The Southwest desert is full of Sky Island mountain ranges that rise up from a sagebrush-covered floor, harboring plant and animal species that in many cases are unique to that particular range. The isolated Chiricahua Mountains, located in the southeast corner of Arizona near the New Mexico and Mexican borders, are home to dozens of plant species found nowhere else, thriving in three ecological regions made up of desert valley, canyons, and mountain highlands.
     The High Chiricahua landscape is spectacular, as seen in this early-morning desert scene taken near the small hamlet of Portal, Arizona, the eastern gateway to the Chiricahuas. This arid land falls between the Sonoran and Chihuahuan desert regions, two of the four North American deserts. These desert lands, which also include the highlands, are unlike real islands that show distinct borders. This area also comes with a storied history, being the home of the Chiricahua Apaches and their famous leaders, Geronimo and Cochise.