Arizona's Christmas City

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Where can you enjoy a Christmas parade, and a spectacular courthouse lighting ceremony, within fifteen minutes of your campsite? Where can you find a town with fishing, hiking, and museums, as close as gold panning and ghost towns? Try a visit to Prescott, Arizona.

The mile-high elevation, with a fifty-degree average temperature in winter and an eighty-degree average temperature in summer, is ideal for outdoor activity. The geography is also colorful and ranges from tall cool pines, to craggy granite mountains, to high desert plains. Every day can be a unique adventure exploring the countryside in different directions.

Pine forested mountains to the northeast harbor Jerome; a living ghost town. The southwestern mountains slide into desert terrain; becoming the Hassayampa River Preserve near Wickenburg, with more ghost towns and desert hiking. Hiding over the hill to the southeast stand the famous Red Rocks of Sedona and cool clear Oak Creek.

Known as Arizona’s official Christmas city, Prescott offers an array of activities within local boundaries. Turn west off I-17 at Cordes Junction and take US 69 thirty-four miles through Dewey, Mayor, and Prescott Valley, to arrive in Prescott.

Interesting museums and galleries showcase western diversity. A Bead Museum--the only one of its kind in the world--is open Monday through Saturday 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Down the street, Sharlott Hall Territorial Museum features the first governor’s mansion, which is open daily except Thanksgiving and Christmas. And, a Smoki Museum displays Native American artifacts in an armory built of rock.

Walkers and hikers of all ages love touring this town on foot. Prescott lists 525 buildings on the National Register of Historic Places. You can park downtown and walk to any of the museums. The historic buildings and Victorian homes fill the stroll with pleasant scenery. In the midst of downtown, an old-fashioned courthouse square offers art shows, entertainment, and dancing, every weekend. A large gazebo standing the northwest corner, under huge shade trees, reminds guests that many previous generations enjoyed courthouse social events in this town square.

The National Forest Service presents a program at 7 p.m.every Monday evening in the courthouse square or at Watson Lake. These programs are great for guests who want to learn more about the local area.

Rock climbers are enthralled by Granite Dells, where vast expanses of huge boulders are said to be one of the best rock climbing sites in Arizona. Many years ago, these dells also hid the best swimming hole in town. The rugged scenery appears in numerous Tom Mix era western movies.

My favorite campsite is Lynx Lake. The turnoff is well marked with signs and a stoplight, about four miles before arriving in Prescott. A pretty little lake nestles between mountains and pine trees offering fishing, hiking, boating, a small store, and a restaurant. Anglers catch bluegill, largemouth bass, and catfish. Occasional trips into town for sightseeing are within thirty minutes of the campsites, and the roads are passable all year. In Arizona, most campground fees vary with the season. Call the National Forest Service for current information about fire restrictions, RV size limits, current fees, and which campgrounds are open.

Jerome, on Highway 89A, literally hangs on the north side of Mingus Mountain. The scenic road runs high above colorful mountains and valleys. This town and its people are a fascinating medley of archaic character. You can wander the ancient streets on foot at night, and eat dinner overlooking a chasm of darkness, spotted with a handful of yellow lights in ghostly buildings. A word of warning: The road continuing north out of Jerome is not for large RVs or timid drivers. They paved the original mining mule-train route--without many improvements.

For a nice hike and birding opportunities, watch for Woodchute trail as you drive up 89A from Prescott toward Jerome. Species seen in this area include the Golden Eagle, Band-tailed Pigeon, Cordilleran Flycatcher, Acorn Woodpecker, Hermit Warbler, and others. Although no water is available on the trail, the elevation is 7,000’ to about 7,700’; providing an easy day hike for those willing to carry their own lunch and water.

Wickenburg, via a loop through Skull Valley, Peeples Valley-Yarnell, and Congress, is a great leisure trip. Ask locally for directions from your starting point. The trip takes you through farms and ranches, old train depots, a gold mining town, and into the frontier atmosphere of Wickenburg. The hills around Wickenburg still shelter working miners and prospectors.

While exploring the Wickenburg area, be sure to allow time for a visit to the Hassayampa River Preserve. The preserve is west of Highway 60/93, approximately 3 miles south of the stoplight. The entrance is near milepost 114. It's owned and managed by the Arizona Chapter of The Nature Conservancy and opens Wednesday through Sunday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. This preserve offers one of the finest examples of riparian vegetation, and animals that live in riparian habitat, in Arizona. Trails are available for walking, hiking, and birding. Call ahead for information about evening presentations and special events.

Beautiful Sedona is known as Red Rock country. The rocks and mountains are an intense rusty red that contrasts with the brilliant green and gold in the Oak Creek Canyon, which cuts deep through the red rocks. Such vivid scenery is a photographer’s dream. Great hiking and picnic areas are easy to find along the trails and roadside stops and the tourist traffic is often heavy.

Downtown Sedona is modern and tourist oriented. It is a great place to visit for food and souvenirs or to entertain guests. Jeep tours and photo tours are plentiful for visitors who wish to commune with the unusual countryside. Champagne balloon rides, and an unusual variety of other flights, are also easy to locate.

To visit Sedona, take Highway 69 east out of Prescott to Dewey. From Dewey, take State Route 169 east to I-17. Then, take I-17 north to State Route 179, which runs directly into Sedona. There are alternate routes, but this route accommodates all vehicles. People with smaller vehicles can contact the National Forest Service for alternative routes and weather information.