the Coconino and Prescott National Forests. Here, at the confluence of Sycamore Creek and the Verde River, it’s easy to forget civilization—and just as easy to forget that until recently the future of this land was in question. A private inholding—a “hole in the donut” of a protected landscape, Packard Ranch’s protection was critical to the health of two perennially-running waterways, rarities in Arizona where clean, safe drinking water is one of the State’s gravest worries. In January 2012, TPL transferred ownership of all 139 acres to the National Forest.

The Trust for Public Land has a long history of working in the Coconino National Forest, dating back to 1980 when we began assisting the U.S. Forest Service with acquiring high-priority conservation properties from willing sellers. Over the years, TPL has protected land adjacent to the Red Rock Secret Mountain Wilderness Area, expanded visitor access to the Woo Ranch property near Red Canyon, and protected important archaeological resources in the Lincoln Canyon area.