Part of Whiteriver, Hon-Dah & Sunrise, our guide to visiting the Fort Apache Indian Reservation, home of the White Mountain Apache Tribe.
The Fort Apache Indian Reservation is the White Mountain Apache Tribe’s land, about 1.6 million acres from roughly 2,600 ft to 11,400 ft on Mount Baldy, and the Tribe sets the rules: a tribal permit for almost any recreation, closed areas including the Mount Baldy summit, and no drones or commercial filming without permission.
Checked · Edited by Sam Ridley · Sources · How we check
Mount Baldy
The Tribe says Mount Baldy is a sacred mountain and asks non-members to respect it as such; on the reservation it is a closed area. Part of the mountain is in the national forest and can be hiked up to the reservation boundary. The Tribe and the Forest Service ask hikers to turn back at the boundary and not go to the summit.
Closed and Members-Only Areas
- The Mount Baldy area, including roads and picnicking.
- The strip north of SR 260 to the reservation boundary, next to Pinetop-Lakeside and Hon-Dah.
- Salt Banks and its old campground (tribal members only).
- Tonto Lake (tribal members only).
- Seasonal closures on the upper Black River.
How to Visit Well
- Buy a tribal permit before you fish, camp, boat, hike or sightsee, and carry it.
- Ask before photographing people. Sunrise Park Resort bans commercial photography, commercial filming and drones without the consent of the resort or the Tribe.
- No fireworks anywhere on the reservation, and do not take firewood or plants off it.
- Pack out all trash in primitive areas.
- Hike only from designated campgrounds and along perennial streams; ride bikes only on established roads.
The Tribe’s visitor code of conduct is on its tourism site, which we could not open; ask the Tribe (928-338-4346) or a permit vendor about current rules, especially for community events.
Time Zone
The reservation keeps the same Arizona time as Show Low all year, with no daylight saving. The Navajo Nation, farther north, is the part of Arizona that does switch.
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Questions People Ask
Can you hike to the top of Mount Baldy?
The summit is sacred to the White Mountain Apache Tribe and lies in a closed area of the reservation; the Tribe and the Forest Service ask hikers to turn back at the reservation boundary.
Can I fly a drone at Sunrise or on the reservation?
Not without permission: Sunrise Park Resort bans drones, commercial photography and commercial filming without the consent of the resort or the Tribe.
Does the White Mountain Apache reservation observe daylight saving time?
No. It keeps Arizona time all year, the same as Show Low.
Sources
- White Mountain Apache Tribe Game & Fish: FAQ
- White Mountain Apache Tribe Game & Fish: Boating, hiking and other regulations
- White Mountain Apache Tribe Game & Fish: Special use area regulations
- White Mountain Apache Tribe Game & Fish: Camping regulations
- Sunrise Park Resort: Media (photo and drone policy)
- USDA Forest Service: Apache-Sitgreaves National Forests, about the area
- White Mountain Apache Tribe: Contact
Checked October 22, 2026 by It’s Show Low. Cite this page: It’s Show Low (itsshowlow.com), checked October 22, 2026. Free to quote with a link; tables are licensed CC BY 4.0.