Originally known as Lee Valley, Greer was founded by Latter-day Saint Willard Lee and his family in 1879. When the Lee Valley post office was built they requested a shorter name, so Greer (after Americus Vespucius Greer, a town planner who had recently moved to the area) was settled on and the small community continued to gradually develop.[6][7] In 1897, a single-room schoolhouse was built. A church, library, and restaurants were later built including Molly Butler Lodge and Restaurant, which is the oldest guest lodge and restaurant in Arizona. Today there are multiple resorts, rental cabins, a general store, and two fire stations.
Just west of Greer is the remnants of the Apache Railway. The railway spanned from Holbrook near Interstate 40 and traveled south traveling through Snowflake, Pinetop-Lakeside and McNary before reaching the logging camp at Maverick, Arizona, south of Greer. Logging operations started in 1918 and in 1964 the White Mountain Scenic Railroad operated on the line. The scenic railroad ceased operations in 1976 and in 1982 the line from Maverick to McNary was removed.[citation needed]
Surrounding the town, the scars of the Wallow Fire can be seen. The massive wildfire started in the White Mountains near Alpine, Arizona on May 29, 2011, due to the mismanagement of a campfire. The communities of Alpine, Blue River, Greer, Nutrioso, Sunrise, Springerville, and Eagar, Arizona, as well as Luna, New Mexico were evacuated. On June 8, 2011, the Wallow Fire reached the town of Greer and destroyed multiple buildings but most of the structures in town remain intact. The fire continued to grow till July 8 at 6 p.m., when it declared 100% contained. The fire destroyed 72 building and injured 16 wildland firefighters. It burned 522,642 acres (2,115 km2) in Arizona and 15,407 acres (62 km2) in New Mexico, becoming the largest wildfire in Arizona history surpassing the Rodeo-Chediski Fire which burned 468,638 acres along the Mogollon Rim in 2002.[citation needed]
Greer sits at 8,356 feet in elevation and is located in the White Mountains of Arizona near the New Mexico border. It is surrounded by the Apache Sitgreaves National Forest and The little Colorado River flows through the center of town. Its position in the valley of the Little Colorado River near various lakes means that temperatures are significantly milder than surrounding areas.
While Greer is a four-hour drive from Phoenix and a four-and-a-half hour drive from Tucson, it remains one of the most popular summer vacation destinations in Arizona as it is consistently 20-30 °F cooler than the deserts. Greer is about 20 minutes or 16 miles (26 km) south of Springerville and Eagar, accessed by paved road via Highways 260 and 373. From Show Low and Pinetop-Lakeside, it is 40 miles (64 km) or approximately a 45-minute drive east using Highways 260 and 373. Greer is home to Sunrise Ski Resort, the largest ski park in the state. The resort has 7 lifts that span over 3 mountains, Apache peak (11,100 ft), Cyclone Peak (10,700 ft), and Sunrise peak (10,700 ft).
Climate
Access to Greer in the winter
Greer has a Humid continental climate (Köppen Dsb) with warm summers coupled with chilly nights and cold, snowy winters. Due to its high elevation at more the 8,000 feet (2,438 m) summer temperatures range from the mid 60s to high 70s but the area will occasionally reach temperatures around 80 °F (27 °C) or higher. During the summer months, monsoon storms develop daily in the late morning and early afternoon hours, bringing heavy rain, strong wind, thunder, lightning, and even hail. These thunderstorms help lower temperatures of the surrounding areas. In July, the average high temperature is 76.0 °F (24.4 °C) with an average low temperature of 46.8 °F (8.2 °C) and in January, the average high temperature is 42.6 °F (5.9 °C) with an average low temperature of 13.5 °F (−10.0 °C).
Winters are harsh with nighttime lows in the single digits and daytime temps in the 40s. Snowstorms and flurries are common during the winter months. Greer gets 97.5 inches (248 cm) of snowfall annually and accumulating snow can reach up to 6 feet. Ice forms on the surrounding lakes in late November and doesn't thaw till early March. The White Mountains is one of the coldest and wettest places in the state. The official all-time record low in Arizona history was recorded at −40 °F/°C near Hawley lake on January 7, 1971. White Mountains also holds the record for most precipitation in a calendar year at 58.92 inches (1496.6 mm)
Greer is home to few resident individuals or families with a year-round population of just 58 as of the 2020 census. in the Summer the population jumps to around 1,000 people. Many of the homes in the area are cabins or summer getaways for Phoenix and Tucson locals, due to the cooler temperatures. The ZIP code for Greer is 85927 and the area code is 928.
Greer is 0.53 square miles. The median age is 61.5 years and the median household income is $76,114. There are 236 households in the area and 770 housing units which 30.6% are occupied. The median price of an owner occupied housing unit is $584,700. 90% of the people are married.
White Mountain Lakes (Big Lake, Reservation Lake, Sunrise Lake, Lee Valley lake, Crescent lake) Large lakes offering trophy trout fishing, boating, and camping
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