7 Whimsical Towns to Visit in Arizona
The State of Arizona is called the Grand Canyon State due to its most famous attraction, majestic Grand Canyon National Park. While the Grand Canyon is an incredible treasure trove of outdoor recreational opportunities, Arizona has far more to explore beyond this one park. In fact, this state has plenty of small towns that offer everything from vast expanses of sandstone red rock formations to creative local artwork. Oh, and there’s even one town where the old London Bridge sits by the foot of the Colorado River!
For some new and fresh perspectives on this classically colorful Desert Southwest state, check out these seven whimsical towns to visit in Arizona.
Sedona
Take a scenic journey down Highway 89A from Flagstaff to reach the charming town of Sedona. Surrounded by Coconino National Forest, Sedona is most famous for the forest’s many red rock formations that dot the edges of town, including Cathedral Rock, Bell Rock, and Boynton Canyon. Clearly, Sedona is a great town for spending quality time hiking in the wilderness.
But, whenever you feel like changing things up, Uptown Sedona has a fun mix of quirky boutiques and the Sedona Arts Center, which stages rotating exhibitions featuring local artists and holds regular art classes and workshops. Get a table at Sedona Beer Company’s Uptown Brewpub for great local brews and stunning views of Arizona red rock.
When you’re down to explore more of the arts scene, tour the galleries at Tlaquepaque Village. Or, try a long Sedona spa weekend with a stay at Enchantment Resort or Mii amo in the heart of beautiful Boynton Canyon.
Jerome
Around the turn of the 20th century, Jerome was dubbed the “Wickedest Town in the West” thanks to the abundance of copper that made this one of Arizona’s hottest mining towns. To better understand how and why Jerome got its “wicked” reputation, head to Jerome State Historic Park to tour the grand estate that mining magnate James Douglas built above the Little Daisy Mine in 1916, and to check out the park’s many exhibits and stations that reveal the inner workings of Jerome’s mining operations. For an even deeper dive into Jerome’s mining heritage, visit the Jerome Historical Society’s Mine Museum to find everything from vintage mining equipment to memorabilia highlighting the contributions of various immigrant communities (including Chinese, Mexicans, Slavs, and Irish) who settled in the Verde Valley.
When the mines closed in the mid 20th century, Jerome nearly became a ghost town, but the subsequent influx of bohemian artists breathed new life into this town. Today, you can visit galleries in town like the Jerome Art Center and the Jerome Artists Cooperative Gallery to witness this town’s enduring creative spirit and timeless ingenuity. In addition, the Verde Valley has more recently emerged as Arizona’s hottest wine country region, and you can stop at the Caduceus Tasting Room to enjoy their selection of locally produced Caduceus and Merkin Vineyards wines. To make your time in Jerome extra grand, try a stay at the Jerome Grand Hotel for incredible desert and mountain views, along with their own award-winning Asylum Restaurant on site.
Williams
Usually, when travelers discuss Williams, they mention it in the context of its location, which is less than 60 miles south of the Grand Canyon’s South Rim. Indeed, you can drive Highway 64 north to Grand Canyon Village, or you can enjoy an easy-breezy car-free journey with a ride on one of Grand Canyon Railway’s historic trains complete with Old West-style musical acts, a staged “train robbery,” and ample views of Northern Arizona’s wonderful wilderness.
Beyond the journey to the Grand Canyon, Williams includes the Bill Williams Trail that leads to the summit of the volcanic Bill Williams Mountain (at 9,256 feet above sea level), and the serene land and waterscapes at Sycamore Falls.
If you aim to try something different, try a thrilling ride down a mile-long mountain coaster track at Canyon Coaster Adventure Park. If you’d like a more easygoing journey spanning 18 holes and a long stretch of Ponderosa pine-adorned greens, book a tee time at Elephant Rocks Golf Course. And for a relaxing stay close to nearly everything, check into the Grand Canyon Railway Hotel that’s right at the train station and steps away from Williams’ downtown.
Prescott
Prescott may only be 100 miles north of Phoenix, yet it looks and feels a world away with its beautiful mountain scenery and pleasant four-season climate. Originally established as Arizona’s territorial capital by US President Abraham Lincoln during the American Civil War, Prescott cherishes its own homegrown take on “cowboy culture.” You can begin to take in this local culture at the Phippen Museum, that is dedicated to preserving the “Art of the American West,” along with the Western Heritage Center and the Museum of Indigenous People share more stories of the growth and development of this region.
While Prescott abounds in fascinating history and culture, this town also has a lot of natural beauty. Go to Watson Lake to try some kayaking, canoeing, and/or stand-up paddleboarding while enjoying the awesome views of the Granite Dells rock formations. For more adventures outside, head to Goldwater Lake for a scenic array of hiking trails and boat ramps to access the lake, and try the Penn Basin Loop for a trail that leads into verdant mountain wilderness. After spending the day traipsing around town, treat yourself to a cool stay at the historic Grand Highland Hotel on Prescott’s buzzing Whiskey Row.
Lake Havasu City
What on earth is the London Bridge doing in the Arizona desert? Long story short, the 19th-century London Bridge needed to be replaced with a structure that could handle 20th-century London car traffic, and Lake Havasu City co-founder Robert P. McCulloch, Sr., saw an opportunity to bring a unique landmark Colorado River.
So, in 1968, McCulloch won the bid for the old London Bridge, and he directed the effort to rebuild it in Arizona for the next three years. Since 1971, the bridge has been open to traffic to connect “mainland” Havasu to the island in the river that houses the Lake Havasu Marina, Dive Site 5 that’s great for scuba diving, and an array of shops and restaurants.
Of course, the island also has some of the area’s best resorts, perhaps the closest you’ll get to a proper “beach resort experience” in Arizona. Before Robert McCulloch, Sr., brought the London Bridge to Havasu, he built the Nautical Inn to kickstart the development of Lake Havasu as a prime boating destination. Nowadays, The Nautical Beachfront Resort has 139 rooms and suites alongside a heated infinity-edge pool, two private beaches, and a private boat ramp for the easiest access to the river.
Ajo
For many Arizonans, Ajo is that town along Highway 85 to pass through en route to the sunny beaches of Puerto Peñasco in Sonora, Mexico. But before you reach the U.S.-Mexico border, take some time to stop and enjoy the unique desert scenery of this little town. After all, Ajo sits by the foot of Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument, the only place in the United States where organ pipe cacti grow in their native habitat and overall beautiful corner of the Sonoran Desert with such astounding biodiversity that it’s an official UNESCO World Network of Biosphere Reserves site.
Before the establishment of the monument, Ajo was best known as a copper mining town, and you can still catch a big glimpse of Ajo’s rough-and-tumble mining past at the official lookout point for the New Cornelia Mine and the nearby Ajo Museum. For a better idea of the “gems” being produced in Ajo today, return to town and stop at the Curley School for a gorgeous 1920s era Spanish Colonial Revival building that now houses Ajo’s local live-work artist residency program (including their own in-house art gallery). Right by the Curley School artist residences is the Sonoran Desert Inn and Conference Center, another wing of the historic school that’s been converted into a “Southwest Industrial” style hotel.
Patagonia
South of Tucson, Patagonia provides a refreshing oasis in the high desert between the Santa Rita Mountains and the Patagonia Mountains. This is prime territory for nature lovers, as over 300 species of birds regularly migrate to the riparian habitat along Sonoita Creek. The Paton Center for Hummingbirds is the perfect spot to see some of the many birds who call this corner of the desert home. Patagonia Lake State Park offers additional birdwatching opportunities, boat ramps, and campsites.
Back in town, you can learn more of Patagonia’s backstory and catch some local art on display at the Patagonia Museum. While in town, go ahead and feast like “the king” at Velvet Elvis Pizza, and you might even catch some live musical performances as well. Once it’s time to turn in for the night, it’s hard to think of a better place than The Gravel House, a micro-hotel that’s especially designed with adventurers in mind.
Come for the Curiosities. Stay for the Uniquely Arizona Scenery.
Arizona may be famous for certain specific landmarks like the Grand Canyon and Old Town Scottsdale, and these are indeed great places to visit. But if you’re curious to discover more of this state, venture onto the open road and make your way to Patagonia for a true high desert riparian paradise, and to Jerome for a special slice of “Old West” life nestled alongside a burgeoning new world wine country region. Even on the way to (or from) the Grand Canyon, Williams is a lovely town that offers much more than a mere rest stop.
Whatever you’d like to see and do in Arizona, these seven whimsical towns prove that Arizona is much grander than one mere canyon.
