Active Pursuits in Springerville and Eagar

For a chance to see pronghorn antelope, elk, and mule deer, head south of Eagar to the Sipe White Mountain Wildlife Area. This 1,362-acre grassy valley at the foot of the White Mountains was once a cattle ranch, and today the old ranch house serves as a visitor center (open daily 8am to 5pm from mid-May to mid-October). Several miles of hiking trails wind through forest and pasture and past lakes and ponds. There’s good bird-watching here, too, especially for hummingbirds. Be aware that hunting is allowed on the property in season. Sipe is 5 miles down a gravel road that begins 2 miles south of Eagar off U.S. 180/191. For more information, contact the Arizona Game & Fish Department, Pinetop Regional Office, 2878 E. White Mountain Blvd., in Pinetop (www.azgfd.com; tel. 928/367-4281).

Off Ariz. 260 between Eagar and Greer (take CR 4124), the X Diamond Ranch (www.xdiamondranch.net; tel. 928/333-2286; see below) maintains a section of the Little Colorado River as a fly-fishing stream. The half-day fishing rate is $40, while a full day costs $50.