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St. Johns,
Arizona
St. Johns, is ideally located for a variety of activities in the White Mountains. St. Johns lays claim to a high quality of life for a community its size and offers a wide range of community facilities. There are city parks, a library, a museum, a recreation center, swimming pool, lighted tennis and handball courts, and a Little League park. Within 15 minutes of St. Johns, golfers can enjoy 18 holes at the Concho Valley Golf Course, one of six courses in the White Mountain area.
The Capital of the White Mountains, St. Johns is the hub of equine activities throughout the spring and summer months. The St. Johns Equestrian Center is becoming one of the premier equestrian centers in the Southwest. The center is centrally located for horses and riders from Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, Nevada, and Southern California. St. Johns is perfect for equestrian competition and plays host to local, regional, and southwest area events in both Western and English riding styles. Rodeo, show rings, dressage rings, a covered sales arena, and equipment are available for leasing. RV facilities and stabling for over 150 horses are located on the center grounds.
 Lyman Lake State Park, just south of St. Johns, is the most versatile water recreation site in the northern portion of the state. Lyman Lake offers launch ramps and a boat dock. There are no boat size restrictions. Water skiing in uncrowded surroundings, wind surfing, sailing, and swimming beaches offer water enthusiasts a wide range of activities. Great fishing, along with hiking trails (including one that takes you on a petroglyph tour) are appealing to outdoor enthusiasts. Full service RV hook-ups, and campsites with showers and restrooms are available. A herd of buffalo roaming over 100 acres of rolling hills are one of the unique attractions you will find.
 One of the finest museums in the White Mountains is located in St. Johns. The Apache County Historical Society Museum houses a variety of displays, including a set of prehistoric Wooly Mammoth tusks and a camels leg bone--both estimated to be approximately 24,000 years old!
If you enjoy picnicking, you will find St. Johns City Park is a jewel in the White Mountains. The park is located in the heart of St. Johns on six acres of rolling hills. The park offers covered ramadas, racquetball and tennis courts, plus a large outdoor swimming pool.
St. Johns is a city with something for everyone. Annual events include: Buffalo Daze, San Juan Fiesta, Fourth of July Celebration, Pioneer Days, St. Johns SummerFest (crafts/auto shows), Apache County Fair, and numerous equestrian activities.
The shortest and most scenic route from Phoenix to Albuquerque is through St. Johns. The Petrified Forest National Park, about 43 miles NW of St. Johns, contains the largest and most spectacular forest of petrified logs on earth. Adjacent to the Petrified Forest is the famous Painted Desert. The Blue Hills (about three miles north of St. Johns) have interesting formations or layers of blue, red, and white painted desert clay. Agate beds and dinosaur teeth have been found in the vicinity. Of particular interest are the prehistoric dwellings, petroglyph trails and archaeological programs for excavation opportunities. Recently an archaeological corridor was completed.
Within an hour's drive are the Apache, Zuni, and Navajo reservations. Less than an hour's drive south of St. Johns is the Apache Sitgreaves National Forest. The Forest contains many primitive areas, rivers, lakes, and streams. Backpacking, hiking, hunting, and fishing are ideal activities in the Apache Sitgreaves National Forest.
St. Johns (Navajo: Tsézhin Deezʼáhí is the only city in and the county seat of Apache County, Arizona, United States.[It is located along U.S. Route 180, mostly west of where that highway intersects with U.S. Route 191. According to 2006 Census Bureau estimates, the population of the city was 3,538.
St. Johns was first settled in 1873 by the Barth Brothers. They were bought out in 1879 by Ammon M. Tenney.
St. Johns has been the county seat for almost all of the county's history. When the county was created on February 24, 1879, Snowflake was designated the county seat. After the first election in fall 1879, county government was set up in St. Johns, though it was moved again in 1880, to Springerville; in 1882 St. Johns again became the county seat, and it has remained so ever since. |
