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San Carlos Apache Reservation
Western Apache homeland on the Gila River
The San Carlos Apache Reservation covers about 2,900 square miles of desert, grassland and pine country in east-central Arizona. It was created by executive orders in 1871 and 1872, and in the 1870s and 1880s the Army forcibly concentrated many Apache bands here in conditions so harsh the place was nicknamed 'Hell's Forty Acres.' Today it is home to the San Carlos Apache Tribe, Western Apache people who call themselves Ndee, 'the people,' with about 10,000 residents and a tribal seat at San Carlos.
San Carlos Lake, formed by Coolidge Dam on the Gila River, is one of the largest bodies of water in Arizona, and Peridot Mesa on the reservation is one of the world's most productive sources of gem peridot. Cattle ranching, timber, hunting permits and the Apache Gold Casino support the economy. The tribe has led a long fight against the Resolution Copper mine at Oak Flat, a sacred site to the west of the reservation. Despite years of litigation, the federal government transferred Oak Flat to the mining company in March 2026, and related lawsuits continue.