
BLACK RIVER IN GILA COUNTY, ARIZONA
The Black River is a 114-mile-long (183 km) river that forms southwest of Alpine in Arizona's White Mountains and flows southwest then northwest to meet the White River west of Fort Apache on the White Mountain Apache Tribal Lands. The merged streams form the Salt River, a major tributary of the Gila River.
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From source to mouth, the river flows through Apache, Greenlee, Graham, Navajo and Gila counties.
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Along its lower reaches, the Black River is the boundary between the Fort Apache Indian Reservation on the north and the San Carlos Indian Reservation on the south. The river also passes near the Bear Wallow Wilderness, through which flows one of the river's tributaries, Bear Wallow Creek.
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​Some of the places along the lower river are difficult to reach. Many of the roads in the area are unpaved and unmarked on major maps. But make no mistake this is one of the most wild and scenic rivers on the planet boasting great fishing and wildlife encounters. Mountain lion, black bear, trophy elk and more are often seen here.