Pine/Strawberry Arizona – Small Town of the Week

Pine, Arizona

Pine is an unincorporated community and census-designated place in Gila County, Arizona, United States. The population was 1,963 at the 2010 census.Pine was established by four Mormon families in 1879.

Pine and the adjacent community of Strawberry are rapidly growing vacation and retirement centers in north-central Arizona, below the Mogollon Rim. Pine’s elevation is 5,448 feet, and the Pine post office was established in 1884.

This small community that hugs the scenic Mogollon Rim between Payson and Camp Verde continues to thrive.

Notable sights within town include the historic post office, established in 1884, and the Pine-Strawberry Museum, which opened in 1979 and takes its name from Pine and its sister community of Strawberry. Featuring artifacts that focus on the prehistory and history of towns, this gem is a must-see during your visit.

The small, side-by-side communities of Pine and Strawberry fan out along Highway 87, inviting passersby to stop, explore and do some serious forest bathing in the dense woods that envelop the area. Named for the abundance of Ponderosas and wild berries, these two-mile-high towns sit just below north-central Arizona’s Mogollon Rim, where ​indigenous ​peoples found the forest and abundance of streams to be life-giving, as did Mormon pioneers, who settled the area to farm and ranch in the late 1800s. Today, second-homers and road trippers flock to the area for its history, small-town charms and outdoor adventures.

More than 100 miles of trails spiral out from Pine and Strawberry, which is why you’ll see people in hiking and mountain biking gear trekking through the towns. Pine is considered a gateway community to access the Arizona Trail, which runs 800 miles through Arizona from the borders of Mexico to Utah. Not quite up to 800 miles? Just do a short segment of the trail, or try other options for hiking near Pine, like the picturesque Highline Trail along the Mogollon Rim or the more moderate and mountain bike-friendly Bearfoot Trail.

Strawberry, Arizona

Strawberry is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in Gila County, Arizona, United States. The population was 961 at the 2010 census.

Strawberry has some amenities, including a grocery market with “a little bit of everything” and an array of motels and resturants. In Pine, there are more businesses catering to the tourists and residents alike. For instance, there are gas stations, real estate agencies, and a post office that Pine and Strawberry share. And in the nearest “big” town, Payson, there are medical facilities, a Wal-Mart, and numerous other places to shop and eat

The history of Strawberry is a varied one. Indians such as the Tonto Apaches and the Southeastern Yavapai inhabited the Strawberry area until the 1860’s, when the Civil War and increased armed soldiers in the area forced the Indians to disperse. When these armies came through the area, General George Crook in their lead, they blazed new trails and roads to an otherwise uninhabited area.

Gold was discovered in the Strawberry area around 1875 and that began the influx of settlers to the area. Mormon settlement began in 1878 and continued until 1890. It was these first settlers that gave Strawberry its colorful name, taken from the numerous wild strawberries that inhabited the area. Because of the rough topography of the area, settlers found it almost impossible to come from the north into Strawberry until around 1878. Therefore, most settlement up to this time came from the south. After that, new trails were pounded and settlement began to increase from the northern reaches of the state.

Fossil Creek

Fossil Creek is a day-use area open year-round. Permits are required April 1 through October 1. During the spring/summer season, entry gates open at 8 a.m. and close at 4 p.m., but visitors can exit the gate until 8 p.m. During the fall/winter season (October 2–March 31), parking permits are not required, and entry gates are open 24 hours a day weather permitting. The Camp Verde entrance is highly recommended in the summer since the hike to the creek is much shorter. When temperatures heat up, the Bob Bear Trail from Strawberry should only be done by experienced hikers.