Many people think that southern Arizona is a land of only harsh deserts.
But the region is hardly a desert in the traditional sense of the word. In fact, this part of Arizona has a wealth of habitats, from dry deserts to tawny grasslands to lush pine forests, and many more in between. The Chiricahua Mountains of far southeastern Arizona are the single largest range in the state, rising from 3,000-foot desert and grassland plains to 9,796 feet at its highest point, Chiricahua Peak, and stretching 40 miles long by 20 miles wide. On the eastern side of the range are vast plains of Chihuahuan desert and grassland. The great diversity of the plants and animals of the Chiricahuas evolved because of this bio-geographical mix, and because of distinct regional climate patterns.