Verde Canyon full of history, beauty
The Verde Canyon area around Clarkdale and Cottonwood has a long, rich history. And prehistory.
Ancient Sinaguan people lived along the Verde River for untold generations, tending fields, raising families and building pueblos that still fire the imagination. Centuries after the Sinagua moved on, miners came to the region, drawn by an abundance of rich ore. Settlers soon followed.
Things to note along the short drive from Cottonwood to Clarkdale:
Clemenceau Heritage Museum: Learn about the mining, farming and ranching history of the Verde Valley at this museum, which holds a recreation of a schoolroom and typical home interiors from the early 20th century. In addition, the Model Train Room features an amazingly detailed diorama, created from old photographs of the region's buildings, equipment and landscapes.
Details: 9 a.m.-noon Wednesdays; 11 a.m.- 3 p.m. Fridays-Sundays. 1 N. Willard St., Cottonwood. Free; donations accepted. 928-634-2868, clemenceaumuseum.org.
Dead Horse Ranch State Park: The most unusually named park in the state lies along a tranquil stretch of the Verde River, a scenic oasis featuring picnic spots, campsites, hiking trails and a fishing lagoon. And the name? Seems the family that bought the ranch in the 1940s named it after a dead horse their children had seen by the side of the road.
Details: 675 Dead Horse Ranch Road, Cottonwood. $7 per vehicle. 928-634-5283, azstateparks.com/parks/deho.
Tuzigoot National Monument: The vaguely castlelike walls of these ruins stand atop a small ridge near the Verde River, reminding passers-by of the ancient people who raised crops, hunted game and built extensive masonry pueblos here so long ago. They moved on in about 1425.
Details: 8 a.m.-5 p.m. daily. 25 W. Tuzigoot Road, Clarkdale. $5, free for age 15 and younger. 928-634-5564, www.nps.gov/tuzi.