WELCOME TO ARIZONA RIM COUNTRY
ARIZONA RIM COUNTRY
Visitor’s Handbook elcome to Arizona Rim Country, your outdoor adventure headquarters. Rim Country is comprised of the towns of Payson and Star Valley, as well as the communities of Pine, Strawberry and Christopher Creek, which lie along State Highways 87 and 260 in the shadow of the Mogollon Rim. Long known as the “Heart of Arizona,” Rim Country lies in the center of the state, with more trout streams, hiking trails, mountain bike tracks, historic sites, campgrounds and swimming holes than any place in the state. It also boasts cozy cabins, family-oriented hotels, cool summer temperatures, beautiful fall colors, lush spring streams and mild, winter snowscapes. The town of Payson acts as the hub of activities in Rim Country, and has the title of “Festival Capital of Arizona.” The famous “World’s Oldest Continuous Rodeo” heads a long list of events, including the “Mountain High Games,” “Beeline Cruise-In,” “Arizona State Fiddlers Championship,” and more. The Rim Country lies just 90 minutes from Phoenix, Flagstaff and Prescott. In other words: “It’s a half a tank of gas from just about anywhere,” with easy highway access. The elevation rises some 3,000 feet from the saguaro-graced shores of Roosevelt Lake, to the mingling of pinyons, junipers and pines in Payson and finally to the ponderosa pine forests atop the Rim. Much of central Arizona’s rain and snowmelt drains through Rim Country, providing a wealth of streams and lakes. So welcome to Rim Country and our cool mountain forests and the hot seasonal activities. Enjoy our guide highlighting the activities and family-oriented events and attractions that geography and small-town hospitality has made possible — here in the Heart of Arizona.
W
Contents Rim Country Streams ................... 7 Rim Country Lakes ..................... 10 Tonto Natural Bridge................... 13 The Rodeo.................................. 14 Take a Hike ................................ 17 Campgrounds............................. 22
Perfect Week in Rim Country ...... 24 Rim Country Communities .......... 28 Antique the Day Away................. 29 A Lesson in History..................... 30 Dining ........................................ 32 Lodging...................................... 34
Rim Country Regional Chamber of Commerce
Produced by Roundup Publishing
100 W. Main Street P.O. Box 1380 Payson, AZ 85547 928.474.4515/800.627.9766 www.rimcountrychamber.com
708 N. Beeline Highway P.O. Box 2520 Payson, AZ 85547 928.474.5251 www.payson.com
Publisher’s Note: Despite our best editing, the Rim Country Regional Chamber of Commerce assumes no responsibility for errors or omissions. Information is current as of May 2012. Photos and stories copyright Payson Roundup.
WELCOME TO ARIZONA RIM COUNTRY
Pete Aleshire
Rim Country Rim Country’s dramatic geography has blessed it with more streams, hiking trails, mountain bike tracks, campgrounds and swimming holes than any other corner of the state — not to mention a splendor of seasons so rare in Arizona. You can still savor four seasons and a short, mild winter in Rim Country, thanks to the 2,000-foot uplift of the Mogollon Rim — that lets you effectively change the climate with a scenic 20-minute drive. The 3,000-foot elevation change from the shores of Roosevelt Lake to the pines of the great plateau of the Mogollon Rim itself creates the setting for year-round adventures that include
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Rim Country Visitor’s Handbook
cool mountain lakes, steep, leafy trout streams, trails with 100-mile views, shaded campsites within earshot of tumbling water and hundreds of miles of trails for off-roaders, hikers, crosscountry skiers, mountain bikers and horseback riders. Zane Grey, one of the most successful Western fiction writers of all time, penned this description of Rim Country: “In places where Lucy could see the Rim she was astounded and delighted. She had carried away a picture of the colored walls, but now there was a blaze of gold, purple, cerise, scarlet, all the hues of fire. Frost had touched maples, aspens, oaks, with a magic wand. It seemed another
Land of year-round
adventures and more beautiful forest land she was entering.” In the winter, a snow-blanketed Rim provides a sparkling holiday backdrop and spectacular cross-country skiing atop the Rim, plus silent forest roads on which to snowmobile. Visitors based in Payson could go crosscountry skiing on Saturday, bass fishing on Roosevelt Lake Sunday and mountain biking to Indian ruins in Payson on Monday. In the spring, a meadow of wildflowers offers the ideal setting to discover a rare bird or two. Sudden spring storms provide drama and contribute to Payson’s 22 inches of rainfall.
WELCOME TO ARIZONA RIM COUNTRY
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WELCOME TO ARIZONA RIM COUNTRY
Get maps and information at the Chamber’s Visitor Center. Call 1-800-6PAYSON (672-9766).
Spring also prompts the Game and Fish Department to begin stocking hundreds of miles of streams with trout and the Forest Service to open developed campgrounds to visitors. Come summer, the 20- or 30-degree temperature difference between the Valley and Rim Country lures a weekend rush of heat refugees. The easily accessible campgrounds, lakes and fishing holes fill up on weekends, but often remain blissfully quiet during the week. Hikers can still go for days without seeing another person on hundreds of trails both at the base of the Rim and along the top of that chain of 2,000-foot cliffs. They can find swimming holes along Tonto Creek or the East Verde River, rent a horse at Kohl’s Ranch, fish the Rim Country lakes or cover 30 miles on an ATV trail through the deep forest. In the fall, visitors can wander first through the red and gold cottonwoods along stream banks near Payson and Pine, enjoy the change of leaves at Tonto Natural Bridge State Park and drive quiet roads through groves of golden, quivering aspen atop the Mogollon Rim, or fish all day on Roosevelt Lake.
overlap, visitors can move easily between three of the nation’s largest, most scenic and most varied national forests — the Tonto, the Coconino and the Apache-Sitgreaves. The three forests meet here to form a woodland area the size of Massachusetts. Larger than many nations, this scenic landscape offers a haven for campers, hikers, joggers, trekkers, fishermen, hunters, golfers, tennis players, equestrians, water and cross-country skiers, and outdoor enthusiasts of all persuasions. A network of dirt roads and trails for bikes, horses, hikers and off-roaders provide access to this vast, publicly owned resource. That includes one of the most scenic dirt roads in the state — the 42-mile stretch of the old Forest Road 300 between Highway 87 near Strawberry and Highway 260. The road hugs the edge of the cliffs of the Mogollon Rim, with frequent scenic turnouts. The road follows the historic wagon road General George Crook built to shuttle supplies between Prescott, the Verde Valley and Fort Apache in the White Mountains during his long war with the Apache. In addition, the area offers thousands of miles of trails for hikers, backForest gateway packers, mountain bikers and Not only does Arizona Rim horseback riders. The more than 50Country reap the benefits of the in- mile-long Highline Trail along the tersection of elevation where high base of the Rim offers breathtaking desert, pinyon, juniper, riparian cot- views and a wilderness feel, with peritonwoods and ponderosa pine forests odic road access and many springs and
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Rim Country Visitor’s Handbook
streams. Many trails in the area date back to the 1800s when they linked early homesteads and ranches. Get maps at the Payson Ranger Station, one mile east of Payson on East Highway 260. A smaller selection is available at the Chamber’s Visitor Center. For those seeking a hike closer to the lodging, restaurants and shopping opportunities of Payson, the town has already completed 30 miles of an eventual 50-mile trail system that allows visitors to hike right out of town and connect with most of the major Forest Service trails. If that’s not enough, hunters also find Arizona Rim Country a Mecca for game in season, including quail, duck, elk, deer, javelina, big horn sheep, turkey, antelope, bear and mountain lion hunting. For permits, call the Arizona Game and Fish Department at (602) 942-3000 or visit the Payson Ranger Station. For rockhounds, Arizona Rim Country is a mineralogist’s dream come true. Chert, quartz, gem-quality geodes and fossils are plentiful, and just about any prospector or local rock club member can put you onto a scatter of handsome red jasper or agate. A round of golf in the crisp, clean mountain air is also a delight. So to help visitors get the most out of their visit, we’d like to offer this brief overview of some of the vistas, adventures and comforts that await visitors to Arizona Rim Country.
WELCOME TO ARIZONA RIM COUNTRY
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WELCOME TO ARIZONA RIM COUNTRY
TO DO LIST: Fishing and Splashi ng
Tom Brossart
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Rim Country Visitor’s Handbook
WELCOME TO ARIZONA RIM COUNTRY
Rim Country Streams Poor Arizonans. So dry. So thirsty. Except in Rim Country — where three of the most remarkable streams in the Southwest converge. As a result, Rim Country offers some of the best trout streams in the state, thanks once again to the effects of its shifts in elevation. The Rim first gathers, then releases, most of the snowfall and much of the rain that falls on the state, providing millions of acre-feet of runoff during rains and more gradually through springs along the base of the limestone creeks. Each week the Arizona Game and Fish Department stocks many of those streams. For details on the stocking schedule, check the Arizona Game and Fish website. Each creek gets 400 to 600 fish a week. Tonto, Christopher and Haigler creeks all get weekly infusions of fish, so does the East Verde River.
East Verde River The Arizona Game and Fish Department stocks all the good pools along the East Verde off Flowing Springs Road and Houston Mesa Road. Anglers here can work their way up- and downstream in an open creek shaded by cottonwoods, willows and sycamores. Game and Fish stocks down to the big pool at the entrance to East Verde Estates. Downstream from that development, the river enters Forest Service land and eventually a wilderness area. Hikers and campers can enjoy access to miles of wild river and fishermen can work the pools for bass, catfish and other warm water species. The East Verde connects to the main stem of the Verde River near Childs. Several excellent campsites along Houston Mesa and Flowing Springs roads fill up quickly on the weekend, but often sit nearly empty during the week. The release of some 11,000 acre-feet of water from the Blue Ridge Reservoir atop the Rim each year into the East Verde should make the flows more reliable, even in dry years. The waterfall and pools above Water Wheel off Houston Mesa Road remain popular with locals all summer.
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WELCOME TO ARIZONA RIM COUNTRY
Tonto Creek Once the weather warms as the summer idles along, Game and Fish stops stocking the East Verde and concentrates on Tonto Creek, about 1,000 feet higher in elevation and about halfway between Payson and the vast plateau of the Mogollon Rim itself. Here, anglers find a beautiful, springfed stream, well stocked with rainbows. Fishermen can stick to the stocked pools close by the good road and campgrounds or work upstream toward the hatchery. They can also get onto Tonto Creek at the end of a steep, five-mile dirt road at Bear Flat. Here, they can go after the stocked trout — or work their way downstream into the Hellsgate Wilderness area. That route offers an arduous canyoneering adventure all the way to Roosevelt Lake. The journey involves swimming the pools, hiking and fishing for bass and native desert fish in one of the most beautiful and other-worldly areas in the state.
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Rim Country Visitor’s Handbook
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WELCOME TO ARIZONA RIM COUNTRY
Fossil Creek Just outside of Pine lies one of the most remarkable streams in Arizona — Fossil Creek. The U.S. Forest Service has barred fires and camping along the creek to protect it. The Forest Service may also limit access to the creek down the Fossil Creek Road this summer. Check with the Payson Ranger Station to find out if the road is open down to the creek from Strawberry. If the road is closed to vehicles, you can still get access on the arduous Fossil Creek Trail, which starts just outside of Strawberry and switchbacks down to the creek. Fossil Creek has become one of the most distinctive streams in Arizona in the five years since Arizona Public Service electrical company agreed to shut down a historic hydroelectric plant and return the water to the creek. Since the spring water seeps through fissures in ancient layers of limestone and picks up dissolved travertine, it gives the water that unearthly blue-green color. The travertine also precipitates out of the water, forming dikes and dams of drip castle design.
BEST BET STREAMS Rim Country offers a greater variety of streams in a shorter space than anywhere in Arizona. Stocked streams include: Tonto, East Verde, Haigler, Christopher and Workman.
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WELCOME TO ARIZONA RIM COUNTRY
Tom Brossart
he great rampart of the Mogollon Rim divides the waters — determining the shape of the major watersheds of Arizona. As a result, Rim Country boasts some of the most diverse fishing, boating, swimming and splashing about opportunities in the Southwest. The region boasts both the most popular trout streams in Arizona and a nationally ranked bass fishing tournament on Roosevelt Lake. That’s reflected in the great variety of lakes, every single one of them man made. Much of the rain that falls on Arizona passes through Rim Country, including water that ends up in the state’s major rivers. The Rim catches storms, extracts the rain and snow, hoards it through the winter and releases it through the spring. Early settlers took advantage of that terrain to build a network of
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Rim Country Visitor’s Handbook
dams that would hold the water back, rather than letting it run on down into the thirsty desert. As a result, the Rim Country offers easy access to both high-altitude trout lakes and the bass fishing and boating joys of Roosevelt Lake, with its shoreline saguaros and water storage sufficient to see Phoenix through major droughts. Bass fishing tournaments attest to Roosevelt Lake’s status as one of the best fisheries in the country. Last year, the lake attracted three different professional bass tournaments, including a stop on the prestigious FLW tour. Meanwhile, generations of heatseared Phoenix residents have escaped to the lakes above 7,500 feet as an essential rite of summer.
Green Valley Lakes Payson operates a chain of lakes set in an expansive park, complete
with stocked fish, picnic ramadas a bandstand, a war memorial and historical museum. Payson uses treated wastewater to fill this chain of lakes in Green Valley Park. People enjoy the lake year-round in non-motorized boats and sailboats and fish for stocked trout and sometimes giant catfish.
Bear Canyon Lake A fisherman’s favorite, this 60-acre lake holds rainbows, brookies, cutthroat and arctic grayling. A steep trail limits access to the hardy, just right for keeping the crowds down. The contrast between the blue water and green pines is absolutely stunning.
Knoll Lake At nearly 8,000 feet, this cool country lake covers 75 acres and features stocked rainbows and browns, plus a campground. Try fishing from
WELCOME TO ARIZONA RIM COUNTRY Now this is fishing. For those who like to relax or who take fishing a bit more seriously, the Rim Country offers some of the most diverse and treasured fishing lakes in Arizona.
The living is easy on
rim country LAKES
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Sunday Services 8:00 a.m. and 10:00 a.m. Childcare Provided Wednesday Healing and Holy Eucharist at 9:00 a.m. 1000 N. Easy Street ~ Payson ~ (928) 474-3834 Website: stpaulspayson.org Email: pasepchurch@qwestoffice.net
Payson Hometown Store
113 E. HIGHWAY 260 • 474-6050
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WELCOME TO ARIZONA RIM COUNTRY
the shoreline that runs from the boat ramp toward the island.
Willow Springs Lake Easy access, a paved boat ramp and a campground make this lake popular. Fish the upper ends of the two long coves that form the “Y” in the lake for rainbows and brown trout.
Woods Canyon Lake Dammed in 1956, the store at this lake sells more fishThe Arizona Game and Fish Department stocks most Rim lakes ing licenses than any other spot in Arizona. The lake offers and streams weekly — but Roosevelt Lake grows its own tourboat rentals, a picnic area, five campgrounds, and nature nament-sized bass. trails — plus loads of stocked trout. The best fishing is in the spring and fall, but summer is good too. A pair of bald ea- Roosevelt Lake gles has started to nest at the lake, delighting visitors but A half-hour drive from Payson, the biggest reservoir on also prompting the Game and Fish Department to close the Salt River system remains one of Arizona’s favorite off a section of the lakeshore during the nesting season. water playgrounds. It also offers some of the best bass fishing in the country, especially during high-water years when Black Canyon Lake the lake covers shore-side vegetation, creating the “new An idyllic spot where bank casting after rainbows and lake” effect sought so eagerly by bass and catfish lovers. The browns is a productive way to spend a day. The lake has a lake covers 19,000 surface acres and is 25 miles long and up paved ramp and a campground. to two miles wide. The lake is home to large- and smallmouth bass, crapBlue Ridge Reservoir pie, channel and flathead catfish, and is a playground for This narrow man-made lake that covers 200 acres when water skiing, sailing, wind surfing, jet skiing and swimming. full, also fills up with rainbows and browns. Always a good The wet winter in 2009 filled the reservoir to the brim, subbet early in the spring. merging brush and trees that had grown up along the shoreline in the dry years. As a result, fish like bass have Chevelon Lake great new hiding places to lay in wait for the small fish makA steep trail thins out the potential crowds at this 200- ing the most of all the new nutrients in the water, which acre lake, which winds back through canyon walls. The should make for a banner year for fishermen. That could biggest fish on top of the Rim live here, but catching them also explain why major professional bass tournaments will be held there this year. usually involves floaters and a stiff hike.
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Rim Country Visitor’s Handbook
WELCOME TO ARIZONA RIM COUNTRY
tonto natural BRIDGE
he world’s largest natural travertine bridge represents Rim Country’s best-known tourist attraction — but it has also offered a heartening example of how a community and the State Parks can join forces to protect a natural treasure. The town of Payson and a band of volunteers who love the soaring, cavernous arch that forms a grotto through which Pine Creek flows have provided both money and volunteers to keep the park open year-round, despite budget woes that have forced the closure of many other state parks. The 83-feet-high, 400-foot-long tunnel through the cliff face was created by the inconspicuous Pine Creek as it chewed through the layers of ancient rock, thanks to the intricate marvel of time and chemistry. Prospector David Gowan discovered the natural phenomenon in 1877. He tried to make a go of farming in the area, although he had to sometimes hide in the caverns and caves to escape raids by Apaches. The once torturous road leading to the bridge has been paved and widened for easy access, and the century-old lodge has been converted to include a gift shop. The fine crystals of travertine are a form of dissolved limestone, comprised of calcium carbonate. Natural acids in groundwater dissolve the calcium carbonate as water seeps through fractures in the limestone. Once the spring water bubbles back to the surface, dissolved carbon dioxide escapes like gas from popping open a bottle of carbonated soda. As the water evaporates, calcite comes out of the solution and creates travertine. The ecology of the park is in many ways as remarkable as the geology. Straddling Pine Creek at the base of the Mogollon Rim, the bridge lies in the overlap between several major habitat types. As a result, it nurtures a wide mix of wildlife. That includes five species of bats, bobcats, cottontails, black bears, coyotes, grey foxes, elk, mountain lion and a host of other species.
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WELCOME TO ARIZONA RIM COUNTRY
august doin’s
THE RODEO World’s Oldest Continuous Rodeo celebrates heritage n the 1800s, Payson was mostly a flat, grassy spot where cowboys could gather up their scattered, near-wild herds during the fall roundups, preparing to drive them down to Phoenix or to the railroad line at Winslow. Naturally enough, the cowboys spent a lot of time drinking and boasting and then staging impromptu contests to both establish bragging rights and win enough money to keep on drinking. So began “August Doin’s” — the Annual World’s Oldest Continuous Rodeo, repeated every year since 1884. The Payson Pro-Rodeo Committee will stage the 128th rodeo in that unbroken string Aug. 19, 20 and 21 — with a total of four shows. The lure of $50,000 in prize money will attract some of the top cowboys and cowgirls in the country — and spur a week-long celebration — with dances, dinners and related activities. The 120 members of the Payson Pro-Rodeo Committee put on the rodeo, which raises money for many local charities. Other rodeos held each year in Rim Country include the Gary Hardt Memorial Spring Rodeo and the action-packed High School Rodeo.
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Dennis Fendler
Dennis Fendler
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Rim Country Visitor’s Handbook
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WELCOME TO ARIZONA RIM COUNTRY
Payson stages two major rodeos each year, testament to both its western roots and the horse lovers and ranch families that have long made Arizona Rim Country home. The town held its first rodeo in 1884 and hasn’t missed a year since.
Dennis Fendler
G et more out of life. Spacious apartments Weekly housekeeping Major appliances | Utilities included Chef-prepared meals Monthly agreements | Social events To learn more about our community in Payson, call (928) 474-3912.
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WELCOME TO ARIZONA RIM COUNTRY
TO DO LIST: Hiking, Birding Biking , 16
Rim Country Visitor’s Handbook
WELCOME TO ARIZONA RIM COUNTRY
RIM COUNTRY’S BEST TRAILS
take a hike The same elevation changes crowded into a small space that make Payson so diverse when it comes to scenery, plants and animals, also provide some of the most scenic and interesting hiking, biking and horseback riding trails in Arizona. For starters, the area boasts hundreds of miles of trails through the national forests, along streams, lakes and along cliff tops. But that’s not all: Payson also has developed one of the most extensive networks of hiking and biking trails in the state — which pass through town and connect to the wealth of Forest Service trails just outside of town. (See map on pages 20 and 21.) Day-trippers can amble for some 3.8 miles along an easy trail that hugs the banks of Horton Creek, or set off for a 50-mile adventure along the Highline Trail. Horseback riders can take advantage of horse camps and hundreds of miles of well-marked and maintained trails. Photographers and scenery junkies can stroll along a
trail that hugs the edge of the Mogollon Rim, with its spectacular sunsets and a chance to watch the clouds roll across a forested landscape 1,500 feet below. Some strenuous trails crawl up through canyons that top out on the Rim. Others follow streams, like the East Verde, Tonto Creek, Horton Creek and others. The three national forests surrounding Payson also have thousands of miles of dirt roads and trails open to offroad vehicles. The forest managers have moved to reduce or eliminate cross country travel and to close roads and trails in sensitive areas, but that still leaves most of the existing roads and trails ready and waiting for off-roaders. Closer to town — usually right out the front door of the hotel — Payson is also developing the Payson Area Trails System (PATS). So far, the town has completed 30 miles of the 50-mile system, which lead through town and out into the forest. Those town trails include the Boulders, Houston and Monument Peak loop trails. Here we offer a sampling of the trails available and how to get additional information. www.rimcountrychamber.com
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WELCOME TO ARIZONA RIM COUNTRY Here are a few of our favorite trails in Rim Country, with something for every season and almost every fitness level. Hiking in Rim Country does require research and caution, mostly when it comes to determining whether a trail switchbacks up the 1,500-foot-high face of the Mogollon Rim. That can make many of these trails a challenge. That includes the Fossil Creek Trail, which drops 1,600 feet in just 3.5 miles. Poorly prepared hikers in flip-flops without enough water to get them up the sun-bathed side of the canyon often need rescue in the summer. But if you do your research, Rim Country offers great views, leafy streams, physical challenges and a dose of history sure to delight any hiker, rider and biker. Just match the number on the map opposite with the trail description below. To get complete descriptions of these trails go to fs.fed.us/r3/tonto/recreation/rec-hikingindex.shtml#mogollonrim.
1: Horton Creek Trail Easy: 4 miles. Popular trail along the creek starts at Upper Tonto Creek Campground.
4: Derrick Trail 33 More Difficult: 2.5 miles. Start on Derrick Spur Trail, transition onto the Derrick Trail then add FR Combine FR 289 to create a daylong loop. Can also access back of Upper Tonto Creek Campground. 5: See Canyon & See Spring Trail Most Difficult: 4 miles. A challenging hike that produces great views in the fall. Starts half mile north of the Highline Trail, with access from FR 300 on top of the Rim about 12.3 miles from Highway 260. 6: Highline Trail 31 More difficult: 51 miles. This trail runs for miles along the base of the Mogollon Rim, connecting many other trail systems and climbing in and out of the drainages of the creeks that flow off the 1,500-foot-high cliffs of the Rim. You can access the west end of the trail at the Pine Trailhead on the east side of Highway 87. Access the east end of the trail at the 260 Trailhead 23 miles east of Payson on the north side of Highway 87. 7: Sink Hole Trail 179
2: Horton Springs Trail
Most Difficult: 2.5 miles. Most Difficult: 1.5 miles. Starts on the Rim off Historic Forest Road 300, built Steep, rocky switchbacks – not recommended for by General George Crook in the 1800s during his war with horses. Best access of FR 300, 15.7 miles west of Highway the Apache. Starts 1.9 miles west of Highway 260 at a sce260. nic overlook. 3: Derrick Spur Trail 32
8: Pump Station Trail 296
More Difficult: 1 mile. Spur trail connects to the 2.5-mile-long Derrick Trail. From Highway 260 turn north past the cattle guard on east side of the road.
Easiest: 1 mile. Starts near the Phelps Dodge pump station on the Blue Ridge Pipeline and ends at the Highline Trail. Access from FR 33A 1/8th of a mile north of FR 32 near the Washington Park Trailhead.
Pine Country Antiques we’re filled to “The Rim” with cool stuff
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Rim Country Visitor’s Handbook
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WELCOME TO ARIZONA RIM COUNTRY
9: Railroad Tunnel & Col. Devin Trail
settlers more than 100 years ago. Access from FR 64 about 2.4 miles east of Hwy. 87 on the north side of the road.
Most Difficult: 2.25 miles. The historic trail takes hikers past the sites of skirmishes fought during the Apache wars and into a pipe 11: Pine View Trail dream of a railroad tunnel. Take FR 300 12.2 miles from Easiest: 1 mile. Hwy. 87 to Battle Monument and take the Col. Devin trail This short trail connects the difficult 8-mile-long Pine south. The Railroad Tunnel starts in 1/2 mile. You can Canyon Trail (26) and the 51-mile-long Highline Trail. also access the trail from the base of the Rim east of Washington Park Trailhead. 12: Oak Trail 10: Red Rock Trail More difficult: 1.5 miles. The trail leads to a spring used by the Apaches and the
More Difficult: 3.2 miles. This trail descends into Oak Springs Canyon to Oak Springs. Easiest access from the Pine Trailhead.
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WELCOME TO ARIZONA RIM COUNTRY
PAYSON AREA TRAIL PATS TRAILS SYSTEM Payson has developed 30 miles of riding and hiking trails throughout town connecting to Forest Service Trails. For details, go to the Town of Payson’s Web site: www.paysonrimcountry.com/MountainRecreation/HikingTrails/PaysonAreaTrailsSystem. PAYSON TRAILS INCLUDE: American Gulch: South 1.1 miles American Gulch: North 0.4 mile Boulders Loop Trail: 2.4-mile loop Cypress Trail: 2 miles Event Center 3.7 miles Houston: 4.2 miles Houston Loop: 3.6-mile loop Monument Peak Loop: 3 miles Round Valley: 4.5 miles
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Rim Country Visitor’s Handbook
WELCOME TO ARIZONA RIM COUNTRY
AILS SYSTEM (PATS)
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WELCOME TO ARIZONA RIM COUNTRY
The Great Escape Rim Country boasts more great camping spots than any place in Arizona — and that’s not even counting that it’s just 90 minutes from the swelter of the Valley. You can enjoy undeveloped sites perched on the edge of the Mogollon Rim and wake up with a 200-mile view. You can seek out campsites along the East Verde River, Tonto Creek, Christopher Creek or a host of other hidden streams. You can strike out cross country and find a world of your own — providing summertime fire restrictions aren’t in place. You can also take advantage of one of the hundreds of developed campsites, with tables, toilets, fire pits and even showers. So here’s your Rim Country Visitor’s Handbook to the best campsites anywhere.
TO DO LIST: Camp, Cook, Nap
Campground Guide Developed: Provides water, parking, and toilet facilities. Most require reservations. Semi-Developed: May provide water, parking and toilet facilities. May require reservations. Group Campgrounds: Can accommodate large groups of people for overnight camping. May require reservations. Public Campgrounds: Open to general public on a first-come, first-camp basis. For Reservations: National Forest Recreation Reservation System: 1-877-444-6777 or www.reserveusa.com
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Rim Country Visitor’s Handbook
Christopher Creek (Group) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 877-444-6777 21 miles east of Payson on Highway 260. 43 campsites with tables, fire pits, grills, handicapped accessible toilet and other vault toilets; drinking water and trash collection. Roads and spurs are paved. Creek runs through the campground with cool spots for wading and fishing. Open mid-May through midOctober. East Verde Crossing Public Campground . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No Reservation Required 5 miles north of Payson on Hwy 87, then left on FR 622.
WELCOME TO ARIZONA RIM COUNTRY Flowing Springs Campground . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No Reservation 3 miles north of Payson. Right one-half mile on Forest Road 272. Houston Mesa Developed/Group/Horse . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 928-468-7135 Highway 87, two miles north of Payson. Turn right on Houston Mesa Road. Within the next 13 miles are several campgrounds: 1st, 2nd & 3rd Crossings, Water Wheel & Verde Glen (all are public campgrounds). Payson Campground (developed) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 928-472-2267 808 E. Highway 260 in Payson. Pool, pets, open year-round. Ponderosa Campground (developed) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 877-444-6777 12 miles east of Payson on Highway 260. 61 units with tables, grills, drinking water, vault toilets, nature trail and amphitheater. Spaces can handle up to 60-foot trailers. Open year-round. Hosts are available. Sharp Creek Semi Developed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 877-444-6777 23 miles northeast of Payson, 1.5 miles east of Christopher Creek. 28 units with tables, grills, drinking water, vault toilets and nature trails. Spaces can handle up to 45-foot trailers. No more than two vehicles per unit. No more than eight people per unit. Three group units (50 people). Open mid-May through mid-October. Hosts are available. Sink Hole Semi Developed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 928-535-4481 Located at Willow Springs Lake. Upper Tonto Creek Developed No Reservation Required 17 miles east of Payson on Highway 260 to Forest Road 289. Nine sites with tables, fire pits, grills, drinking water, vault toilets and garbage collection. Some sites accommodate trailers up to 16 feet. Access to Derrick & Horton Creek Trails. Fishing on Tonto and Horton creeks. Popular campground, so get there early on weekends. Open mid-May through October. Woods Canyon Lake Developed/Group . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 877-444-6777 Woods Canyon Lake, northeast of Payson on Highway 260 and Forest Service Road 300. Ranger Districts For Campground Information Apache-Sitgreaves Forest (Woods Canyon area) . . . . . . . . . . . 928-535-4481 Happy Jack (Long Valley) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 928-527-3640 Heber (Willow Springs Lake) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 928-535-4481 Payson Ranger Station . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 928-474-7900 Pleasant Valley . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 928-462-3311
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MOBILE HOME and RV PARKS Cy’s Shady Haven RV Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 928-474-8222 3 miles east on Highway 260 to Valley Rd., Star Valley. Happy Jack Lodge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 928-477-2805 292.5 Forest Hwy. 3 in Happy Jack | www.happyjacklodge.com Jakes Corner RV Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 928-474-4802 3 miles off Hwy 87 on Hwy 188 at Jakes Corner.
Star Vale Mobile Home Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 928-474-4242 4 miles east of Payson on Hwy. 260 | Age-qualified park | Well maintained Strawberry RV . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 928-476-3503 RV park on Strawberry Creek. All kinds of camping. Next to Strawberry Lodge. Twin Lakes Mobile Home Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 928-472-6532 903 Granite Dells Road | Payson | Pets Welcome
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WELCOME TO ARIZONA RIM COUNTRY
perfect week in
RIM COUNTRY Payson makes a great base for adventures
There are many spots along the Mogollon Rim that offer breathtaking views.
Tom Brossart
Payson makes a great base for adventures. Put a map of Arizona on the wall. Get a dart. Now, aim for the center. If you’re a good shot — you probably hit Payson. So what, you say? For starters, that makes Payson the perfect base of operations to explore a huge chunk of Arizona. Turns out, Payson’s quiet and out of the way — but it’s also just about an hour from everyArea’s Largest Selection of Guns (New & Used)
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Rim Country Visitor’s Handbook
where. So instead of paying Sedona prices, you can set up shop in Payson for a week and have the most amazing variety of individual or family adventures — depending on the season. So roughly an hour’s drive from Payson, you can fish a high country lake, troll for bass on Roosevelt Lake, sample the 800-year-old ruins of Tonto National
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Monument, paddle down the Verde River, take a plunge in Fossil Creek, fish in Tonto Creek, have a gourmet dinner at Fargo’s, get a massage at From Head to Toe Salon, or ride horses through the deep forest. That makes Rim Country the perfect base of operations for a week-long vacation. To prove the point, we offer this itinerary for a week in Rim Country.
WELCOME TO ARIZONA RIM COUNTRY MONDAY Start off easy with a close-to-town adventure to explore the East Verde River out Houston Mesa Road. Turn onto the road off Highway 87 north of Payson. — Shoofly Ruins. The signs along the trail through the overgrown remains of sandstone walls tell a little about the farmers who lived here for centuries, before disappearing mysteriously in the 1400s. — Water Wheel. Continue up past the bridge over the Verde to the turnout at the unsigned Water Wheel. For a nominal fee, you can park in the paved lot there and enjoy the creek, complete with an upstream waterfall and plunge pool. You’ll find additional day use picnic areas further along Houston Mesa Road. — Dinner: Try Gerardo’s Firewood Cafe in Payson — varied menu, nice wine selection. Alternatively, Fargo’s Steakhouse offers steaks and seafood in a quiet setting. TUESDAY Sleep in, relax, you’re on vacation — unless you get up early to fish in the Green Valley Lakes at the end of Main Street or in the numerous pools along the East Verde stocked weekly with rainbows. — Tonto Natural Bridge, which lies off Highway 87 about halfway to Pine. Hike down to the world’s largest travertine arch and bring a picnic lunch. — Pine and Strawberry, where you can browse the art, crafts and antique shops. Don’t miss the historic schoolhouse, for a cozy dose of history. You might also look up The Ranch at Fossil Creek -- a goat and llama ranch with an award-winning creamery that makes -- wait for it: goat milk fudge. — Dinner: Try Macky’s Grill in Payson, with a creative menu. Also, El Rancho does great Mexican food in Payson, and has cheap beer specials on Tuesdays. — Breakfast: Sometime during the week, treat yourself to the breakfast offerings at Tiny’s Restaurant or Cedar Ridge in the Mazatzal Casino.
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WELCOME TO ARIZONA RIM COUNTRY
Roosevelt Lake offers plenty of fishing and water recreation opportunities. Tom Brossart
WEDNESDAY Forest Road 300: Time to wander – head east for one of the state’s great, backroad adventures atop the Mogollon Rim. Drive east on Highway 260 through Star Valley, past Tonto Creek and on for about 30 miles to the top of the Mogollon Rim. Right after you top out, Forest Road 300 crosses the highway. Go right to drive along the Rim past Willow Springs and Black Canyon lakes all the way to Show Low, but come back home to Payson on Highway 260. Alternatively, you can go west from the highway on Forest Road 300 and pass Woods Canyon, Bear Canyon and Knoll lakes. You eventually come out on Highway 87 near Pine. Either route will take the day if done right and guarantee so many stunning views you’ll grow jaded. Camp on the Rim if you’re inclined, but check on whether the Forest Service has fire restrictions in effect. Bring your fishing pole for great fishing in a string of trout-stocked lakes.
— Dinner: In Strawberry try the Strawberry Lodge. In Payson, The Buffalo Bar and Grill normally has karaoke night on Thursdays, a DJ on Friday and live entertainment Saturday evening. THURSDAY Already? Jeeze. So much left to see. Still, take a break. Don’t drive so much today. Take in the antique stores and art galleries on Main Street in Payson and Pine. Fish for the stocked trout and sometimes giant catfish in the Green Valley Park lakes. Stop by the Rim Country Historical Society Museum and the replica of Zane Grey’s Cabin and the Pioneer Cemetery. — Tonto Creek. By afternoon, you’ll need a fresh dose of scenery, so get back on Highway 260 through Star Valley back on down to Tonto Creek. You can drive up the good dirt road to visit the fish hatchery, which stocks Rim streams and lakes with some 300,000 trout annually. — Horton Trail: This secluded hike
through the forest shades the stream and eventually connects with the Highline Trail, which runs from Hwy. 260 along the base of the Rim all the way to Pine. One of the prettiest hikes in Arizona. — Dinner: You can also enjoy steaks and salads in a rustic atmosphere at the Zane Grey Restaurant at the historic Kohl’s Ranch. FRIDAY How’d the week go so fast? Haven’t even taken advantage of Rim Country’s central location for those just barely outof-town adventures. But let’s take a quick day trip from Payson. So many choices. — Due east: Two hours gets you to the White Mountains and deep forest streams like the Black River and fishing hot spots like Big Lake or to the White Mountain Apache reservation, with Christmas Tree Lake with its trophy-sized Apache Trout, and Fort Apache. — Northeast: About 90 minutes and you’re in Winslow with its wonderfully re-
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Rim Country Visitor’s Handbook
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WELCOME TO ARIZONA RIM COUNTRY stored La Posada Inn and not far from Meteor Crater, the rock and fossil shops of Holbrook or the marvels of Petrified Forest National Monument. — Go northwest: Takes about an hour to get to the Verde Valley, with Camp Verde, Montezuma’s Castle and Well National Monument and the Tuzigoot ruins. By then, you’re nearly to Jerome, a mining town turned artist colony. You could also drop by Sedona to shop and feel smug that you avoided the crowds and expensive hotels by staying in Payson. — Dinner: La Posada in Winslow serves some of the best dishes in the whole state. Otherwise, come on back to the Mazatzal Casino in Payson and live it up a little, including dinner in the Cedar Ridge Restaurant. SATURDAY This is ridiculous. Out of time. — Fossil Creek: Still, can’t leave without a wonderful, if arduous, wilderness adventure in Fossil Creek, just outside of Strawberry. The Forest Service has for the time being closed the road from Strawberry down to the Creek. If you’re in good shape and seeking adventure, you can hike down to the creek on the Fossil Creek Trail, which drops 1,600 feet in just 3.5 miles. Otherwise, you can take a beautiful drive through Strawberry and down to the Verde Valley, where the Fossil Creek road still connects to Hwy. 260 about an hour’s drive from Payson.Whether you drive or take a steep trail down to the creek, you’ll enjoy one of the most remarkable streams in Arizona, its waters tinged with travertine and its pools filled with big fish. Alternatively, you could also get a great wilderness experience by going north out of Pine to West Clear Creek – or the Blue Ridge Reservoir. — Dinner: If you make it back to Payson in time, try Cardo’s Italian Restaurant or maybe the Pizza Factory SUNDAY Out of time already? But we haven’t visited Bear Flat and hiked into Hellsgate Wilderness, canyoneered down Tonto Creek or the East Verde, hiked the Highline Trail, fished for wild brown trout on Haigler Creek, spent anywhere near enough time exploring lakes along the Rim, made the journey through deep forest to Chevelon Lake, hiked or biked any of the 30 miles of trails encircling Payson or the hundreds of miles of Forest Service trails, gone to any of the more than 200 special events, like the Gary Hardt Memorial Spring Rodeo or the Mountain High Games, the Annual World’s Oldest Continuous Rodeo, the First Friday Art and Antique Walks on Main Street, the artist studio tours. We need at least two more weeks. Make that a month. But what to do with the one more day? — Tonto National Monument lies about 40 miles south of Payson. The cliff dwellings overlooking Roosevelt Lake offer a wonderful glimpse of a mysterious, vanished ancient culture. — Roosevelt Lake: Since you’re here, might as well drop by the marina in the Tonto Basin and rent a boat to either water ski or fish for bass. That’s really a full day. — Apache Trail: If you’ve got a couple hours of daylight left and are now foolishly heading back to Phoenix, consider the slow but scenic route on the Apache Trail. — Dinner: Hit Tortilla Flats if you’re heading down the Apache Trail, but if you want our advice go back to Payson, sign up for another week and go do some two-stepping at the Buffalo Bar and Grill, with live music on Sunday and great pulled pork.
www.rimcountrychamber.com
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WELCOME TO ARIZONA RIM COUNTRY
Rim Country Communities One of the great charms of this leafy, mountainous region of streams, lakes and trails lies in the diversity of small communities with deep roots and a laid back attitude. So here’s a brief summary of some great places to browse for antiques, buy an ice cream cone, snuggle into a bed and breakfast — or maybe catch a glimpse of the Mogollon Monster — or at least a few characters. PINE
Established by four Mormon pioneering families in 1879, Pine now has a population of about 2,000 — mostly retirees and second-home owners. The community once struggled with water shortages, but the Pine-Strawberry Water Improvement District drilled a series of deep wells that has secured the region’s water future and lifted a building moratorium. Now, summer visitors savor the community’s eclectic collection of small shops and galleries. The town remains one of the most satisfying places to browse cozy antique stores, galleries and craft shops. Best not miss the Honey Stand, with raw honey from a bewilderment of different flowers. The town also treasures its history at places like the Randall House, the perfect spot for Sunday morning brunch or a leisurely lunch. The Pine Deli offers sandwiches and full takeout meals. You can also get a taste of that history at the Pine Strawberry Historical Society and Museum fronting the highway. As the day slows down, you can catch up on local gossip or catch live music on the weekends at the Sidewinder Saloon. The Ponderosa Market features a full bakery and coffee bar. You can also enjoy the latest addition to the charms of the town — the Rimside Grill’s new THAT Brewery & Pub. The Census Bureau reports the community consists of 32 square miles, with 2,242 homes and population den-
Fresh
Artisan
Local
Cheeses
Farmstead
Fudge
Tom Brossart
The Randall House in Pine offers a delicious dining experience.
sity of 60 people per square mile. The median age is 53 and the median household income about $40,000. STRAWBERRY
The hamlet of Strawberry just up the road has a population of about 1,000 and a colorful history. Back in 1931, federal agents destroyed a whiskey still in a little canyon just
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Rim Country Visitor’s Handbook
3901 N. Hwy 87 • Pine, Arizona 85544 www.pinecreekcabinsaz.com
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WELCOME TO ARIZONA RIM COUNTRY
Antique the day away Tom Brossart
The Strawberry Schoolhouse is the oldest still standing schoolhouse in Arizona.
north of town. The community also takes pride in the Strawberry Schoolhouse, built in 1884 after a couple of cowboys settled a property dispute by counting out rope-lengths. It operated as a schoolhouse until 1916, did duty as a visitor’s cabin and declined to a state of near ruin by 1961. However, local residents repaired and restored it in 1967 and won historical monument status in 1981. Today, Strawberry encompasses about 10 square miles. The roughly 1,100 houses give it a density of about 101 people per square mile, according to the census. The settlement includes a lot of retired couples and some oldtime families, with a median age of 54 and a median household income of about $36,000. The road to Fossil Creek branches off Highway 87 in Strawberry, where you’ll find some rustic and surprisingly high-quality restaurants such as the Strawberry Lodge, which makes its own pies. The town also boasts some of the coziest bed and breakfasts in Arizona (for a listing, see our lodging guide). Restrictions on the road down into Fossil Creek may diminish traffic, but don’t miss the Fossil Creek Creamery, a goat
and llama farm that produces awardwinning goat cheese fudge and other treats. CHRISTOPHER CREEK
Several settlements lie close by Tonto Creek, one of the most popular places in Rim Country — thanks to the spring-fed stream the Arizona Department of Game and Fish stocks copiously with trout all summer long. Christopher Creek has rental cabins, a lazy stream, a bar/restaurant, a couple of churches and 156 laid back residents, mainly retirees and secondhome owners. Several residents this year showed up for the taping of a television show in Payson to recount their backyard sightings of the famed Mogollon Monster, Rim Country’s own kissing cousin of Bigfoot. Just down the road historic Kohl’s Ranch rents cabins and condos perched on the banks of Tonto Creek, which runs through the Fish Hatchery upstream, past a small subdivision and Camp Tontozona and then on into the rugged Hellsgate Wilderness. Kohl’s Ranch has grassy areas on the banks of the creek and a rustic, resort-minded restaurant.
In Arizona Rim Country, treasure hunting remains a favorite art. The goal is to find that “treasure” that reminds us of our youth, our history or family members that “had one just like that.” Historic areas like Rim Country, with its history of cattle rustling, Indian attacks, and rodeos gather unique shops and hard- to- find items — at surprisingly reasonable prices. Antique shops, secondhand stores, thrift shops and yard sales thrive in Rim Country. Our “gold fields” include; Bootleg Alley, Granny’s Attic, Payson Galleria, Moose Mountain, Pine Country Antiques, Loot Resale as well as the Payson Senior Center Thrift Shop, The Pine/Strawberry Thrift Shop, the Mogollon Health Alliance Thrift Shop, the Time Out Thrift Shop and the Habitat For Humanity ReStore. The Payson Roundup carries complete listings of yard sales in its Friday edition. Full listings of each of these businesses is available on www.rimcountrychamber.com www.rimcountrychamber.com
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WELCOME TO ARIZONA RIM COUNTRY
A lesson in history Rim Country’s pioneer past revealed in tour Interior of the historic Strawberry School House.
1. Strawberry School House The 125-year-old Strawberry School House is a treasured landmark and a registered historical site. It has held its ground just outside of town since Geronimo was on the loose in the 1880s. Made of dovetailed logs, it’s slouched but sturdy — complete with some desks, a pot-belly stove, teacher’s chalkboard, organ and a few other touches. 2. Pine Strawberry Museum The museum houses prehistoric artifacts found in the land area of Pine and Strawberry. Located just off Highway 87 in Pine, the museum offers a glimpse of the lifestyle of the homesteaders who fended off Apache attacks in the 1880s then settled in to raise cattle and crops. 3. Isabella Hunt Library Randall Park, in historic downtown Pine, is the site of the Isabelle Hunt Memorial Library. The library started out in a 1920s log cabin still standing nearby, before moving to its cur-
rent site in 1960. These days, computers mingle with the fine, old books. 4. Pine Cemetery It is located on the southeast edge of Pine, Arizona, on the short Cemetery Road east of Highway 87. The three oldest marked graves are John Hough, 1881, Lizzie Lowthian, 1883 and Mary Fuller 1888. You’ll find many of the family names still well represented in the phone book, a measure of the rich personal history and deep roots of Rim Country. 5. Tonto Natural Bridge Tonto Natural Bridge is believed to be the largest travertine bridge in the world, Prospector and settler David Gowan is generally credited as the first white man to stumble upon the soaring arch and once reportedly hid from Apache Raiders in secret caves within. Now it’s a state park, with an historic inn doubling as a visitor’s center.
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Rim Country Visitor’s Handbook
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WELCOME TO ARIZONA RIM COUNTRY 6. Shoofly Ruins
ularized the west all over the world.
Shoofly Village Archaeological Ruins offers visitors a selfguided tour of the tumbled stones that mark the site of a village occupied between 1,000 and 1,250 A.D. The 79 identified rooms scattered over nearly 4 acres were once enclosed by a low, rock wall. The residents dry-farmed corn, beans and squash and traded pots, turquoise and other goods in networks extending from California to New Mexico and deep into Mexico. They abandoned their settlements for reasons that remain mysterious in the 1400s.
10. Rim Country Museum
7. Boardman Exhibit
J. W. Boardman and his wife Mary had come from San Diego and operated a general merchandise store on historic Main Street in Payson for decades. The building burned down several times. The Boardmans built their store in Payson in 1898, establishing the first building of stone. The store also ultimately housed the town’s first post office and the first bank. 8. Oxbow Saloon
The Oxbow is the cornerstone building of the Main Street District. First built in 1932 alongside the Payson Hotel, the saloon reportedly has ghosts to keep the diners and drinkers entertained. The large logs used in its construction and the nine upstairs rooms made it a towering landmark in the midst of the depression and the owners set up shop just in time for the end of prohibition. Initially, the owners charged $2.50 a night for a firstrate room and 50 cents for dinner. The saloon got its name from the nearby hill — oxbow mountain. That modest peak got its name from an 1871 incident in which soldiers tracking Apache raiders discovered the oxen yolks the Apaches discarded after eating the oxen. 9. Zane Grey Cabin
The Original Zane Grey Cabin was lost in the 1990 Dude Fire. Fans built a replica of that cabin here in Green Valley Park. Zane Grey hunted, fished, wandered and wrote all along the rugged face of the Mogollon Rim. His thrilling novels pop-
The Rim Country Museum complex consists of the oldest Forest Ranger Station and residence still standing on a grassy hillock overlooking Green Valley Lake. Named one of the top-10 Western Museums by True West Magazine in 2010, the museum contains numerous artifacts and exhibits of pioneer life. The exhibit hall is modeled after the Herron Hotel, known as the Hilton of Payson in the early 1900s. The museum also includes a 1900 pioneer cabin moved to the grounds and the top of a Forest Service fire lookout tower. 11. Pioneer Cemetery
The 1882 Payson Pioneer Cemetery in Green Valley Park is on a little hillside on the west side of town overlooking the Payson Golf Course, five acres shaded by oaks and junipers. Its first occupant was John Meadows, killed on his ranch by Apache raiders in 1882. Those Apache fled the White Mountain Reservation after the Army bungled an attempt to arrest an Apache spiritual leader. A band of 86 escapees attacked Meadow’s Diamond Valley Ranch near what is now Whispering Pines. Meadows and his 12 children took refuge with other families in a central community building. The next morning he set out to investigate a barking dog and received a fatal wound. Army patrols led Apache Scouts commanded by the famous Al Seiber brought the renegades to bay atop the Mogollon Rim in the battle of Big Dry Wash. Other occupants of the cemetery include John Gray who was so happy about winning a bet on a horse race on July 4 1892 that he ran out into the street and got run over by the horse he had bet on. Another occupant is Susan McFarland Gladden, better known as “Grandma Gladden” and a witness to the infamous Pleasant Valley Wars. Nearby, you’ll find Preston Nail who burned to death in a house fire and was buried in a five-gallon coal oil can and his brother, Ben, who died when his horses went wild and ran his wagon into a tree.
www.rimcountrychamber.com
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Dining Guide
Aliberto’s Mexican Food Family Dining . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .468-9000 219 E. Highway 260, Payson
Buffalo Bar & Grill Family Dining . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .474-3900 311 S. Beeline Hwy., Payson
Cardo’s Pizza & Italian Restaurant Family Dining/Italian . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .468-1626 203 E. Hwy. 260, Payson
Cedar Ridge Restaurant Family Dining/Steaks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .474-6044 Inside Mazatzal Casino, Hwy. 87, Payson The biggest burger in town (1/2 pound). Authentic hickory smoked ribs, chicken, beef, steaks and seafood. Open Sunday thru Thursday, 6am-9pm, Friday and Saturday, 6am-10pm.
Cousins Subs 303 E. Highway 260, Payson . . . . . . . . . . . .474-4700
Del Taco 108 S. Beeline Hwy., Payson . . . . . . . . . . . .468-1505
El Rancho Mexican Restaurant
& Italian Restaurant 203 E. Hwy. 260
Open 11am to 9pm Daily
Family Dining/Mexican . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .474-3111 200 S. Beeline Hwy., Payson, elranchorestaurant.net
(928) 468-1626
EL RANCHO
Mexican food and lounge. Open Monday thru Thursday 11am-9pm, Friday and Saturday 11am-9:30pm, Sunday 11am-8pm.
Fargo’s Steakhouse Fine Dining/Steaks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .474-7455 620 E. Hwy. 260, Payson, fargossteakhouse.com
MEXICAN RESTAURANT
Specialties are aged Angus beef, fresh seafood and prime rib, daily features, salads, sandwiches and burgers. Open Sunday thru Thursday 11am-9pm, Friday and Saturday 11am-10pm.
Authentic Mexican & American Dining Lounge OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK - Lunch & Dinner Breakfast Saturday & Sunday 8 a.m.
928.474.3111
Gerardo’s Firewood Cafe
200 S. Beeline Hwy, Across from Chase - Payson, AZ
Family Bistro Dining . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .468-6500 512 N. Beeline, Payson, gerardosfirewoodcafe.com
www.elranchorestaurant.net
Fresh fish, seafood, veal, chicken specialties. Authentic wood burning oven pizzas/pastas. Catering services available.
Healthy Perspectives 805 E. Highway 260, Payson . . . . . . . . . . . .472-7120
Jakes Corner Bar & Grill Family Dining . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .474-0679 57564 N. Az. Highway 188, Jakes Corner
Landmark at the Creek Catering Services Available
Arizona Highways Magazine Best 25 Favorite Restaurants
GERARDO’S PASTA • BRICK OVEN PIZZA • SEAFOOD • WINE BAR G E R A R D O
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M O C E R I ,
Rim Country Visitor’s Handbook
C H E F
512 N. BEELINE HWY. PAYSON
468-6500 www.gerardosfirewoodcafe.com
Family Dining . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .474-4209 1177 E. Christopher Creek Loop off E. Hwy. 260
Macky’s Grill Family Dining . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .474-7411 201 W. Main St. Suite J, Payson, carijo@npgcable.com Come dine in our family restaurant, home of the Macky Burger. We now sell domestic and imported beer and wine. Open Sunday thru Thursday 10am-8pm, Friday and Saturday 10am-9pm.
107 E. Hwy. 260, Payson . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .474-3698
Macky’s Grill
Oxbow Saloon
• Open Daily for Lunch & Dinner • Great Food & Service • • Pets Welcome on the Patio • 40 New Menu Items •
McDonald’s of Payson
Family Dining . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .595-0731 607 W. Main St., Payson
Pine Deli Family Dining . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .476-3536 6240 Hardscabble Road, Pine
201 W Main St. Payson Located next to Sawmill Theatre 928.474.7411 VOTED “BEST OF RIM COUNTRY” BY THE COMMUNITY OF PAYSON BEST PLACE FOR LUNCH AND BEST HAMBURGER
Deli foods, dinner specials, homemade pizza and gourmet desserts. Open 7 days a week.
PIZZA FACTORY
Pizza Factory
Pizza • Pasta • Calzone • Sandwiches Salads• Video Games & More!
Family Dining . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .474-1895 238 E. Highway 260, Payson
(928) 474-1895
“We toss ’em, they’re awesome.” Come dine with us and watch your pizza made from start to finish! We also feature pastas, calzones, sandwiches and a delicious salad bar. Enjoy our big screen TVs, video games, and have a fun family experience! Open MondayFriday 11am-9pm, Sundays 4pm-9pm
The Randall House Family Dining . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .476-4077 3821 N Highway 87, Pine Charming coffee house, bakery and cafe serving breakfast and lunch, featuring unique handmade gifts. Open Wednesday-Saturday, 8am-3pm. Sunday, 8am-2pm. Closed Monday and Tuesday. Guest cottage available on premises.
Scoops Ice Cream & Espresso Ice Cream Parlor/Coffee House . . . . . . . . . . . .474-3957 201 W. Main St., Suite H, Payson, paysonscoops.com
Sidewinders Saloon Bar & Grill . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .476-6434 6114 W. Hardscrabble Mesa Rd., Pine
Sonic Drive-In Milepost 251, Hwy. 87, Payson . . . . . . . . . .468-1863
Strawberry Lodge Family Dining . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .476-3333 8039 W. Fossil Creek Rd., Strawberry, strawberrylodgeaz.com Historic mountain lodge established in 1956. Featuring country breakfasts, chef’s daily specials, hand-cut steaks, seafood, homemade soups and famous pies. Weekend entertainment.
THAT Brewery & Pub Microbrewery & Pub . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .476-3349 3270 N. Highway 87, Pine, Az., thatbrewery.com Previously Rimside Grill for eight years ... same owners ... new concept! Locally made craft beers! Great food, salads, appetizers, cheese plates, bar, delicious wine selection, outdoor dining, horseshoes, sand volleyball, bocce ball, Saturday night live music. Special beer/wine pairing dinners. Open Wednesday-Sunday at 11am (and holiday Mondays).
238 E. HIGHWAY 260 • PAYSON
VOTED BEST of RIM COUNTR Y!
We Deliver
BREAKFAST LUNCH PASTRIES CAPPUCCINO CATERING GIFTS GUEST COTTAGE
3821 Hwy 87 P.O. Box 428 Pine, AZ 85544 • GOOD FOOD & GIFTS •
928.476.4077
Strawberry Lodge • Open daily for Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner • • Great Food • Famous Pies • Cozy Rooms with Fireplaces • At the foot of the Mogollon Rim on Highway 87 - 17 miles north of Payson
8039 Fossil Creek Road • Strawberry • 928-476-3333
THAT Brewery & Pub at Rimside
Locally Made Craft Beers, Great Food, Bar/Wine, Outdoor Dining, Horseshoes, Bocce, Sand Volleyball, Saturday Live Music Open Wed-Sun at 11am (& Holiday Mondays)
3270 N. Hwy 87, Pine Az www.thatbrewery.com 928-476-3349
Tiny’s Family Restaurant Family Dining . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .474-5429 600 E. Hwy. 260, Payson
Zane Grey Steakhouse & Saloon Fine Dining/Steaks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .928-478-4211 Hwy. 260 at Kohl’s Ranch Lodge, kohlsranch.com
www.rimcountrychamber.com
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Lodging Hotels & Motels Majestic Mountain Inn FIREPLACES • POOL/SPA
602 E. Highway 260, Payson • 928-474-0185 www.majesticmountaininn.com
Hotels & Motels Americas Best Value Inn WIFI AVAILABLE • CABLE TV • HBO • LIMITED PETS
811 S. Beeline Highway, Payson • 928-474-2283 www.americasbestvalueinn.com/ bestv.cfm?idp=460
Best Western Payson Inn FIREPLACES • POOL/SPA • PETS OK
801 N Beeline Highway, Payson • 928-474-3241 www.bestwesternpaysoninn.com
Comfort Inn 100% NON-SMOKING • INDOOR POOL/SPA • PET FREE COMPLIMENTARY BREAKFAST • FREE HIGH-SPEED INTERNET
206 S. Beeline Highway, Payson • 928-472-7484 www.choicehotels.com/hotel/az347
Mazatzal Hotel & Casino POOL/SPA • NO SMOKING • FITNESS CENTER
Highway 87, Mile Marker 251, Payson 1-800-777-PLAY (7529) www.777play.com
Paysonglo Lodge FIREPLACES • POOL/SPA • PETS OK
1005 S. Beeline Highway, Payson 928-474-2382 800-772-9766 www.paysonglolodgeaz.com
Super 8 Inn & Suites FIREPLACES • POOL/SPA • PETS OK
809 E. Highway 260, Payson 928-474-5241
Days Inn & Suites FIREPLACES • INDOOR HEATED POOL/SPA • PETS OK COMPLIMENTARY BREAKFAST • FREE HIGH-SPEED INTERNET
301-A S. Beeline Hwy., Payson • 928-474-9800 877-474-9800 • www.daysinn.com/payson
Economy Inn PETS OK
101 W. Phoenix Street, Payson • 928-474-4526 paysoneconomyinn@gmail.com
Lone Pine Hotel 610 W. Main St., Payson 928-978-9234
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Rim Country Visitor’s Handbook
Cabins & Lodges Cabins on Strawberry Hill SPA SERVICES AVAILABLE, INCLUDING MASSAGE AND AESTHETICS
5306 N. Hwy. 87, Strawberry • 928-476-4252 www.azcabins.com
Creekside Cabins RESTAURANT • FIREPLACES • PETS OK
21 miles east of Payson on Hwy. 260 928-478-4389
Guide Cabins & Lodges Forest Lakes Lodge
Cabins & Lodges Rimside Grill & Cabins GREAT FOOD • CABLE TV • SAND VOLLEYBALL & HORSESHOES
3270 N. Hwy. 87, Mile Marker 267, Pine 928-476-3349 www.rimsidegrill.com
Rustic Rim Hideaway 918 N. Mulesprings (off Highway 260) 928-535-9030 • 888-801-9030 (toll free) www.rimhideaway.com
PETS OK
928-535-4047 www.forestlakeslodge.com
Strawberry Lodge 8039 Fossil Creek Road, Strawberry 928-476-3333
Kohl’s Ranch Lodge RESTAURANT • FIREPLACES • POOL/SPA • PETS OK HORSES • CABINS ON THE CREEK
17 miles east of Payson on Hwy. 260 928-478-4211 • 800-521-3131 www.kohlsvacation.com
Mountain Ridge Cabins OPEN MAY 1 THROUGH OCTOBER 31
30 minutes north of Payson, 1 mile from the crest of the Mogollon Rim, Forest Road 32 480-368-1504 www.mountainridgecabins.com
Pine Creek Cabins FIREPLACES • PETS OK ON APPROVAL • JACUZZI TUBS RESTAURANT ON SITE
3901 N. Highway 87, Pine • 928-970-9511 www.pinecreekcabinsaz.com
Bed & Breakfasts Falcon Crest Bed & Breakfast 1105 N. Falcon Crest Drive, Payson 928-474-5249 www.arizonabednbreakfast.com
Up The Creek Bed & Breakfast FIREPLACES
10491 Fossil Creek Rd., Strawberry 928-476-6571 www.upthecreekbedandbreakfast.com
Ranch at Fossil Creek 10379 W. Fossil Creek Rd., Strawberry 928-476-5178 www.fossilcreekllamas.com
Vacation Rentals
Rancho Tonto Guest House
Active Resort Properties
FIREPLACES • PETS OK
18 miles east of Payson on Hwy. 260 Exit left at Kohl’s Ranch exit Zane Grey Cabin Rd. Payson, AZ 85541 928-478-0002
55+ COMMUNITIES • PARK MODELS • MANUFACTURED HOMES
1-800-478-3864
www.rimcountrychamber.com
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WELCOME TO ARIZONA RIM COUNTRY
NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATIONS 812 S. McLane Rd. Payson, AZ 85541
Rimcountryquiltroundup.com
Mail: P.O. Box 242 Payson, AZ 85547
Nov. 9, 10, 11 2012
Phone: 928-474-5590 Fax: 928-474-4341 Email: hs@humanesocietycentralaz.org Web: www.humanesocietycentralaz.org
Promoting Art and Art Education in the Rim Country Visit our website for upcoming events:
paysonartleague.org Sue Jones 928-472-8147
928-978-3464
These are just a few of more than 200 non-profit organizations serving the Rim Country.
103 E. Highway 260, Payson, AZ (928) 474-4247 www.PaysonHabitat.com FREE PICKUPS
MHA’s mission is to promote rural health care and health education opportunities for members of the community through programs, activities, grants and scholarships.
To promote and support the health, safety, and wellness of local children.
308 East Aero Drive, Payson, AZ 85541 928.472.2588 • 928.472.2590 fax • TIN 86-0147128 www.mogollonhealthalliance.com • www.gracieleehaught.com
Helping underserved children and their families
June 7th, 8th & 9th, 2013 Pine Community Center Pine, AZ. Held in conjunction with the Strawberry Festival on 6/8 & 6/9.
Suzy Tubbs, Interim Director
For more information contact Elaine Putnam at 928-978-3464
P.O. Box 1856, Payson, AZ 85547
Payson Senior Center 514 W. Main St. Payson, AZ 85541 Phone: 928.474.4876 Fax: 928.474.6054 Senior Thrift Store 512 W. Main St. Payson, AZ 85541 Phone: 928.474.3205 We are a 501(c) 3 non-profit & approved for the Arizona Working Poor Tax Credit program
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Your 1st class, 2nd hand store!
Rim Country Visitor’s Handbook
(928) 478-7160
August 11, 2012 • 11AM-2PM Pine Community Center Pine, AZ.
Seeking Solutions, Creating Change
Beautiful home made quilts & wall hangings for sale.
404 W. Aero Drive • Payson
For more information contact Elaine Putnam at 928-978-3464
info@sbhservices.org
(928) 474-3303