Pine and Strawberry are rapidly growing unincorporated vacation and retirement centers located about 110 miles northeast of Phoenix. The area has four seasons, but none are severe; although snow falls in the winter, it usually melts quickly. As vacation and retirement centers, the commercial sectors of both communities rely heavily on weekend tourists and second-home residents. With the growth in the area, light industry manufacturing development is being encouraged. Some residents travel to Payson for employment; however, most non tourist-related income comes from construction and service-related businesses.

The beautiful pine-clad country around Pine and Strawberry and the Blue Ridge Reservoir, Bear Canyon Lake and Knoll Lake offer many recreational opportunities and facilities. Forest service campgrounds in the 7,000-foot Mogollon Rim area are plentiful. Fisherman can enjoy abundant trout streams. Hunting of elk, deer, turkey, antelope, bear and mountain lions is permitted. Scenic drives in the area abound. Two prime examples include Control Road that winds along the base of the Mogollon Rim, and Mogollon Rim Road, part of the historical General Crook Military Road, which follows along the edge of the rim. Another must-see site is the Tonto Natural Bridge. This natural wonder is the largest travertine bridge in the world and is operated as a state park.

The Pine-Strawberry Schoolhouse was built in 1885 and classes were held here until 1916. It now is an Arizona State Historical Site. Visitors are welcome on weekends from May through September.

Hikers, horseback riders and backpackers can enjoy scenic Pine Trailhead located at the southern edge of Pine. There is also a walking tour of historic buildings in Pine and Strawberry. The Chamber of Commerce and the Historical Society host a Strawberry Festival on the same day in June that the Kiwanis Club sponsors a Chili Cook-off. A shuttle bus provides transportation between the two events. The Chamber also hosts a fireworks display on July 2.

Other local events include an Old-Fashioned Ice Cream Social sponsored by the Homemakers on July 22 followed by the community picnic on July 23. On each Saturday of three holiday weekends (Memorial Day, the Fourth of July and Labor Day), there is an early morning Cowboy Breakfast sponsored by the Tonto Rim Search and Rescue Squad as well as arts and craft festivals. Pine also hosts the Pine Country Fair.

Because the Rim Country of Central Arizona is 97% government land, the entire area is very much under populated. In fact, far more elk live in the area than humans. Most of the land is designated National Forest including the Tonto National Forest, The Coconino National Forest, and the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest.

Before the turn of the century, homesteaders picked out a few nice spots to carve out a living. Today, most of those homesteads have been cut into smaller parcels and sold to people who want a piece of paradise. If you look at a map of the Rim Country, you quickly notice there a few small "white spots" on the map. These spots indicate private land. As a result, everyone living in this area, whether "in town" or out, is but a few blocks to a mile or so from the National Forest.

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