Arizona’s sweeping desert landscape as a landlocked state in the American Southwest offers ample opportunities for farmland, ranchland, timberland, and pure exploration.
Arizona History
Prehistoric people farmed and hunted the lands we know today as Arizona, building underground irrigation systems and leaving their mark on the landscape. After long periods of both Spanish and Mexican conquest, American mountaineers began to enter Arizona in search of beaver. In 1850, the Territory of New Mexico was established, including present-day Arizona territory.
Initially incorporated in 1881, the capital city of Phoenix lies in the southern center of the state in the center of the region nicknamed the Valley of the Sun - for a good reason, as it sees over 299 days of sun each year. South of Phoenix lies spacious ranch and farmland peppering the valleys and flatlands with rising ranges such as the Maricopa, Eagletail, and Sierra Estrella mountains.
Nine million surface acres of land have been endowed into the Arizona State Trust, granting foundational support to the community through regulating public services such as institutions and penitentiaries.
Arizona Hunting Land
Some of the nation's most diverse hunting opportunities can be found in Arizona, including ten big-game species (pronghorn, black bear, bison, bighorn sheep, elk, javelina, turkey, mountain lion, mule deer, white-tailed deer) and several small-game species (among them, band-tailed pigeon, dusky grouse, cottontail rabbit, dove, pheasant, quail, sandhill crane, tree squirrel, and chukar).
With its vast network of streams and rivers, fishing is also an excellent draw for outdoor enthusiasts; Alamo Lake State Park in the Sonoran desert is considered the best destination for largemouth bass fishing in North America.
In Southeast Arizona, vast grasslands expand toward the Mexico border. This corner of the state offers small bodies of water nestled between rolling hills dotted with oak trees and can be fished for bass, bluegill, and catfish in the summer and trout in the winter.
Arizona Ranch Land
Ranchers in Arizona are responsible for producing some of the best-quality beef in the nation.
Totaling nearly 1,000,000 head of cattle, Arizona’s ranches account for more than just cattle and cow-calf ranch operations. Efforts also include processing, finishing, leather, and hide tanning. Arizona cattle ranchers are leaders in sustainability efforts, ensuring conservation and stewardship of stock, wildlife, and natural resources are paramount.
Arizona ranchers also help produce some of the country’s highest dairy yields. Home to the nation’s largest milk marketing cooperative, The United Dairymen of Arizona, the state of Arizona offers ample opportunities for investment in dairy farming and surrounding industries.
Arizona Farm Land
Equal parts forest and farmland at 26 million acres each, Arizona defies assumptions. Throughout Arizona’s 19,000 farms and ranches, cattle are raised in every county in the state, and agricultural opportunities continue to rise. Alongside cattle, citrus and cotton remain some essential crops farmed in Arizona soil. Arizona is also the third-largest producer of fresh market vegetables nationwide and the fourth-largest producer of organic vegetables.
Arizona Water Rights and Arizona Waterways
While primarily known as a desert landscape – including four of the country’s deserts, the Sonoran, Mohave, Chihuahuan, and Great Basin Deserts – Arizona has created and protected its water resources to support agriculture and industry. A network of rivers and streams support irrigation: The Colorado, Verde, Salt, Gila, San Pedro, Santa Cruz, and Little Colorado Rivers provide water access. Tributaries and streams also contribute to the health of these rivers and waterways.
Arizona employs a “first in time, first in right” doctrine for surface water use for the benefit of agriculture, ponds, stock watering, power, and more; learn more about the public water code and surface water permitting through the Arizona Department of Water Resources website. Land for sale in Arizona including water can be found throughout the state.
Arizona Mineral Rights
The Bureau of Land Management manages mining and mineral collection in Arizona. With over 45,000 gold, silver, copper, and hard rock mineral mining claims on Arizona’s public land and several salable materials, including sand, gravel, stone, and clay, still available, mineral rights in Arizona are still a key component of land value.
Arizona Industry & Recreation
Visitors enter the state through Northeast Arizona through the four corners where Arizona meets Utah, Colorado, and New Mexico. This region is also home to The Colorado Plateau, a geographical wonder comprised of a series of tablelands (plateaus or mesas) located within an immense basin surrounded by highlands. Stream valleys typically narrow and widely spaced dissect the region, as do more extensive valleys, including the most spectacular – the Grand Canyon. Grand Canyon National Park encompasses 278 miles of the Colorado River and adjacent uplands. Located in the ancestral homeland of 11 Associated Tribes, Grand Canyon is one of the most spectacular examples of erosion anywhere in the world—unmatched in the incomparable vistas it offers visitors on the rim.
Throughout Northern Arizona, vast evergreen forests of pine, Douglas fir, and spruce host ski resort towns of Flagstaff, Alpine, and Tuscon.
Ready to find land for sale in Arizona?
From its desert landscapes to lush wooded forests, Arizona offers more than meets the eye to ranchers, hunters, fishermen, and farmers.
