10 Unforgettable Small Towns to Visit in Arizona
Arizona is a unique state in the American Southwest with plenty of memorable destinations worth visiting, but these small towns are truly remarkable. Far from the hustle and bustle of cities like Phoenix, these towns are peaceful places to experience the authentic Arizona, where mining and native American history often blend with Old West heritage, and unique natural attractions to create unforgettable memories. Spread across the state’s vast desert landscapes, these towns are worth visiting year-round, with some serving as the gateways to the state’s favorite natural attractions, including the Grand Canyon and Mogollon Rim. From Sedona to Williams, each of these towns boasts unique features that promise to leave unforgettable memories.
Sedona
Sedona has long been among Arizona’s favorite destinations, where travelers often come to create lifetime memories amidst a spiritually charged atmosphere. Here, awe-inspiring red rock formations combine with a desert landscape and trails to deliver thrilling outdoor experiences. For starters, the Red Rock State Park, one of the town’s beloved attractions, features a network of trails winding through spectacular rocks, plus the park hosts a stretch of the Oak Creek that creates a riparian habitat supporting plants, birds, and animals. But even more exciting, Sedona is where to find the famous one-mile Cathedral Rock and four-mile Devil’s Bridge Trail, two of the most beautiful day hikes in all of Arizona.
These trails are challenging and lead to breathtaking red rock scenery, with some parts of the Cathedral Rock hike requiring scrambling as it leads to unique formations that resemble a cathedral. Meanwhile, Devil’s Bridge offers a longer hike to the largest natural sandstone arch in the area. And beyond the trails and rocks, Sedona’s Tlaquepaque Arts & Shopping Village will surely leave travelers with unforgettable memories. This outdoor market is one of a kind, resembling a traditional Mexican village and lined with everything from handmade Southwestern arts and crafts to restaurants serving authentic Mexican food.
Jerome
Once known as the wickedest town in the West, Jerome is indeed an unforgettable place, where the mining history of Arizona shines bright. From the late 1800s, this town was a bustling hub of copper mining and hosted one of the territory’s largest populations at its peak in the 1920s. It all went downhill from there, and today, the town is largely abandoned, yet its turn to a National Historic Landmark keeps it alive and well, owing to its interesting attractions, like the Jerome State Historic Park. This park preserves the Douglas Mansion, a stunning hilltop house built by an influential mining family in 1916. The mansion now serves as a museum and contains artifacts and exhibits about the town’s history, plus it is surrounded by beautiful desert scenery.
The town is also home to the Jerome Sliding Jail, a historic jail building located around 200 feet from its original location. The jail was built in 1905 on a mountainside and began slowly sliding in the 1930s due to blasts from nearby mining operations. Meanwhile, Jerome is one of the few places in Arizona where one can spend the night in a haunted hotel. This experience is provided at the Jerome Grand Hotel, which was initially built in 1927 to serve as a hospital for the vibrant mining community. At the closure of the town’s mining operation in the 1950s, the structure was abandoned and then converted into a hotel decades later in 1996, but it is said the ghost from the hospital days never left, as guests often report paranormal activities. Additionally, the hotel sits at 5,240 feet above sea level, offering breathtaking views of the Verde Valley.
Payson
Payson sits near the geographic center of Arizona, where it serves as the launch pad to some of the country’s most unique natural attractions. For one, this town is the nearest town to Tonto Natural Bridge State Park, which is famous for hosting the largest natural travertine bridge in the world. This park alone makes Payson unforgettable, as it features trails leading through the natural bridge and its lush surroundings. The Pine Creek Trail, one of the park’s trails, is particularly exciting as it winds through the natural 400-foot tunnel under the bridge and continues downward to the creek bed.
Beside the park, Payson is surrounded by several thrilling trails, including the Rim Lakes Vista Trail, one of the most scenic trails in all of Arizona. This trail is four miles long and meanders through lush forest areas and rocky terrain, with unobstructed views of the spectacular Mogollon Rim as far as the eye can see. Back in town, travelers have the Green Valley Park to enjoy and make more pleasant memories. Covering a 43-acre area, this park boasts a fishing lake, trails, playgrounds, and picnic facilities, plus it is a great place to watch birds, including bald eagles and ospreys that regularly fish in the water.
Page
Located in Northern Arizona, Page is one of the most exciting destinations in the entire Western United States. Perched near the border with Utah, this town will leave travelers with unforgettable memories with its iconic attractions, like Lake Powell. This lake on the Colorado River is the second-largest man-made lake in the US, and the Wahweap Marina near Page provides opportunities to enjoy everything from boating, swimming, and fishing to lakeside camping and dining. The marina is the largest on the lake and features a large fleet of rental boats, alongside a variety of boat services, campgrounds, resorts, and restaurants.
Page is also a paradise for hiking, with several trails located in and around town, like the mile-long Hanging Gardens Trail that leads through unique rock formations and to an oasis with lush greenery and a spring. Notably, this trail and the lake are within the Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, which also hosts the Horseshoe Bend, a breathtaking formation carved by the Colorado River that can be seen on a 1.5-mile round-trip hike. Moreover, Page is near Antelope Canyon, a spectacular sandstone formation that will truly leave lifelong memories. Tours are offered year-round from the town to see all sections of this natural beauty, including the Lower Antelope Canyon, which offers a longer adventure and breathtaking views of the dramatic sandstone formations.
Tombstone
This charming town with a quirky name is full of incredible things to see and do. A true example of a wild west town, Tombstone will transport travelers to the untamed frontier era, when mining and street gunfights were the order of the day. Notably, this town was the site of the famous gunfight at the O.K. Corral, a brief shootout between lawmen and a criminal gang in 1881. Today, the O.K. Corral Historic Complex in town offers daily reenactments of the gunfight that left three men dead, plus it includes the actual site of the gunfight, which now hosts eight life-sized figures of the gunfighters. Additionally, the complex hosts multiple museums exploring the town’s history, including a blacksmith shop containing tools used in the 1880s.
Elsewhere, the Old Tombstone Western Theme Park is another exciting place where one can further delve into the wonders of the Old West. This park features Wild West-themed facilities, trolley tours, and the longest-running professional gunfight show, performed three times daily by the Tombstone Cowboys. In the meantime, the Bird Cage Theatre in town is one of the creepiest attractions to explore in Arizona. Operated between 1881 and 1892, this theatre provided entertainment to the notorious characters of the town’s untamed era and witnessed countless gunfights, dozens of deaths, and all kinds of violence. Today, the theatre is reportedly haunted and offers daily ghost tours.
Williams
Williams is one of Arizona’s smallest towns that punches way more than its weight and promises to leave lasting memories. Populated by just 3,000 people, this town on US Route 66 is famous for being the gateway to the Grand Canyon. From Williams, travelers can get on the Grand Canyon Railway for a memorable 60-mile ride full of desert scenery to the South Rim, where plenty of adventures await. For hikers and bikers, this part of the Grand Canyon is full of trails, including Rim Trail, which offers a 13-mile adventure with spectacular views. Back in Williams, wildlife lovers have the Bearizona Wildlife Park to enjoy. This park is one of the coolest destinations in Arizona, offering a drive-through safari experience with sights of North American animals, including black bear, bighorn sheep, and bison.
For thrillseekers, the town’s Canyon Coaster Adventure Park is a must-visit as it offers a variety of rides to delight everyone. Reputed as the first mountain coaster in Arizona, this park is home to a mile-long track featuring twists, descents, and dips as well as beautiful views of pine trees and mountains. The park also set the stage for snow tubing in winter and mountain tubing in the summer.
Cottonwood
Cottonwood is an adorable town in the Verde Valley that combines history with nature and wine to deliver a pleasant experience. First settled by Europeans in the late 1870s, the town invites travelers to stroll through the Old Town Cottonwood, where over 60 establishments, including wine tasting rooms, are lined. In this part of town, travelers can sample wines at the Arizona Stronghold Vineyards, savor pastries and coffee at the Old Town Cafe, or catch a show at Old Town Center for the Arts. Outside this historic district, one can head to the Blazin’ M Ranch to step back in time to the Old West with cowboy shows, western-themed shopping, and a memorable dining experience with plenty of BBQ. Perhaps even more exciting, Cottonwood is home to the Dead Horse Ranch State Park, a recreation area on the Verde River with gorgeous natural scenery and lots of adventures. Here, travelers can enjoy riverside camping or explore a 20-mile trail system through lush forest areas and along the river. Meanwhile, the river is great for fishing and kayaking.
Prescott
Located in central Arizona, Prescott is an unforgettable place worth visiting, especially for history lovers. With a rich history spanning several centuries, this town today features several historic attractions, including the Museum of Indigenous Peoples, the only museum in the region dedicated to preserving and educating the public about the indigenous cultures of the Southwestern United States and Northern Mexico. The museum’s collection includes pottery, baskets, and other artifacts, some of which date to the Pre-Columbian era. In another part of town, travelers will find the Sharlot Hall Museum, a four-acre open-air museum with exhibit buildings preserving the history and culture of Arizona’s Central Highlands region. Must-see attractions in the museum include the 1864 Territorial Governor’s Mansion and the Sharlot Hall Building, which contains an extensive collection of exhibits covering the area’s mining, military, ranching, and railroad history.
Beyond the history, visiting Prescott is an opportunity to explore Watson Lake, a rare waterbody featuring blue waters and surrounded by giant granite boulders. The lake is open for kayaking, canoeing, fishing, and boating, plus the boulders set the stage for rock climbing. Camping is also offered in the area, while hikers and bikers have several trails to explore, including the Peavine Trail, which stretches six miles around the lake and boulders and through stunning mountain landscapes.
Sierra Vista
Sierra Vista sits among Arizona’s unforgettable towns for several reasons, including hosting the Ramsey Canyon Preserve. This 300-acre preserve is a jewel in southeastern Arizona, defined by lush trees and diverse plants, stunning rock formations, and the year-round Ramsey Creek. The preserve is also notable for its abundance of wildlife and birds, particularly hummingbirds, which is why it has been nicknamed the hummingbird capital of the US. Travelers are invited to soak in all that natural allure by hiking the Hamburg Trail, which stretches over two miles through the canyon, where waterfalls, birds, rocks, and lush trees combine to deliver unforgettable scenery.
For even more nature and bird-watching activities, travelers can hit the San Pedro River Trail for a 10-mile adventure through the San Pedro Riparian National Conservation Area, which protects a vital riparian ecosystem featuring over 250 bird species, and dozens of mammalian, amphibian, and reptilian species. In the meantime, Sierra Vista’s local businesses promise to leave travelers with fond memories, including the Doc’s Watering Hole, which blends entertainment with delicious burgers, chicken wings, and a variety of vegetarian options.
Cave Creek
Part of the Phoenix metropolitan area, this quirky town with a strong Old West heritage may be small, but it packs a considerable number of attractions that will surely make it unforgettable. For starters, it is home to the Rare Earth Gallery, which features one of the world’s largest private mineral collections. Travelers will absolutely love this gallery as its collection includes rare crystals like agates and geodes, crystal singing bowls, ancient fossils, unique jewelry and art, landscape decor, and even genuine meteorites. Meanwhile, the Frontier Town at the heart of Cave Creek offers a true immersion into the Old West.
This recreated town is full of characters and establishments reminiscent of the frontier era, from unique stores stocked with Southwest gifts and souvenirs to the Hansen Cowboy BBQ, where one can savor mouthwatering smoked meats prepared with the best flavors. Cave Creek also features a couple of outdoor attractions, including the Cave Creek Regional Park, which boasts developed campsites and trails offering access to a desert oasis with impressive views. The Go John Trail, one of the park’s top trails, provides a peaceful six-mile adventure with beautiful mountain scenery and lots of wildlife viewing opportunities.
There are many destinations in Arizona worth visiting, but these towns are strongly recommended for those looking to create unforgettable memories. In these towns, travelers will be met with the best of the state, including its most iconic natural attractions and scenery. In Sedona, for instance, the red rock beauty will no doubt leave indelible marks on the mind, while the sounds of hummingbirds and rushing waterfalls at Sierra Vista can be hard to forget. The same goes for other towns on the list, making each worthy of the next flight to Arizona.
