The rolling plateau country sloping toward the Little Colorado is heavily scored with deep box canyons often hundreds of feet deep and frequently inaccessible for long distances.  Most of the permanent surface water is found in these canyons, and the general drainage is through them down to the lower plains bordering the river.  The greater part of this portion of the reserve is covered with yellow pine forests, below which is a belt, varying greatly in width, of pinons, cedars and junipers, interspersed with a more or less abundant growth of gramma grass.  This belt of scrubby conifers contains many open grassy areas, and nearer the river gives way to continuous broad grassy plains.  Nowhere in this district, either among the yellow pines or in the lower country, is there much surface water, and a large share of the best watering places are occupied by sheep owners.

The wild and rugged slopes of Tonto Basin, with their southerly exposure, have a more arid character than the area just described.  On these slopes yellow pines soon give way to pinons, cedars and junipers, and many scrubby oaks and various species of hardy bushes.  The watering places are scarce until the bottom of the basin is approached.  Tonto Basin and its slopes are also occupied by numerous sheep herds, especially in winter.

There are several small settlements of farmers, sheep and cattle growers within the limits of the narrow strip connecting the larger parts of the reserve, notably Show Low, Pinetop and Linden.  The wagon road from Holbrook, on the Santa Fe Pacific Railroad, to the military post at Camp Apache, on the White Mountain Indian Reservation, passes through this strip by way of Show Low.  The old trails through Sunset Pass to Camp Verde and across “The Rim” into Tonto Basin traverse the northern part of the reserve, and are used by stockmen and others at short intervals, except in midwinter.

The climate of this section of the reserve is rather arid in summer, the rainfall being much more uncertain than in the more elevated areas about the San Francisco Mountains to the northwest and the White Mountains to the southeast.  The summers are usually hot and dry, the temperature being modified, however, by the altitude.  Rains sometimes occur during July and August, but are more common in the autumn, when they are often followed by abundant snowfall.  During some seasons snow falls to a depth of three or more feet on a level in the yellow pine forests, and remains until spring.  During other seasons, however, the snowfall is insignificant, and much of the ground remains bare during the winter, especially on southern exposures.  As a matter of course, the lower slope of the pinon belt and the grassy plains of the Little Colorado, both of which lie outside of the reserve, have less and less snow, according to the altitude, and it never remains for any very considerable time.  On the southern exposure, facing Tonto Basin, the snow is still less permanent.  The winter in the yellow pine belt extends from November to April.