August 23, 2026
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Welcome to the neighborhood
Life among the pines.
A close-knit mountain community surrounded by Prescott National Forest.
Community Notice
Berm Busters — neighbors helping neighbors
Volunteers help clear snow-plow berms so neighbors can safely access their homes.
VolunteerOur mountain home
Rooted in nature.
Connected by community.
Highland Pines is a unique neighborhood tucked into the Sierra Prieta Mountains west of Prescott. Our association keeps residents informed, helps neighbors connect, and advocates for the community we all call home.
Discover our storyResident resources
What do you need today?
Important information and local resources, gathered in one place.
01
Firewise
Prepare your home and property for wildfire season.
View information → 02Events & Notices
Stay current on meetings and neighborhood activities.
See what's happening → 04Useful Links
Emergency alerts, utilities, government services, local news, and recreation resources.
Browse resources → 03Contact HPPOA
Reach the board with a question, concern, or idea.
Send a message →Wildfire preparedness
Are you ready?
Highland Pines is a high-hazard fire environment. Preparing before a wildfire occurs can help protect your family, guests, home, and community.
Highland Pines Firewise Committee guide · March 2023 · 16 pages
Prepare before an emergency
- 01Create defensible space
Remove debris and combustible vegetation near structures.
- 02Make a wildfire plan
Prepare a grab-and-go kit and know both evacuation routes.
- 03Sign up for alerts
Receive official emergency notifications from Yavapai County.
Report a fireCall 911
Community leadership
HPPOA Board
The HPPOA Board of Directors consists of nine members elected by dues-paying households. Elections are held annually, with directors serving staggered three-year terms.
The directors appoint the association's President, Vice President, Secretary, and Treasurer.
Working for Highland Pines
Nine neighbors. One shared purpose.
HPPOA serves the common good of Highland Pines rather than enforcing homeowner-association rules. The board represents residents in community matters involving Yavapai County, the U.S. Forest Service, and the Water Company.
- RoadsIdentifies neighborhood road and signage issues and works with Yavapai County toward solutions.
- Community RelationsConnects with residents and brings community questions or concerns to the Board.
- Volunteer Records & RecognitionTracks resident participation and recognizes the neighbors who volunteer their time.
- FirewiseHelps residents improve property wildfire preparedness, coordinates Chipper Days, and works with county and U.S. Forest Service partners.
- Fire SafetyReviews the neighborhood and surrounding forest for fire rings and other potential hazards.
- MembershipEncourages HPPOA membership and maintains membership and dues records.
- Grant AdministrationIdentifies, applies for, and manages grants supporting Firewise and other community projects.
- Litter LiftersOrganizes volunteer neighborhood litter-cleanup days.
- ForesterPrepares and publishes the community's Forester newsletter.
2026–2027 Board & Committee Chairs
- Nelson RossPresident602-762-1214
- Paul CarrVice President602-510-8462
- Peter TysonTreasurer609-647-6456
- Betsy HibbsSecretary602-558-4528
- Nina WilliamsMembership Chairman623-826-3506
- Darren OstenFire Safety760-815-2273
- Doug McLaughlinLitter Lifters619-843-3847
- Chris MooreRole TBD703-608-9042
- Neil GershmanRole TBD602-284-7838
Community blog
News from Highland Pines
Neighborhood updates, practical information, and stories from around the community.
Our history
From mining claims
to mountain community.
More than a century of prospectors, ranchers, builders, and neighbors shaped the place we know today as Highland Pines.
The Derby claims
Indiana-born lawyer George Young came west and became a newspaperman, teacher, political figure, and gold prospector. He acquired 25 claims in the Sierra Prieta Mountains and organized the Derby Mining Company.
The Puritan closes
The last promising claim, the Puritan Mine west of today's Skyline Drive, closed after operating a stamp mill and a 350-foot shaft. The square house that served as mining-camp headquarters still remains.
A family property
After George Young's death, the patented claims passed through his family. Helen Young Brown and her husband sold them to John P. Lichter in 1948; Lichter sold the property to J. Earl Wilson in 1955.
Highland Pines begins
Wilson and Elmer Winternheimer formed Highland Pine Properties and began surveying and selling lots. Plat A, along upper Skyline Drive and Valley View, became the first section of the present neighborhood.
A growing neighborhood
A land exchange helped square the community's boundaries, and an agreement brought City of Prescott water up the mountain. HPPOA formed in 1973; Plat J followed in 1977 and Plat K in 1979.
Preserving our home
The Highland Pines Domestic Water Improvement District was created in 1991. Today, paved and plowed roads wind through a forest community where HPPOA connects residents with Yavapai County and neighbors help neighbors.
The Highland Pines story
George Young's path to Arizona was as varied as the landscape itself. Trained as a lawyer, he worked in newspapers in Williams, partnered with Buckey O'Neill in the unsuccessful Grand Canyon Railway venture, taught school, and eventually pursued gold in the Sierra Prieta Mountains. His Derby Mining Company controlled 25 claims, but one unsuccessful prospect followed another. The Puritan was the final claim to show promise before mining ended in 1909.
Young retained the land while moving into Arizona politics. He served as Territorial Secretary, acted as governor on one occasion, and completed a two-year term as mayor of Phoenix. The property also supported his wife's cattle operation; Summit Siding, near the old railroad-bed trail, served first to move mining equipment and later the ranch. Young died at the old Derby Mine in November 1926 at age 59.
The land remained with Mrs. Young and their children, George Jr., Helen, and Lucille. Helen inherited it in 1940 and, with her husband Perry E. Brown, kept it until the 1948 sale to John P. Lichter. Because all 25 mining claims had been patented, the acreage remained private rather than becoming part of Prescott National Forest.
J. Earl Wilson purchased the property in 1955 and, with Elmer Winternheimer, created Highland Pine Properties. They surveyed the mountain into plats before selling lots. Plat A opened the story in 1955; Plat J included the old mine-building area in 1977, and Plat K along Alto Drive followed in 1979.
Early residents depended on springs and a handful of wells. The 1970 agreement with the City of Prescott brought water uphill as roads, electrical service, and door-to-door mail made Highland Pines increasingly attractive to both summer and full-time residents. The property owners association formed in 1973 to represent the neighborhood, and the water system transferred to the Highland Pines Domestic Water Improvement District in 1991.
Highland Pines now includes the privately owned areas surrounded by Prescott National Forest, including some homes beyond the city-water system. Its roads are maintained and plowed, and HPPOA continues to give residents a collective voice while protecting the independent, neighborly character of the mountain.
Stay connected
Have a question for the board?
Send us a note and the right person will get back to you.