11 Storybook Towns In Arizona
In Arizona, some towns, surrounded by soaring vortexes and deep canyons, look as if they were made for the pages of a storybook. There are beautiful red rocks in Sedona, and pine trees, and mountains in Prescott that make for magical stops when traveling in the southwest. Others may prefer to tour the colorful streets of Bisbee or head to Williams, the gateway to the Grand Canyon, one of the seven natural wonders of the world. Whichever you choose, you won't regret journeying through these towns in Arizona that belong in a storybook.
Prescott
Mountains and pine trees might not be the first thing that pops into someone's mind when they think of Arizona. However, Prescott (pronounced like biscuit), known as Arizona's Christmas City and the location of the World's Oldest Rodeo, has many stories tucked into its pages. On the first Saturday in December, local businesses and organizations join the fun in Prescott's Chamber Christmas Parade. Guests and locals can stay till evening and watch as the Courthouse Plaza comes alive with thousands of twinkling lights. Every summer, in July, the city hosts Prescott Frontier Days, where the World's Oldest Rodeo performs eight times. Watch cowboys and cowgirls compete in Mutton Bustin', Bull Riding, Barrel Racing, and more.
The Downtown Prescott area features historic sites, including Sharlot Hall Museum and Downtown Whiskey Row. The Sharlot Hall Museum presents visitors with a glimpse of Arizona's past across four acres are 11 different buildings. Guests can see the Governor's Mansion, built in 1864, a replicated schoolhouse, and one of the oldest surviving log cabins in Arizona, Fort Misery. Downtown is home to one of the most historic and famous streets in the American West. Back in its glory days, Whiskey Row used to house more than 40 saloons. Today, people can still visit spots like The Palace Restaurant and Saloon. It is Arizona's oldest frontier saloon and was also one of Wyatt Earp and Doc Holliday's watering holes.
Williams
Known as the gateway to the Grand Canyon, Williams is located along part of the historic Route 66. Classic cars and vintage signs can be found all around the downtown area, turning part of the town into its own personal time capsule. While you are downtown, visitors can hop aboard the Grand Canyon Railway and take the same trip passengers did back in 1901. Wildlife lovers can get up close and personal with a variety of animals at Bearizona Wildlife Park, where guests can drive their own vehicles through more than 3 miles of the Ponderosa Pine Forest to view bears, bison, and wolves in their natural habitat.
Horseback riding is available throughout the summer at MD Ranch, where guests can enjoy a scenic view of Kaibab National Forest. All ages and experiences can ride these well-trained horses on a comfortable getaway. Back on Route 66, visitors can visit the Wild West Junction and get a taste of the Old West. Enjoy some BBQ, stay at the Drovers Inn, and have a drink at the Long Horn Saloon. If you want to go even a little further back in time, take a short drive to Raptor Ranch and drop into Bedrock City. Come face-to-face with the Flintstones and the Rubbles. Check out their houses and even hang out with Dino.
Jerome
Clinging to the side of Cleopatra Hill, Jerome looks as if it defies gravity. Once labeled the "Wickedest Town in the West," Jerome now thrives as a historic district. Douglas Mansion offers an inside look into the past of the town, offering photos, artifacts, and even videos of the town's mining past. Exploring the rest of the town is best done on foot due to the town being on a hillside. Be prepared for steep climbs and winding roads as you check out unique places like the Firefly Gallery or Copper Canyon Christmas, The Christmas Store & More, where you can enjoy Christmas all year long.
After a long day of walking the streets of Jerome, settle in to the Haunted Hamburger for a story and a meal, but keep your hammers at home. Legend has it that the ghosts haunting the restaurant have an affinity for hammers. With that out of the way, guests can choose from specialities like the PBJ & Bacon Burger or the Hangover Burger. After dinner, visitors can stay at the Jerome Grand Hotel that overlooks the entire Verde Valley.
Sedona
Towering red rocks, clear skies, and mystical energy equal Sedona, Arizona. The laidback town of Sedona offers outdoor enthusiasts, wellness gurus, and artists alike a beautiful backdrop to enjoy. Guests looking for uplifting vibes can hike to one of Sedona's four vortexes for healing, meditation, or self-discovery. Photographers have endless choices of scenery and locations, including Cathedral Rock and the Chapel of the Holy Cross, which sits between a thousand-foot rock wall 250 feet high. The chapel is open seven days a week and even has a gift shop on the lower level.
During the summer, visitors can head to Slide Rock and enjoy a natural waterslide. Located inside Oak Creek Canyon, Slide Rock offers historic cabins to view or explore the original owner's homestead, an apple-picking shed. On the first Friday of each month, guests can join a ranger to learn about Slide Rock's history as they hike around the area. The park has different operating hours and entrance fees depending on the time of year.
Page
Page, Arizona, is an outdoor lover's dream. Some of the Southwest's most beautiful attractions are here. Horseshoe Bend is a major spot that attracts over two million visitors a year. This iconic landmark is shaped like a horseshoe thanks to the work of the Colorado River. For $10 a vehicle, guests can look over the 1,000-foot drop and see the Colorado River running through the sandstone canyon. Antelope Canyon is a must-see for anyone visiting Page. Walk along and through stunning sandstone walls that were carved by years and years of water and wind. A guide takes you through parts of the canyon and tells you stories all about the area. The cost of this varies depending on the tour you take.
Visitors can enjoy dinner and a show at the Red Heritage. Owned and operated by the Navajo people, guests can enjoy traditional Navajo tacos served on frybread while watching while enjoy a show. Be prepared for live drum music, flute playing, and powwow dancing. Throughout the evening, guests will also enjoy stories passed down through the generations, talking about the rich history and legacy of the Navajo Tribe.
Pine-Strawberry
Get two communities for the price of one. Sitting just below the Mogollon Rim, Pine-Strawberry is perfect for nature lovers. The towns are surrounded by an abundance of wild berries and Ponderosas. Locally known as "The Southern France" of Arizona, Pine-Strawberry becomes a beautiful oasis of purple every summer. Lavender grows in abundance, and the Pine Creek Canyon Lavender Farm invites guests to their farm store every day except Tuesdays. Peruse the store and buy soaps, lotions, and teas, all lavender-based.
The Strawberry Inn is a perfect little boutique mountain getaway. Guests can stay here and choose from a hotel room, an Airstream, a cabin, or even a cottage. The inn has an on-site coffee shop called Windmill Coffee, as well as community yard spaces with games, porch swings, and picnic tables. Visitors can travel back in time to 1881 and have breakfast or lunch inside what used to be an old ranch house. The Randall House not only serves food, but also sells pottery, art, and local jam.
Cave Creek
Experience some local cowboy heritage right on the northern edge of the Phoenix Metro. Guests of Cave Creek can get decked out in cowboy flair in many of the shops around town before hitting the open trails on horseback. Cave Creek Cowboy Co offers everything from boots to hats, to belts and jackets with tassels. Get the full cowboy experience by heading over to Buffalo Chip and learn how to two-step and ride a bull. Frontier Town, in the heart of Cave Creek, takes guests back in time as you saunter around the main street of this old western town.
The opportunities to explore the wide-open desert are endless here. Cave Creek Regional Park is lined with many different types of native plants and offers chances to see local wildlife. Guests can take the Quartz Trail and see the Michelin Man Saguaro. Break in those boots at the Spur Cross Ranch Conservation Area. Choose your level of difficulty and take a leisurely walk along the creek on the Dragonfly Trail, or up the difficulty and take a hike up Elephant Mountain. Guests can also choose to go on horseback instead, deep into the backcountry of Cave Creek, using companies like Arizona Horseback Adventures.
Wickenburg
Less than an hour away from Phoenix, Wickenburg rests on the Northern edge of the Sonoran Desert. Visitors come from miles around to take in the views of all the saguaros, mountains, and lush desert surrounding the Hassayampa River. Guests can learn about the cowboy culture with different ranch tours, including Flying E Dude Ranch and Rancho de los Caballeros. Or experience a real-life ghost town called Vulture City. From October to May, visitors can experience one of Arizona's most authentic ghost towns.
Guests can also take in the town with the Wickenburg Walking Tour. Uniquely view the historic downtown area and learn all about it. Throughout the tour, you will find several statues of characters from the town's early history. Push the button on the statue and learn more about it. In the fall, visitors can experience one of the town's most intriguing sites. Watch as hundreds of migrating turkey vultures fly into town, and thousands of Mexican free-tailed bats emerge from under a highway bridge.
Bisbee
Located 11 miles from the US/Mexico border, Bisbee is situated in the beautiful Cochise County in the heart of the Mule Mountains. Guests can step back in time and learn about the mining history of the town with a Copper Queen Mine Tour. The tour takes you 1,500 feet into the mine, where tour guides will tell you all about the history of the mines and town. Guests board an original mine train to travel underground. During parts of the tour, you are actually able to step off the train and walk through some of the tunnels. Once you emerge from the ground, head into town and enjoy the Bisbee 1,000 Great Stair Climb. Head upwinding roads and climb nine different staircases as you take in the beautiful surrounding views of Old Bisbee.
Visitors can relax in the evening with a stop at the Bisbee Social Club. Complete with a rumored secret knock and spirits of old speakeasies, this cocktail lounge offers different entertainment areas and plenty of drinks to choose from. The Bisbee Grand Hotel showcases history mixed with rugged charm and Old West flair. The hotel not only offers cozy rooms and spacious suites, but also live entertainment and a bar just steps from your room.
Payson
Tucked away in Arizona's Rim Country, Payson offers natural beauty that needs to be seen. Visitors can enjoy towering pines, cool mountain breezes, stunning lakes, and winding trails. Surrounded by the Tonto National Forest, Payson is considered the "Heart of Arizona." The town is right next to Tonto National Bridge State Park, where there is believed to be the largest natural travertine bridge in the world. Many hiking trails are offered to view the bridge from multiple angles. You may not normally think about Arizona changing colors in the fall. But Payson gives off a beautiful array of changing colors in mid to late October. Visitors can drive along the Mogollon Rim and watch the changing of the leaves.
If you are visiting Payson towards the end of March, you might be able to catch a glimpse of the Hashknife Pony Express. Witness the oldest officially sanctioned Pony Express in the world. This horseback mail route covers over 200 miles from the Mogollon Rim through the wilderness of the Mazatzal range to the desert city of Scottsdale. More than two dozen riders in authentic cowboy clothing carry the mail, relaying the bags along the route.
Carefree
One-of-a-kind sunsets, towering mountains, and iconic Saguaro cacti are only a view of the charming things about Carefree, Arizona. Just a 30-minute drive from Phoenix, the town is far enough away to avoid the hustle and bustle of the big city, yet close enough to enjoy its conveniences. Guests can start out by visiting the Carefree Sundial. Stretching 62 feet long and 35 feet high, it is the largest sundial in North America. The sundial's metal gnomon points directly to the North Star, adding a little whimsy to the design. The crown jewel of Carefree is the Carefree Desert Gardens. Inside this small four-acre area, visitors can see beautiful plant life like a Boojum tree, Quiver Tree, Crested Saguaro, and an Adams Tree ocotillo.
The English Rose Tea Room is a quiet step back and a charming place to experience your meal. Guests can enjoy a tranquil pink setting full of flowers while indulging in afternoon tea, finger sandwiches, pastries, and scones. The warm hospitality invites you to step into a beautiful storybook setting to have lunch with a friend.
In the beautiful state of Arizona, there are desert landscapes, as well as stunning pine-covered mountains and historic streets. From the hillside town of Jerome to the gateway to one of the seven natural wonders in Williams, Arizona, the state is full of charm. Step into the Old West in Cave Creek, or meander through breathtaking canyons in Page, in these storybook towns.
